This post originally appeared on Manchester Climate Monthly. Climate scientist Professor Kevin Anderson spoke to Manchester Climate Monthly on Monday 23rd November. In the two separate videos that follow, you can see him outlining what is at stake in the upcoming Paris climate conference - the nature of the individual nations' pledges (INDCs) and how... Continue Reading →
Recent articles about #Australia and #climate negotiations
Hat-tip to John Englart and his excellent article here on the Australian diplomatic position. These are some of the articles that he refers to. Arup, T. 2015. Climate change: Can a wounded Paris deliver for the planet? The Age, 22 November. http://www.theage.com.au/environment/can-a-wounded-paris-deliver-for-the-planet-20151118-gl1pnx.html Englart, J. 2015. Can a leopard change its spots? Australia's schizophrenic #climate diplomacy. Nofibs.com.au 11 November.... Continue Reading →
Learning Curve: Australia and the #Climate Negotiations #Paris
Below is a short briefing, in the format of a Q and A, about the upcoming Paris climate talks, and Australia's role over the last 30 years (and the motivations behind that). There's also a short glossary, a timeline, references and the standard disclaimer. (My basic opinion on Paris, written in February, is here). You... Continue Reading →
The Prospects for Paris – not good. #climate #debacle
The "Earth Negotiations Bulletin," the best summary of the climate talks, has this (in part) to say about the last official meeting before the up-coming Paris talks; “Leaving [the last UNFCCC meeting before the Paris conference, held in October in Bonn], many delegates concurred with Laurence Tubiana, who spoke for the incoming COP 21 Presidency,... Continue Reading →
Coping with Copenhagen, Parrying Paris etc
So, the climate activists are a bit stuck, now that the French state has said 'non' to their planned "manifestations" at the next climate talks. “We respect the decision of the state, but we are trying to find ways to keep on mobilizing and taking the streets in one way or another during the COP... Continue Reading →
Digital porn debate – neither heat nor light
I don't quite know what I think about porn. I don't think about it much, don't watch it (What never? No, hardly ever). So what? What I do and don't do, what I like and don't like has no moral weighting when we are talking about societal harm. This is a basic point that I... Continue Reading →
We make history – (but not in the circumstances of our own choosing)
How much history can you tell in exactly-ish nine minutes? Quite a lot, it turns out. The Deaf Institute, a rather lovely space on Grosvenor St, just as you enter UniversityZone south of Manchester, hosted “We Make History” tonight, part of the "Being Human festival." It was basically 8 (less than the advertised 9) historians... Continue Reading →
A lively dodo!! On extinction, Derrida and solastalgia
Went do a corking seminar this afternoon, at the end (well, middle) of a corking day (more on that another time). It was by Gitanjali Pyndiah, a third year PhD student at Goldsmith's University (scene of a crime against academia and activism 10 days ago, but I digress). She's looking at how 'we' (people from... Continue Reading →
“Learning Curve” briefing on OECD and #coal subsidies decision #climate #roadtoparis
On Tuesday the OECD will be meeting. It's the rich countries' club, a useful talking shop for elite decision makers. On the agenda is what to do about the awkward fact that while we SAY we want to stop the world getting more than two degrees warmer, at the same time we are allowing public... Continue Reading →
Scared now, because only John Major can save the UK.
Only John Major stands between us and a Pinochet-style coup. What have I been smoking? BBC Radio 4 news, is what(1). The slide towards living in a totalitarian state is a long, slippery and mostly 'gentle' one. The always-slender civil liberties we have (and fwiw, imma rejoin Liberty), are under attack. I won't bore you... Continue Reading →
