‘The Critical Decade 2013: Climate Change Science, Risks and Responses’

Steffen, W. & L. Hughes, 2013, Two years ago in its report The Critical Decade: Climate science, risks and responses, the Climate Commission stated that this decade, 2011-2020, is the decade to decisively begin the journey to decarbonise our economy, thereby reducing the risks posed by climate change. One quarter of the way through the Critical Decade, many consequences of climate change are already evident, and the risks of further climate change are better understood. To meet the widely accepted policy goal of limiting climate change to a temperature rise of no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, global society must virtually decarbonise in the next 30-35 years. This means that most of the fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground.

Download/s: http://climatecommission.gov.au/report/the-critical-decade-2013
http://climatecommission.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/The-Critical-Decade-2013_Website.pdf

Bill McKibben on Faith & Fossil Fuel Divestment

Do the Math - The Movie

http://act.350.org/signup/math-movie/ http://youtu.be/KuCGVwJIRd0

Do the Math: The Movie - International Trailer

Michael Braungart and William McDonough: Cradle to Cradle

McDonough W & Braungart M (2002) Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things. Chapter Two. North Point Press US pp. 45-67.

Doubt

Also: http://climaterealityproject.org/video/doubters/

Sharing tools versus owning stuff

Also: http://www.goget.com.au/

Coaxed by the Kochs

See also: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/

The Price of Carbon

Comic Published by WBGU (German Advisory Council for Global Change)

Ein Comic erklärt das Gutachten „Transformation“ (This video is in German) More information: http://www.wbgu.de/comic-transformation/

Download press release in German (72 KB): http://www.wbgu.de/fileadmin/templates/dateien/presse/presseerklaerungen/downloads/wbgu_presse_Comic_dt.pdf

Inspiring speeches by PIK Potsdam Professor Schellnhuber CBE

Keynote speech delivered by Professor Schellnhuber CBE on the occasion of COP18 in Doha 2012: The Laws of Nature – and the Laws of Civilization. Download pdf (65 KB): http://www.pik-potsdam.de/aktuelles/nachrichten/news/in-short/files/Schellnhuber-keynote-COP18-state-dinner-Doha.pdf

http://vimeo.com/67720244

Reality Drop -- Spread Truth. Destroy Denial

More information: https://realitydrop.org

Cap on Capitalism? Jeremy Grantham on BBC World Service Global Business

A colleague at UNSW shared this interesting and disquieting interview by the BBC's Peter Day with investment expert Jeremy Grantham on taking a long-term view on capitalism and the global economy: "[T]he assumptions which have powered the industrial revolution for two centuries are looking pretty threadbare. So, how do we manage technological progress in a world of finite resources?" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0148yp8)

Here is an excerpted passage I transcribed, in my view worth meditating on: @ 23:00

"We need to reconcile ourselves to the fact that in the long run you cannot have physical growth in a finite world. You can have qualitative growth, but you can't have physical growth. All you have to do is be slightly familiar with the compounding problem. I used to talk about 4.5% was the GDP growth rate of the entire planet in physical output in 2005 and 2006, and I was saying, if the ancient Egyptian empire had kept that up for 3,000 years, a cubic metre of physical possessions would have compounded to more than our ... solar system could handle ... A full of physical possessions at 4.5% compounded for 3,000 years, go and check it, it's correct, you can't compound at the kind of loony numbers we've been talking about. Now you can have qualitative improvements, you can have even better iPads, you can have even smaller television sets that project on the wall in three dimensions, you can do that, but you cannot have compound increase in physical output, nor can you use your resources in a compound way." (Jeremy Grantham on BBC World Service Global Business)

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0148yp8)

Charting the garbage patches of the sea

A colleague Dr Erik van Sebille from UNSW's Climate Change Research Centre has completed a study of ocean "garbage patches", and has found that in some regions the amount of plastic outweighs that of marine life. Source: http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/4/044040

Related article:

Yachtsman describes horror at ‘dead’, rubbish strewn Pacific Ocean: Ivan MacFadyen says he was shocked by absence of sea life during his 37,000km voyage between Australia and Japan

Whole article in the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/21/yachtsman-describes-horror-at-dead-rubbish-strewn-pacific-ocean

Rochelle Potter Interview

One of my friends (Ro Potter) sharing about trafficking...

Storms of My Grandchildren's Opa

Today I came across this essay written by NASA Goddard's and Columbia University Dr. James E. Hansen. He says, "We have tremendous potential for innovation that will be spurred once there is a rising carbon price. New products, more jobs. As the carbon price rises, tipping points will be reached where low-carbon or no-carbon alternatives phase in rapidly, leaving fossil fuels in the ground." Thought provoking. I'm sharing the link to his intriguing webpage (http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/), as well as the link to the essay mentioned. (http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2012/20121213_StormsOfOpa.pdf) Worth a visit. Especially if you care about your children or grandchildren. See also: http://www.nationofchange.org/newsmaker-memo-interview-pioneering-climate-scientist-james-hansen-1366899686

Why Curbing the Climate Crisis Will Take More Than Summits and Divestment

Thought provoking article by Jim Shultz available at Nation of Change: http://www.nationofchange.org/why-curbing-climate-crisis-will-take-more-summits-and-divestment-1355587077

Climate change math

Insightful further reading:

Climate change math
"It’s simple math: we can burn less than 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide and stay below 2°C of warming — anything more than that risks catastrophe for life on earth. The only problem? Fossil fuel corporations now have 2,795 gigatons in their reserves, five times the safe amount. And they’re planning to burn it all — unless we rise up to stop them."
(cited verbatim from http://math.350.org/)

Global Warming's Terrifying New Math
Three simple numbers that add up to global catastrophe - and that make clear who the real enemy is
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719

Divest from fossil fuels now
To Stop Climate Change, Students Aim at College Portfolios
Article published in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/business/energy-environment/to-fight-climate-change-college-students-take-aim-at-the-endowment-portfolio.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hpw&&pagewanted=all

Bill McKibben on the "math of climate change" (see from 13:08-14:57)

Bill McKibben on the "math of climate change" (see from 13:08-14:57)

Amy Goodman: From Fossil Fuels to Global Warming Denial, Koch Brothers Influences Behind U.S. Inaction

Cited verbatim from Democracy Now / Nation of Change "The billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch are known for funneling vast donations into Republican campaigns in the United States. But what impact are the Koch brothers having on global warming? As the United States is accused of blocking progress at the U.N. climate talks in Doha, a new report says the Koch brothers may be the biggest force behind the climate stalemate. The Kochs run oil refineries and control thousands of miles of pipeline, giving them a massive personal stake in the fossil fuel industry. Researchers say they have also funneled tens of millions into climate denial science, lobbying and other efforts to derail policy that could lessen the impact of global warming. We’re joined by Victor Menotti, executive director of the International Forum on Globalization." Cited verbatim from http://www.nationofchange.org/fossil-fuels-global-warming-denial-koch-brothers-influences-behind-us-inaction-1354729439

WBGU - World in Transition - L01E01 - Prof. Dr. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber

RECOMMENDED VIDEO SERIES

The following decription is taken verbatim from the WBGU webpage: http://www.wbgu.de/en/trafoseminar/ (Only first lecture included, refer to link above for remaining lectures).

In this E-Seminar members of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) and invited speakers present the report «World in Transition -- A Social contract for Sustainability«.

The series of lectures starts with an interview that provides a comprehensive overview about the global transformation towards a low-carbon society. Subsequent lectures highlight the characteristics of the so-called »anthropocene«, including the main impacts of climate change. A detailed view on concepts of transformation is presented and aspects of technical and economic feasibility are adressed in detail. The role of the state and change agents in the transformation process are also examined. Finally, you will become familiar with some instruments and measures that can advance the great transformation towards sustainability. A special lecture focuses on the role of scientific advice in policy making and explains the functioning of the WBGU and how the WBGU produces scientific policy advice. Finally recommendations for action and research will be given.

The E-Seminar has been produced in cooperation with the Virtual Academy Sustainability, University of Bremen (Germany) and provides freely available lectures on sustainablity at no charge for university students. For further information and user support please look at: http://wit.va-bne.de/.

The E-Seminar is also a contribution to the Science Year 2012 of the German Federal Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF) "Project Earth -- Our Future". http://www.wbgu.de/en/trafoseminar/

Arctic ice melting at 'amazing' speed, scientists find

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19508906

Bolivia: Leaving the land

UNSW-TV — University of New South Wales (2011). Researcher Johannes Luetz takes us on a personal journey of Bolivia where people are leaving the land in droves. Climate induced migration is not just happening to low-lying islands. The catastrophic drought means thousands of Bolivians are simply walking away from their homes and land for cities already suffering from water shortages.
http://tv.unsw.edu.au/video/bolivia-leaving-the-land

Disappearing Glaciers: Bolivia's Chacaltaya

AP — Associated Press (2009b) The Chacaltaya glacier ski run in Bolivia - once famous for being the highest in the world - is set to disappear completely within the next few months. (Published 7 December 2009).