COP20 in Lima: Derailed negotiations and depressed scientists

10 Dec
COP20 in Lima: Derailed negotiations and depressed scientists

2014

Since ‘COP1 in Berlin’ in 1995 the global CO2 Emissions from fossil fuels have increased by 50% (in addition to increased greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, cement production, melting permafrost, etc.). The purpose of COP1, COP2, COP3, COP4, COP5, COP6, COP7, COP8, COP9, COP10, COP11, COP12, COP13, COP14, COP15, COP16, COP17, COP18 and COP19 were to reduce dangerous greenhouse gases and counteract global warming. The current COP20 in Lima builds on twenty years of mushrooming in a flawed system without tools to secure meaningful negotiations and reject derailments caused by powerful nations such as the United States and China. Meanwhile, depression¹ is spreading from climate scientists to larger parts of the planet’s population.

To better understand the depressing COP processes see these four webcasts from the ‘official website‘ (with all webcasts):

  1. Press briefing. Dec. 6: ‘United Planet Faith & Science Initiative’. Sponsored by Abibimman Foundation: “Arctic methane emergency” (about science and economy): ‘video 32:06‘.
  2. Press briefing Dec. 8: The United States’ delegation: ‘video 27:20‘.
  3. Plenary 1, Dec. 8: Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) 3rd meeting: ‘video 08:02‘.
  4. Press briefing, Dec. 6: Third World Network (update of the first week): ‘video 26:47‘.

Around the same time, in a nearby room, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) held an event (with speakers from Shell and the World Coal Association) titled: “Why Divest from Fossil Fuels When a Future with Low Emission Fossil Energy Use is Already a Reality?” The Huffington Post describes the bizarre event in this article: ‘A Fossil Fuel Scandal at the Climate Talks in Lima’.

Divestment from fossil fuels is god … search for more fossil fuels is bad!

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¹In the broadest sense of the word (not necessarily a clinical depression).

Source on CO2 Emissions: EIA, U.S. Energy Information Administration (links in the menu “Calculations”).
Drawing by Claus Andersen, 2014 (press briefing with the United States’ special envoy for climate change Todd Stern).

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