[Contents to be completed – January 2012]
AR Foundation major supported programme: In 2010 the Foundation made a 3 year commitment to support the Friends of the Earth international climate change campaign – including the presence of campaigners at Copenhagen, Cancun and Durban – and the preparation of four research reports addressing aspects of the global climate crisis and potential solutions:
Reckless Gamblers (Dec 2010) identified the increasingly diminishing global carbon budget between now and 2050 that gave at least some chance of avoiding dangerous climate change (1.5 degree global temperature increase) and a good chance of avoiding the politically agreed limit of 2 degrees. Controversially it suggested that – in addition to immediate steep reductions from high emitter developed countries – China might now have to reduce its absolute emissions from as early as 2013.
Negatonnes (September 2011) reviewed the limited potential for ‘negative emissions technologies’ to provide a satifactory solution to this problem; but
Reclaiming Power (November 2011) set out how we can transform our energy system and move beyond fossil fuels through universal access to affordable and sustainable energy via a global ‘feed-in tariff’.
A fourth report Just Transition (September 2011) considered whether the substantial changes that are necessary in all sectors for the UK to live within its share of a global carbon budget (consistent with a 70% chance of avoiding global average temperature increases of 2oC above pre-industrial levels) can be made.
I’m proud to have supported this research and publication programme. My thanks are due to Mike Childs, then Head of Climate Change, now Head of Science, Policy & Research at Friends of the Earth and the various report authors and contributors. Here’s Mike’s blog on the series.
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See my article Resolving the paradoxes and dilemnas of Climate Change communications “Climate change is an issue of critical global importance, and yet the general public really aren’t that bothered!”
For my last week’s tweets on climate change search (in Twitter): ‘anthonyraecom climate’ or ‘energy’