[Vision2020] Copenhagen Climate Report: “Inaction is inexcusable”

[Ted Moffett]

If the promise is real that fast breeder reactors can use current stockpiles
of nuclear waste for fuel (instead of waste storage being such a problem, it
becomes fuel), that they can solve future nuclear waste problems, while not
being as dependent on uranium mining, and also be built to run safer than
older reactor designs, I suppose the remaining objections to nuclear
power might be terrorism or weapons proliferation.

The analysis regarding climate change and energy options below from NASA's
climate scientist James Hansen (referencing Tom Blees "Prescription for the
Planet" and its advocacy for nuclear power) features a provocative
discussion of fast breeder reactors.  Hansen appears to be open to the
idea.  Given James Hansen is perhaps the most well known climate scientist
on the planet, famous for his testimony before the US Congress in 1988
(seems like forever ago!) warning of the dangers of anthropogenic climate
change, and that he is very involved in energy solutions to address global
warming, his openness to considering nuclear energy is worth attention:

http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2008/20080804_TripReport.pdf

-------
Info at website below regarding Hansen's 1988 testimony before the US
Congress:

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/05/hansens-1988-projections/

------------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>From "Off List" response, identity removed:

This month's issue of Scientific American has A special supplement on
Energy's Future. It has articles on Nuclear, Hydrogen and Solar energy.
Environmentalists and those concerned about climate change should get on
board with nuclearenergy  as I know you have.

-----Original message-----
From: Ted Moffett starbliss at gmail.com
Date: Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:38:08 -0700
To: Moscow Vision 2020 vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Copenhagen Climate Report: “Ina ction is inexcusable”

> I previously posted information on a recent scientific conference in
> Copenhagen regarding anthropogenic climate change, which featured a rather
> imposing amount of data regarding this issue:
>
> http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2009-June/064677.html
> -----------
> The subsequent discussion suggested the issue was a matter of "my
scientists
> versus your scientists" regarding the truth or falsehood of the empirical
> fact of anthropogenic climate change, or that the issue was too esoteric
for
> non PhDs in climate science to understand, so any judgement they offered
was
> merely an appeal to whatever scientific authority is being quoted.
>
> Regarding these claims, if true, than any non PhD voter who votes on
> economic, political, or scientific issues et. al.  is just advancing an
> argument based on an appeal to authority.  The non PhD voter is not
capable
> of a truly informed accurate opinion.
>
> If the voter does not possess a PhD. in foreign policy, for example, then
> voting on US foreign policy issues espoused by candidates is just an
appeal
> to whatever authority they are following, ditto for economic or scientific
> issues et. al.
>
> In short, the fundamental principle of Democracy that it is essential that
a
> citizenry vote based on a well educated opinion, is flawed, unless PhDs
are
> possessed by most all.  Only those with PhDs can truly understand a given
> subject enough to have an informed opinion.  Therefore voters are mostly
> sheep being led by whatever forces influence their views, which are sadly
> lacking in the expertise needed to understand the full complexity of the
> subjects involved.
>
> Plato's idea that Democracy is flawed, that government should be composed
of
> committees of experts who rule the masses, might be implied in such an
> argument.
>
> Whether you think society should be ruled by committees of experts, or
that
> Democratic principles should prevail, the following article about the
threat
> of anthropogenic climate change should motivate all and sundry to take
> action either in their personal lives, or to influence government (the US
> House passed energy/climate change legislation which still must pass the
US
> Senate):
>
>
http://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/press-releases/copenhagen-climate-report-201cinaction-is-inexcusable201d?set_language=en
>  Copenhagen Climate Report: “Inaction is inexcusable”
>
>    - Deutsch<
http://www.pik-potsdam.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/kopenhagen-klimabericht-201enicht-handeln-ist-nicht-zu-entschuldigen201c?set_language=de
>
> |
>    English
>
> 18 June 2009 - Key climate indicators such as global mean surface
> temperature, sea-level rise and extreme climatic events are already moving
> beyond the patterns of natural variability within which contemporary
society
> and economy have developed. This is one of the key messages of a report
> presented by leading scientists in Brussels today in preparation for the
> United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. The
> up-to-date overview of research relevant to climate change was handed over
> to the Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the host of the
> conference.
>
> “We have covered new findings on climate science, climate impacts on
society
> and the environment, and effective tools and approaches to deal with these
> challenges,” says Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, director of the Potsdam
> Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and member of the writing
team.
> “The scientific findings presented in this update create by themselves a
> sense of urgency that we hope will lead the Copenhagen conference to
> success,” says Schellnhuber, who advises the German government on global
> change issues. In Copenhagen a follow-up to the Kyoto protocol will be
> debated.
>
> The Synthesis Report summarises new knowledge that was presented at the
> congress “Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions” at the
> University of Copenhagen in March this year. Approximately 2500 people
from
> nearly 80 countries attended the congress with over 1400 scientific
> presentations. “The bottom line is that limiting global warming to a
> manageable extent will require all our ingenuity for the climate-smart
> evolution of existing structures,” says Schellnhuber. Yet large-scale
> transformational measures would also be needed.
>
> For example, the current planetary land-use pattern is the result of
erratic
> historical processes. These were blind to global sustainability
> considerations, Schellnhuber and Veronika Huber from PIK point out in the
> report. Future land-use must accommodate the demands of some nine billion
> people for food and fibre, energy, infrastructures and conservation – on a
> non-expandable global surface.
>
> Analyses led by PIK indicate that twelve billion people could be nourished
> on less than one third of the present agricultural area, if the best sites
> were used for the most appropriate crops and if world food trade would
> operate undistorted by protectionism. This bold approach would only become
> feasible, however, if the prime locations (as shown in the figure) were
> reserved for agriculture as part of a long-term global deal – in the same
> way as the tropical rainforests hopefully will be earmarked for
conservation
> as part of the global commons.
>
> “If humanity is to learn from history and to limit these threats [of
> anthropogenic climate change], the time has come for stronger control of
the
> human activities that are changing the fundamental conditions for life on
> Earth,” the writing team states in the Synthesis Report. To decide on
> effective control measures, an understanding of how human activities are
> changing the climate, and of the implications of unchecked climate change,
> needs to be widespread among world and national leaders, as well as among
> the public. The report communicates this understanding through six key
> messages:
>
> *Key Message 1: Climatic Trends*
> Recent observations show that greenhouse gas emissions and many aspects of
> the climate are changing near the upper boundary of the IPCC range of
> projections. Many key climate indicators are already moving beyond the
> patterns of natural variability within which contemporary society and
> economy have developed and thrived. These indicators include global mean
> surface temperature, sea-level rise, global ocean temperature, Arctic sea
> ice extent, ocean acidification, and extreme climatic events. With
unabated
> emissions, many trends in climate will likely accelerate, leading to an
> increasing risk of abrupt or irreversible climatic shifts.*
> *
>
> *Key Message 2: Social and environmental disruption*
> The research community provides much information to support discussions on
> “dangerous climate change”. Recent observations show that societies and
> ecosystems are highly vulnerable to even modest levels of climate change,
> with poor nations and communities, ecosystem services and biodiversity
> particularly at risk. Temperature rises above 2°C will be difficult for
> contemporary societies to cope with, and are likely to cause major
societal
> and environmental disruptions through the rest of the century and beyond.*
> *
>
> *Key Message 3: Long-term strategy – Global Targets and Timetables*
> Rapid, sustained, and effective mitigation based on coordinated global and
> regional action is required to avoid “dangerous climate change” regardless
> of how it is defined. Weaker targets for 2020 increase the risk of serious
> impacts, including the crossing of tipping points, and make the task of
> meeting 2050 targets more difficult and costly. Setting a credible
long-term
> price for carbon and the adoption of policies that promote energy
efficiency
> and low-carbon technologies are central to effective mitigation.*
> *
>
> *Key Message 4: Equity Dimensions*
> Climate change is having, and will have, strongly differential effects on
> people within and between countries and regions, on this generation and
> future generations, and on human societies and the natural world. An
> effective, well-funded adaptation safety net is required for those people
> least capable of coping with climate change impacts, and equitable
> mitigation strategies are needed to protect the poor and most vulnerable.
> Tackling climate change should be seen as integral to the broader goals of
> enhancing socioeconomic development and equity throughout the world.*
> *
>
> *Key Message 5: Inaction is inexcusable*
> Society already has many tools and approaches – economic, technological,
> behavioural, and managerial – to deal effectively with the climate change
> challenge. If these tools are not vigorously and widely implemented,
> adaptation to the unavoidable climate change and the societal
transformation
> required to decarbonise economies will not be achieved. A wide range of
> benefits will flow from a concerted effort to achieve effective and rapid
> adaptation and mitigation. These include job growth in the sustainable
> energy sector; reductions in the health, social, economic and
environmental
> costs of climate change; and the repair of ecosystems and revitalisation
of
> ecosystem services.*
> *
>
> *Key Message 6: Meeting the Challenge*
> If the societal transformation required to meet the climate change
challenge
> is to be achieved, then a number of significant constraints must be
overcome
> and critical opportunities seized. These include reducing inertia in
social
> and economic systems; building on a growing public desire for governments
to
> act on climate change; reducing activities that increase greenhouse gas
> emissions and reduce resilience (e.g. subsidies); and enabling the shifts
> from ineffective governance and weak institutions to innovative leadership
> in government, the private sector and civil society. Linking climate
change
> with broader sustainable consumption and production concerns, human rights
> issues and democratic values is crucial for shifting societies towards
more
> sustainable development pathways.
>
> *Synthesis Report “Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions”
> (pdf-file, 5.5 MB)*<
http://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/press-releases/files/synthesis-report-web.pdf
>
> *
> *
>
> *Event:* Policy Dialogue - Countdown to Copenhagen - the newest climate
> science for decision-makers
> *Hosted by:* European Policy Centre http://www.epc.eu/
> *Date:* Thursday, 18 June 2009, 10.15 to 11.45
> *Venue:* Renaissance Hotel, 19 Rue du Parnasse, 1050 Brussels
>
> *More on the web:*
>
> Abstracts for the scientific presentations at the congress “Climate
Change:
> Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions”
> http://www.iop.org/EJ/volume/1755-1315/6
>
> Transcript of the closing plenary session
> http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/opinion/39126
>
> United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen
> http://en.cop15.dk/
>
> IPCC Assessment Reports
> http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/assessments-reports.htm
>
> European Policy Centre
> http://www.epc.eu/
>
> *For further information please contact the PIK press office:*
> Phone: +49 331 288 25 07
> E-mail: press at pik-potsdam.de
>  by Patrick Eickemeier <http://www.pik-potsdam.de/members/eickem> — last
> modified Jul 07, 2009 02:41 PM
> ------------------------------------------
> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>
>
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