Our Second Message

Emma and I spent the second day of training working out our key messages – what we want to say. This is a post about our second message.

‘The reason why we are going to the Arctic, is because it is one of the regions where Climate Change is being experienced in the most extreme form. The increased melting over the past 30 years has been exceptional and that is the reason why we need to take action now.

We have to ensure that we have a strong, legally binding, global treaty to reverse climate chaos. We can stop this.’

Last year, we saw the lowest levels of summer sea ice on record. This year we might not have any summer sea ice. At all. None. That’s 100 years ahead of what scientists were predicting only a few years ago.

Policy…Yawn

Political policy…. Government climate policy…

Not exactly what gets us all excited (I’d rather have something like this).

Today I read this simple list of things that all climate policy should do;

1. Solve the Problem: Meet Science-based reduction levels
2. Fund the Future: Promote the development and deployment of clean technology and design
3. Green Justice: Create green collar jobs in communities that have been marginalized
4. Economic Justice: Not be an undue burden upon low-income and working families
5. Environmental Justice: reduce complementary pollutants and impacts from dirty energy

Sounds good to me.

BBC Reports Major Arctic Ice Cracks

The BBC reported this week that scientists have found major new fractures in the Arctic ice. The team found a network of cracks that stretched for more than 10 miles on Ward Hunt (see picture), the area’s largest shelf.

Full story here.

Go Canada!

1.2 Billion Elephants

I Am One

Thank You Greg

Greg, the WWF photographer, took these.

Thanks Greg :)

Tornadoes

2008 is a record year for tornadoes. My namesake (Casper ter Kuile the middle-aged Dutch storm chaser) is probably happy about that. I’m not. See his site here.

Bottled

Did you know that Scottish parliament and English government meetings have banned plastic bottled water?

They’re using water from the tap instead.

Just like everybody else.

Sorry – That’s Not What I Ordered

A few days ago – Environment Ministers from the G8 Nations (notice the geographic bias?) met in Japan.

They know that they are under increased pressure to fight the climate crisis, and so they agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050. Bare in mind that the British government is committing to a 60% cut – and that the science is demanding at least an 80% cut. Nor did the agreement include vital short term targets.

It’s just not good enough.

The German State Minister for the Environment, Matthias Machnig even said, “From a scientific point of view, we need a clear reduction target, because the next 20 years are very vital, very important for climate change and the decisions we make in this process.”

They are beginning to listen – but they’re not off the naughty step yet.