Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
december 2014
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environment
Lima climate negotiations create road map for 2015 Paris negotiations
December 15, 2014
United Nations (UN) climate negotiations in Lima closed on December 15 with an agreement that could lead to a global climate accord in Paris next year. The main disagreement during the two weeks of talks occurred between developing countries and wealthier nations on how to allocate responsibility for dealing with climate change.
In negotiations since the Kyoto Protocol, wealthy countries have taken on the majority of emissions cuts and other measures. The rationale is that nations that industrialized by using cheap coal energy are responsible for much of the anthropogenic carbon currently in the atmosphere, and it would be unfair to stunt growth in newly developing countries by introducing large emissions restrictions. Based on objections to this principle, the U.S. has repeatedly refused to sign on to the Kyoto accord.
However, under the new framework developed in Lima, all countries will be expected to cut carbon emissions after 2020, although poorer nations will receive financial and technological assistance from wealthier ones.
Many delegates were relieved to reach an agreement after the heated negotiations and were hopeful that this compromise will enable a binding global treaty in Paris. However, environmental groups were critical of the result. They expressed frustration that the emissions cuts were not aggressive enough and that the language of the document is not binding.
Sources: The BBC, E&E News, the United Nations
NOAA releases annual Arctic report card
December 17, 2014
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual Arctic report card on December 17, which analyzes climatic trends in the region. The report, which is divided into seven topics including sea ice and snow cover extent, tundra conditions, and air and sea surface temperatures, highlights warming trends and their ripple effects in the Arctic environment. For example, record low sea ice cover has allowed solar radiation to penetrate the upper ocean, encouraging primary production and warming the sea surface. The report also notes that a sinuous jet stream in early 2014 was responsible for unusually warm temperatures in Alaska and frigid weather in eastern North America; however, scientists were hesitant to link the jet stream conditions with declines in Arctic sea ice.
Changes in the Arctic climate have wide-reaching impacts: melting of the Greenland continental ice sheet contributes to global sea level rise, while decreases in sea ice could open the Arctic to shipping and offshore drilling. Permafrost also stores significant amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, which are released as it melts. Because of the global nature of these impacts, many of the report’s authors called for increased research funding to allow further Arctic observations and analysis.
Sources: E&E News, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration