Today marks the first day of the Copenhagen summit.  I've scrolled through my twitter feed and my rss in search of breaking news to share with you, but truth be told, the interweb is decidedly quiet today.   From all accounts, the conference opened on a decidedly optomisitc note, with the release of a report from the UN Environmental Programme that suggests the world is not to far off from curbing the impacts of global warming.

The folks over at Time Magazine have published an interesting piece...

Yesterday's Guardian newspaper featured a scathing report on Canada's role in the Copenhagen negotiations.  Among other things, journalist George Monbiot describes our nation as a "thuggish petro state" run by "oil barons .. behaving with all the sophistication of a chimpanzee's tea party."

Then comes a laundry list of our failures; Emission increases of 26 per cent.  Refusal to be sanctioned for abandoning our international legal obligations.  Future voluntary emission commitment that fall...

By now you've probably heard the news - Obama will attend the Copenhagen negotiations.  While his nation is still reluctant to set firm targets (making the intire summit a waste of time,) at least he's giving it the ol' college try.  But for today's post, I thought we might shift our attention away from the big wigs (China, India, America,) and towards the little guys.  Their voice won't resonate with the same power at the climate talks, but their situation is dire and deserves out attention. ...

You've no doubt heard the news; Harper is planning to do absolutely nothing at Copenhagen.   In fact, our illustrious PM will not attend the conference at all!  And really, why bother.  Mr. Harper is an important man.  He is far too busy jet setting around the world on important diplomatic business, like opening donut shops.  Far too busy to make an appearance at what is certainly the most highly publicized international negotiation of the last decade.  Never mind the fact that the vast...

Climate and policy and development are not supposed to be addressed with emotion.  These are, after all, high-level negotiations!  They must be treated with the sterile gaze of an academic or a reporter.  Only the facts.

But today I am feeling sad.  I am feeling sad because the two most powerful men in the world are meeting in Beijing to discuss the future of the planet.  Our planet.  Together their nations account for fully 40 percent of the mess we find ourselves in.   Historically one was...

It's just under a month to go until world leaders convene in Copenhagen to neogiate a new climate treaty, and from where I'm standing things aren't looking good.  Nations remain deeply divided over what kind of policy should be instituted to curb CO2 emissions and stop climate change before it's too late.  While some believe legally binding emission targets should be mandatory, other believe in a more voluntary, flexible model, and to date there is no agreement on just who should foot the bill...

It's a big week for international climate policy.  Yesterday the United Nations announced it had lowered it's expectations for meeting legally binding emission targets during the Copenhagen conference.  At best, the UN expects a political declaration, and Ban Ki Moon is now shifting his attention towards post-Copenhagen talks.  

Meanwhile on Capital hill the United States Senate has commenced a three day climate hearing, with the end goal of passing Obama's climate change bill.  The bill aims to...

Last week the Maldives held their cabinet meeting under water.  Ministers donned scuba suits and dived deep to discuss a most pressing issue: climate change.  The nations' little PR stunt couldn't come at a more pressing time.  In 2007 the United Nations estimated that sea levels would rise between 7.2 and 23.2 inches - an increase that could spell disaster for the world's island nations.  The Maldives average elevation is between four and seven feet, with its highest point clocking in just...

Alberta's Tar Sands development is arguable the main source of the over 24 per cent hike in emissions Canada has incurred since ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.   The Conservative government has been slow to act on international concerns over emissions from the provinces energy sector.  Yesterday the Alberta and Federal government unveiled their solution; Carbon sequestration.  The government announced a joint initiative that will see $779 million invested over the next 15 years to kick-start a...

The general consensus among those involved in the Copenhagen negotiations is that a successful accord must contain four crucial elements:

1) A binding commitment by all of the participating nations on emission reduction levels;
2) Financial aid to developing nations to help them reduce emissions without compromising poverty alleviation goals;
3) Measures to help countries adapt to new climate realities wrought by a warming planet;
4) An agreement to ramp up the use and development of...