While reading news about the disastrous cyclone in Myanmar last Saturday coupled with the government’s unprecedented rejection of international aid, another question skirts the edge of many people’s minds. Is this yet another demonstration of climate change at work?
It’s a reasonable question given the seriousness of the problem and the growing media attention global warming receives. In the past day or so, the Associated Press put a story on the wire titled “Is Global Warming to Blame for Burma Cyclone?” that has been picked up by dozens of papers including USA Today.
A sexy headline, sure, but there’s little to back it up. The story’s primary expert to venture a connection is Sunita Narain, director of the Indian environmental group Center for Science and Environment.
"While we can never pinpoint one disaster as the result of climate change, there is enough scientific evidence that climate change will lead to intensification of tropical cyclones," said Narain.
"Nargis is a sign of things to come," she said. "The victims of these cyclones are climate change victims and their plight should remind the rich world that it is doing too little to contain its greenhouse gas emissions."
We asked climate scientist Gavin Schmidt of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies to weigh in on the topic and received an exasperated email reply. Schmidt wrote:
“This is a non-story. I'm not sure how many times it needs to be said - but single weather events are extremely hard (read practically impossible) to attribute to climate change and no scientist worth their salt will claim otherwise.The story that is worth your while is an examination of where these ideas come from and how they are stoked by contrarians and noise makers who are always on the lookout for 'alarmist' claims that they can misquote.Do a story on how hard it is for scientific statements about uncertainty and caveats to penetrate into the public discourse.”
Climate change can be an ephemeral problem—one that’s hard for most of us to see, thus it’s seemingly everywhere. Best that we all brush up on the facts, or next thing you know it’ll be climate change that misplaced the house keys, caused the milk in the fridge to expire, and the cell phone battery to run out.
Source: plentymag
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Antarctic Temperatures Lower in Contrast to Climate Change Computer Models
In a recent paper published by researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, scientists report that computer models of climate change specific to the Antarctic may not be as accurate as they were originally believed. Computer models based on data of Earth’s climate help scientists make predictions of climate change over time. From these mathematical models, scientist run simulations based on data collected in order to assess potential outcomes such as warming or cooling trends around the Earth. While computer models representing climate in the other continents are accurately depicting the phenomenon of increasing temperatures, the models used in Antarctica inaccurately point to larger increases in temperatures than is actually being observed. (The models show an increase of 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 0.2 degrees Celsius in the Antarctic versus the actual increase of 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 0.75 degrees Celsius).
Why the discrepancy in the Antarctic? Scientists point to a number of reasons, all of which are excellent examples to show students the ongoing investigative nature of scientific study. For starters, the conditions in Antarctica make it difficult to take weather readings (or any kind of readings for that matter) in the first place. This recent report came as a result of improved measurements in the Antarctic region that will provide more accurate data in the future. Using ice core data samples and the increased ability to take actual climate observations and comparing these to the models gives scientists a better idea of how these data compare. That said, scientists still caution that the models used today still may not be as accurate as they are in other parts of the world. NCAR scientist David Schneider states, “The current generation of climate models has improved over previous generations, but still leaves Antarctic surface temperature projections for the 21st century with a high degree of uncertainty.”
Another factor in the discrepancy between models and actual data deals with the ozone hole over Antarctica. Because of the hole, the upper layers of atmosphere over Antarctica are cooler, creating cooler temperatures in the central part of the continent. This is in contrast to warming trends in other continents, as well as the warming trend in the Antarctic Peninsula. This cooler air reduces the amount of water vapor present, something that the computer models point to as a source of increase temperatures in the region that are in contrast to actual readings.
Scientist Andrew Monaghan, a co-author of this recent report, states, “We can now compare computer simulations with observations of actual climate trends in Antarctica. This is showing us that, over the past century, most of Antarctica has not undergone the fairly dramatic warming that has affected the rest of the globe. The challenges of studying climate in this remote environment make it difficult to say what the future holds for Antarctica’s climate.”
Dr. Monaghan is a guest columnist for the upcoming June issue (Weather and Climate: From Home to the Poles) of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.
Source: expertvoices
Why the discrepancy in the Antarctic? Scientists point to a number of reasons, all of which are excellent examples to show students the ongoing investigative nature of scientific study. For starters, the conditions in Antarctica make it difficult to take weather readings (or any kind of readings for that matter) in the first place. This recent report came as a result of improved measurements in the Antarctic region that will provide more accurate data in the future. Using ice core data samples and the increased ability to take actual climate observations and comparing these to the models gives scientists a better idea of how these data compare. That said, scientists still caution that the models used today still may not be as accurate as they are in other parts of the world. NCAR scientist David Schneider states, “The current generation of climate models has improved over previous generations, but still leaves Antarctic surface temperature projections for the 21st century with a high degree of uncertainty.”
Another factor in the discrepancy between models and actual data deals with the ozone hole over Antarctica. Because of the hole, the upper layers of atmosphere over Antarctica are cooler, creating cooler temperatures in the central part of the continent. This is in contrast to warming trends in other continents, as well as the warming trend in the Antarctic Peninsula. This cooler air reduces the amount of water vapor present, something that the computer models point to as a source of increase temperatures in the region that are in contrast to actual readings.
Scientist Andrew Monaghan, a co-author of this recent report, states, “We can now compare computer simulations with observations of actual climate trends in Antarctica. This is showing us that, over the past century, most of Antarctica has not undergone the fairly dramatic warming that has affected the rest of the globe. The challenges of studying climate in this remote environment make it difficult to say what the future holds for Antarctica’s climate.”
Dr. Monaghan is a guest columnist for the upcoming June issue (Weather and Climate: From Home to the Poles) of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.
Source: expertvoices
Birds make easy weather of climate change
by: Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter
British great tits have proved themselves to be far more adaptable to climate change than their counterparts in the Netherlands.
In the past half century the great tits living in Wytham Woods (also known as the Woods of Hazel) near Oxford, have brought forward the date that they lay their eggs by an average of two weeks. The advance is a response to climate change and the timings of the egg-laying showed that the birds tracked the variations in temperature.
The British great tits, Parus major, were also able as individuals to respond to fluctuating temperatures from year to year and are the first species to demonstrate such an ability. Because they reacted individually to temperatures, which controlled the availability of vital food, they tended to choose the same time to lay their eggs.
Dutch great tits, by contrast, have been shown by previous research to be able to respond as a species only by using a scattergun approach to laying times and relying on natural selection to weed out those who laid too early or too late.
They showed a much weaker overall response to changes in the climate and the average change in laying time was several days less than the British birds. The change in laying times exhibited by the tits in Britain and the Netherlands was linked to the availability of winter moth caterpillars, Operophtera brumata.
Ben Sheldon, of the University of Oxford, said that the British birds had, so far, been able to “take climate change in their stride”. But he said that the difference between British and Dutch responses was surprising because as the same species they would have been expected to behave in much the same way.
“They are the same species. You would think of them as being pretty much interchangeable yet for some reason there’s a close tracking of the environment here but not in Holland,” he said.
“The British ones seem to be adapting better to climate change. They are showing a more appropriate response.
“The whole population seems to do the right thing. In the Dutch population fewer are doing the right thing so they aren’t doing as well. In the UK this population is doing absolutely fine.”
The study, published in the journal Science, was carried out by researchers from the University of Oxford, the University of Edinburgh and the Unite Mixte de Recherche in Montpellier, France.
Almost 10,000 records of great tits that have bred in Wytham Woods over the past 47 years were used for the study.
Great tit parents raise an average of eight chicks in each nest, though they can successfully raise as many as 15 in one go. The chicks leave the nest little more than two weeks after hatching and grow so fast that the parents have to catch about 500 caterpillars and other insects every day to feed their young.
“Having that many kids at the same time does go hand in hand with not living very long,” Professor Sheldon said.
The reason for the difference in how the British and Dutch birds adapt to the changing environment is a mystery.
Source: Timesonline
British great tits have proved themselves to be far more adaptable to climate change than their counterparts in the Netherlands.
In the past half century the great tits living in Wytham Woods (also known as the Woods of Hazel) near Oxford, have brought forward the date that they lay their eggs by an average of two weeks. The advance is a response to climate change and the timings of the egg-laying showed that the birds tracked the variations in temperature.
The British great tits, Parus major, were also able as individuals to respond to fluctuating temperatures from year to year and are the first species to demonstrate such an ability. Because they reacted individually to temperatures, which controlled the availability of vital food, they tended to choose the same time to lay their eggs.
Dutch great tits, by contrast, have been shown by previous research to be able to respond as a species only by using a scattergun approach to laying times and relying on natural selection to weed out those who laid too early or too late.
They showed a much weaker overall response to changes in the climate and the average change in laying time was several days less than the British birds. The change in laying times exhibited by the tits in Britain and the Netherlands was linked to the availability of winter moth caterpillars, Operophtera brumata.
Ben Sheldon, of the University of Oxford, said that the British birds had, so far, been able to “take climate change in their stride”. But he said that the difference between British and Dutch responses was surprising because as the same species they would have been expected to behave in much the same way.
“They are the same species. You would think of them as being pretty much interchangeable yet for some reason there’s a close tracking of the environment here but not in Holland,” he said.
“The British ones seem to be adapting better to climate change. They are showing a more appropriate response.
“The whole population seems to do the right thing. In the Dutch population fewer are doing the right thing so they aren’t doing as well. In the UK this population is doing absolutely fine.”
The study, published in the journal Science, was carried out by researchers from the University of Oxford, the University of Edinburgh and the Unite Mixte de Recherche in Montpellier, France.
Almost 10,000 records of great tits that have bred in Wytham Woods over the past 47 years were used for the study.
Great tit parents raise an average of eight chicks in each nest, though they can successfully raise as many as 15 in one go. The chicks leave the nest little more than two weeks after hatching and grow so fast that the parents have to catch about 500 caterpillars and other insects every day to feed their young.
“Having that many kids at the same time does go hand in hand with not living very long,” Professor Sheldon said.
The reason for the difference in how the British and Dutch birds adapt to the changing environment is a mystery.
Source: Timesonline
Climate Change and The Student Movement: UK Conference 6/7th June in Brighton
On friday the 6th and saturday the 7th of June a large climate change conference specifically for students is being held in Brighton. This could be a very important moment for UK student engagement in climate change. Judging by the groups and people involved it is going to be a very big deal. Registration is available now on the website, open until 31st of May.Speakers will include George Marshall of COIN, Caroline Lucas MEP and speakers from Greenpeace, People and Planet and many others. The idea is to build an agenda for campaigning during o8/09. Now is the time to get things moving in a big way.
Main conference ticket fri/sat - £8 - Includes all listed workshops, keynotes and Fri crash pad accommodation. Book online now @ http://www.studentmovement.co.uk/
Extra option: Award Winning Coin Speaker Training on Sunday at the massively reduced price of £8 for the day or book the whole weekend for just £14 (limited places)
Fri/Saturday Timetable Includes:
The state we're in: science from the front line. (Caroline Lucas MEP)
Overcoming climate denial (George Marshall)
Biofuels (Biofuel watch) -
Ethical Consumption: The Solution to What? -
The Trouble With Offsetting (Carbon Trade Watch) -
The Nuclear Option (Greenpeace) -
Corporate Social Responsibility and its green limits (corporate watch) -
Zero Carbon Britain: an alternative energy strategy (Zero Carbon Britain) -
Contraction and Convergence: a global solution? (GCI) -
Political Systems: Capitalism, Socialism or Anarchy? -
Eco-nomics? (New Economics Foundation) -
Running Effective Meetings and Negotiations -
How to use the Media (New Internationalist) -
Planning Your Campaign (People and Planet)-
Non-Violent Direct Action (Seeds for Change) -
What Role Does The N.U.S have in fighting Climate Change? -
Campaigning Success: Food and Flights in Universities (Food 4 US and Eco-Uni) -
The Importance of Universities in the Climate Campaign and what you can do about it -
Students: Working with Workers (Workers Climate Action)-
Source: climatechangaction
Main conference ticket fri/sat - £8 - Includes all listed workshops, keynotes and Fri crash pad accommodation. Book online now @ http://www.studentmovement.co.uk/
Extra option: Award Winning Coin Speaker Training on Sunday at the massively reduced price of £8 for the day or book the whole weekend for just £14 (limited places)
Fri/Saturday Timetable Includes:
The state we're in: science from the front line. (Caroline Lucas MEP)
Overcoming climate denial (George Marshall)
Biofuels (Biofuel watch) -
Ethical Consumption: The Solution to What? -
The Trouble With Offsetting (Carbon Trade Watch) -
The Nuclear Option (Greenpeace) -
Corporate Social Responsibility and its green limits (corporate watch) -
Zero Carbon Britain: an alternative energy strategy (Zero Carbon Britain) -
Contraction and Convergence: a global solution? (GCI) -
Political Systems: Capitalism, Socialism or Anarchy? -
Eco-nomics? (New Economics Foundation) -
Running Effective Meetings and Negotiations -
How to use the Media (New Internationalist) -
Planning Your Campaign (People and Planet)-
Non-Violent Direct Action (Seeds for Change) -
What Role Does The N.U.S have in fighting Climate Change? -
Campaigning Success: Food and Flights in Universities (Food 4 US and Eco-Uni) -
The Importance of Universities in the Climate Campaign and what you can do about it -
Students: Working with Workers (Workers Climate Action)-
Source: climatechangaction
Monday, May 5, 2008
Rain or shine, the answer to climate change can be found on your roof
Hannah Fletcher
Rodney and Diana Lord are not classic eco-warriors. They live in the middle of a sea of Victorian semis in southeast London. They wear loafers and smartly pressed shirts. And while they know they really should use energy-saving light bulbs, they just “haven’t got around to it”.
Yet in 2002 the couple became unwitting ecological trendsetters when, on a plot of land in Camberwell, they built a thoroughly modern house with a thoroughly modern roof.
The flat roof, covered in hardy sedum plants, acts as a natural insulator, keeping the house warm in winter and cool in the summer. When it rains, the plants absorb more than 50 per cent of the water, helping to prevent the kind of deluges that have wreaked havoc over the past few years. The rest of the water drains off and enters a rainwater-harvesting system where it is stored in an underground tank and pumped up for household chores.
“We didn’t design it with the environment in mind,” Mr Lord, 62, admitted as he stood on his roof. “It was about comfort, convenience and aesthetics. But now we find the environmental advantages really satisfying.”
Six years on, and Britain is rushing to catch up with the Lords. As the dual consequences of climate change — flooding and drought — manifest themselves with alarming regularity, and with water bills set to increase by about 6 per cent this year, homeowners, businesses and local and national authorities are looking to their roofs to manage water and cut costs.
As a result, Britain is experiencing one of the biggest booms in Europe in the “green roof” and rainwaterharvesting industries. Sales of rainwater-harvesting systems have more than doubled every year for the past four years. An industry worth about £500,000 in 2004 has now grown to more than £10 million.
The number of green roof companies has increased fivefold in as many years. Where fewer than 10,000 square metres of sedum blanket were laid annually, that figure is now approaching 100,000.
“We’re rapidly running out of water in Britain,” said Roger Budgeons, director of Rainharvesting Systems. “Water supplies are under severe stress, and people are more aware of the issue.”
In April last year, the Government’s code for sustainable homes made it mandatory for all publicly financed new buildings to cut water usage from 150 litres per person per day to 105 — a target most easily achieved through rainwater harvesting.
This month this became a requirement for privately financed social housing as well, and insiders predict that water legislation for private homes and companies could be introduced within a few years.
Many organisations have ploughed ahead in anticipation. Hundreds of thousands of employees and customers at Marks & Spencers, B&Q, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s, as well as prison inmates, are already flushing waste, washing floors and watering plants with rainwater.
Buried in the ground beneath these buildings are storage tanks the size of tennis courts. When it rains, water pours into the systems at the rate of one bathtubful per second.
Lisa Farnesworth, a director at Stormsaver, which has installed many of these rainwater harvesting systems, said that the companies would be reducing their mains water usage by up to 80 per cent and saving more then £10,000 a year on their water bills. In private homes, where smaller harvesting systems cost about £2,000 to install, homeowners can cut their water costs by 40 per cent.
Green roofs might not reduce your water bills but, according to Dusty Gedge, the founder of Livingroofs.org and president of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations, they can cut your air-conditioning bills.
As well as absorbing up to 60 per cent of rainwater, green roofs can lower the surrounding air temperature by up to 11C. “2005 and 2006 were exceptionally hot summers, particularly in London and Manchester,” Mr Gedge said. “Comet was selling one air-conditioning unit a second. But if we all had green roofs, we wouldn’t need air-conditioning.”
Just last month, Britain’s first policy on green roofs was produced by the Mayor of London. Sheffield, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham are all soon to follow. “There are thousands of square metres of roof going up all over the place,” Mr Gedge said. “It’s happening. It’s really happening.”
Source: timesonline
Rodney and Diana Lord are not classic eco-warriors. They live in the middle of a sea of Victorian semis in southeast London. They wear loafers and smartly pressed shirts. And while they know they really should use energy-saving light bulbs, they just “haven’t got around to it”.
Yet in 2002 the couple became unwitting ecological trendsetters when, on a plot of land in Camberwell, they built a thoroughly modern house with a thoroughly modern roof.
The flat roof, covered in hardy sedum plants, acts as a natural insulator, keeping the house warm in winter and cool in the summer. When it rains, the plants absorb more than 50 per cent of the water, helping to prevent the kind of deluges that have wreaked havoc over the past few years. The rest of the water drains off and enters a rainwater-harvesting system where it is stored in an underground tank and pumped up for household chores.
“We didn’t design it with the environment in mind,” Mr Lord, 62, admitted as he stood on his roof. “It was about comfort, convenience and aesthetics. But now we find the environmental advantages really satisfying.”
Six years on, and Britain is rushing to catch up with the Lords. As the dual consequences of climate change — flooding and drought — manifest themselves with alarming regularity, and with water bills set to increase by about 6 per cent this year, homeowners, businesses and local and national authorities are looking to their roofs to manage water and cut costs.
As a result, Britain is experiencing one of the biggest booms in Europe in the “green roof” and rainwaterharvesting industries. Sales of rainwater-harvesting systems have more than doubled every year for the past four years. An industry worth about £500,000 in 2004 has now grown to more than £10 million.
The number of green roof companies has increased fivefold in as many years. Where fewer than 10,000 square metres of sedum blanket were laid annually, that figure is now approaching 100,000.
“We’re rapidly running out of water in Britain,” said Roger Budgeons, director of Rainharvesting Systems. “Water supplies are under severe stress, and people are more aware of the issue.”
In April last year, the Government’s code for sustainable homes made it mandatory for all publicly financed new buildings to cut water usage from 150 litres per person per day to 105 — a target most easily achieved through rainwater harvesting.
This month this became a requirement for privately financed social housing as well, and insiders predict that water legislation for private homes and companies could be introduced within a few years.
Many organisations have ploughed ahead in anticipation. Hundreds of thousands of employees and customers at Marks & Spencers, B&Q, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s, as well as prison inmates, are already flushing waste, washing floors and watering plants with rainwater.
Buried in the ground beneath these buildings are storage tanks the size of tennis courts. When it rains, water pours into the systems at the rate of one bathtubful per second.
Lisa Farnesworth, a director at Stormsaver, which has installed many of these rainwater harvesting systems, said that the companies would be reducing their mains water usage by up to 80 per cent and saving more then £10,000 a year on their water bills. In private homes, where smaller harvesting systems cost about £2,000 to install, homeowners can cut their water costs by 40 per cent.
Green roofs might not reduce your water bills but, according to Dusty Gedge, the founder of Livingroofs.org and president of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations, they can cut your air-conditioning bills.
As well as absorbing up to 60 per cent of rainwater, green roofs can lower the surrounding air temperature by up to 11C. “2005 and 2006 were exceptionally hot summers, particularly in London and Manchester,” Mr Gedge said. “Comet was selling one air-conditioning unit a second. But if we all had green roofs, we wouldn’t need air-conditioning.”
Just last month, Britain’s first policy on green roofs was produced by the Mayor of London. Sheffield, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham are all soon to follow. “There are thousands of square metres of roof going up all over the place,” Mr Gedge said. “It’s happening. It’s really happening.”
Source: timesonline
Veto Against New Coal Plant Stands in Kansas
In a show of the increasing influence of climate change concerns at the state level, the Kansas legislature failed yesterday to override Governor Kathleen Seblius’ veto of a bill that would have opened the door for expansion of Sunflower Electric Power Corp’s (“Sunflower”) coal-fired power plant in Holcomb, Kansas. Although the Kansas Senate easily approved the veto override by a vote of 32 to 7, the House fell four votes short.
Legislative leaders who supported the project told Sebelius last week to accept a compromise that would reduce the size of the project from 1,400 megawatts to 1,200 megawatts, or face a veto override. Sebelius, who had already vetoed the 1,400 megawatt power plant and proposed a single 660 megawatt facility, rejected the proposal, citing concerns over projected emissions of 11 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
The showdown between Sebelius and the legislature resulted from a decision by Kansas Secretary of Health and Environment Rod Bremby last October to deny an air-quality permit for Sunflower on climate change grounds. Legislators argued that the decision to hold up the project would damage Kansas’ business climate and result in higher costs for electricity.
Source: ClimateIntel
Legislative leaders who supported the project told Sebelius last week to accept a compromise that would reduce the size of the project from 1,400 megawatts to 1,200 megawatts, or face a veto override. Sebelius, who had already vetoed the 1,400 megawatt power plant and proposed a single 660 megawatt facility, rejected the proposal, citing concerns over projected emissions of 11 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
The showdown between Sebelius and the legislature resulted from a decision by Kansas Secretary of Health and Environment Rod Bremby last October to deny an air-quality permit for Sunflower on climate change grounds. Legislators argued that the decision to hold up the project would damage Kansas’ business climate and result in higher costs for electricity.
Source: ClimateIntel
Women’s rights and climate change
This morning, I attended ECOSOC’s special event, “Achieving the MDG’s and coping with the challenges of climage change.” It was of course interesting, as I usually find most things related to climate change, but what I found particularly moving were the comments spoken by the delegate from Belgium (who did not speak on behalf of Belgium, but for the committee for CSW). He outlined how climate change disproportionately and negatively affects women, and spoke about how women can acts as agents of change in the mitigation of global warming.
Of course, this year’s 52nd session of the CSW chose as it’s emerging issue “Gender perspectives on climate change“, where we learned that women’s lives are effected in large part due to their domestic responsibilities. As the moderator’s summary stresses,
In Africa, for example, women have primary responsibility for food security, household water supply, and the provision of energy for cooking and heating. Conditions such as drought, deforestation and erratic rainfall have a disproportionate negative affect on their ability to carry out these duties. As climate change causes African women to work harder to secure these basic resources, they have less time to secure an education or earn an income. Girls are more likely than boys to drop out of school to help their mothers gather fuel, wood and water.
The unequal effects that climate change already has, and will likely continue to have, along the lines of gender, are rarely mentioned. As we move towards mitigation and adaptation to climate change, we must do so with a lens that prioritizes women as the large majority of those greatly affected by climate change.
The moderator’s summary, however, does not only stress women’s role as victims of climate change:
Women are not just victims of climate change; they are also powerful agents of change. Women have demonstrated unique knowledge and expertise in leading strategies to combat the effects of climate change, as well as natural disaster management, especially at the grassroots level… Women play a vital leadership role in community revitalization and natural resource management. Overall, however, women tend to be underrepresented in decision-making on sustainable development, including on climate change, and this impedes their ability to contribute their unique and valuable perspectives and expertise on the issue.
There is much work to be done to combat climate change, as was stressed in the ECOSOC chamber this morning. However, EW is always happy to see women recognized in their power and ability to be positive agents of change at the United Nations.
Source: Ecumenical Women
Of course, this year’s 52nd session of the CSW chose as it’s emerging issue “Gender perspectives on climate change“, where we learned that women’s lives are effected in large part due to their domestic responsibilities. As the moderator’s summary stresses,
In Africa, for example, women have primary responsibility for food security, household water supply, and the provision of energy for cooking and heating. Conditions such as drought, deforestation and erratic rainfall have a disproportionate negative affect on their ability to carry out these duties. As climate change causes African women to work harder to secure these basic resources, they have less time to secure an education or earn an income. Girls are more likely than boys to drop out of school to help their mothers gather fuel, wood and water.
The unequal effects that climate change already has, and will likely continue to have, along the lines of gender, are rarely mentioned. As we move towards mitigation and adaptation to climate change, we must do so with a lens that prioritizes women as the large majority of those greatly affected by climate change.
The moderator’s summary, however, does not only stress women’s role as victims of climate change:
Women are not just victims of climate change; they are also powerful agents of change. Women have demonstrated unique knowledge and expertise in leading strategies to combat the effects of climate change, as well as natural disaster management, especially at the grassroots level… Women play a vital leadership role in community revitalization and natural resource management. Overall, however, women tend to be underrepresented in decision-making on sustainable development, including on climate change, and this impedes their ability to contribute their unique and valuable perspectives and expertise on the issue.
There is much work to be done to combat climate change, as was stressed in the ECOSOC chamber this morning. However, EW is always happy to see women recognized in their power and ability to be positive agents of change at the United Nations.
Source: Ecumenical Women
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