Loss and Damage from Climate Change-A human rights perspective

~graham reeder While climate change negotiations have stagnated over time due to a lack of political will, many are arguing that the diplomatic approach that the UNFCCC has taken to arriving at agreement—one where treaties and agreements are built out of what parties are willing to contribute or concede—does not do justice to the urgency and potency of the issues at hand. Some lawyers...

USA v China

by nathan thanki The USA wants to be treated the same as China when it comes to responsibility for tackling climate change. Many environmental NGOs, in the increasingly panicked calls for climate action now, are also prone to saying things like "well of course the emerged economies of Brazil, India and China must also be obliged to reduce emissions." This plays quite well into...

Financing Adaptation: Who Will Pay?

by Nathan Thanki and Graham Reeder Given that we’re now experiencing another summer of bizarre weather events, including deadly heat waves, wildfires, and storms in the US, and increased chances of another El Nino year, many in the US are finally opening their eyes to what scientists have been telling them for years: climate change is real, but not only that, it is happening now. Climate...

Why send a group of students half way around the world to Rio+ 20? – because the future needs them there.

By Ken Cline Language pertaining to the interests of future generations is found in dozens of international agreements and proclamations.  From the original definition of sustainable development in the Brundtland Report to the treaties signed in Rio 20 years ago, safeguarding the interests of future generations has been a central tenet of international environmental law practice and sustainable...

The United States’ Unique Situations with Education, Loans, and Rio +20

By Bogdan Zymka In the United States, there seems to be some hope of economic recovery looming as unemployment slowly falls and the election cycle brings about at least some sort of national discussion about critical issues. However, Rio is still far from making headlines in mainstream media in the United States and by the time it makes it there, it might be too late to discuss the elephant the...