Comments on: RSA New York: Climate, Copenhagen and Consequences http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/2010/01/post-copenhagen-what-next/ American Coffee House: A virtual meeting place Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:35:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: robin http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/2010/01/post-copenhagen-what-next/comment-page-1/#comment-298 robin Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:32:05 +0000 http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/?p=734#comment-298 It's interesting and at the same time frustrating to see how easy it is to deny rather than affirm. Amritya Sen makes the point that we can all quickly recognize an injustice while maybe getting lost in the philosophical clouds attempting to define justice. Blogs provide a potentially great medium for exchange but seem to become rapidly corrupted by the gotcha brigade and the BANANAs...build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything. Most people then just move away to spend their time elsewhere. Meanwhile the underlying behavioral issues remain whether about justice, climate, poverty, reconstructing Haiti or rebuilding the dysfunctional US political system. Has anyone else noticed the same problem? And if so, what to do about it? That might be an interesting discussion. It’s interesting and at the same time frustrating to see how easy it is to deny rather than affirm.

Amritya Sen makes the point that we can all quickly recognize an injustice while maybe getting lost in the philosophical clouds attempting to define justice.

Blogs provide a potentially great medium for exchange but seem to become rapidly corrupted by the gotcha brigade and the BANANAs…build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything. Most people then just move away to spend their time elsewhere. Meanwhile the underlying behavioral issues remain whether about justice, climate, poverty, reconstructing Haiti or rebuilding the dysfunctional US political system.

Has anyone else noticed the same problem? And if so, what to do about it? That might be an interesting discussion.

]]> By: Professor Derek Smith http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/2010/01/post-copenhagen-what-next/comment-page-1/#comment-291 Professor Derek Smith Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:41:47 +0000 http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/?p=734#comment-291 Forgive me, robin, but" ... resolution of issues surrounding the burning of carbon" will not be achieved by "a tax on carbon fuels"" which presumes carbon to be guilty before trial. What we need is further, honest climate science designed to establish what, if any, influence carbon has on climate change. I personally am doubtful if carbon has any measurable influence; if it were guilty, there would be no need for Jones, Mann, Hansen and others to collude in fiddling the data. Forgive me, robin, but” … resolution of issues surrounding the burning of carbon” will not be achieved by “a tax on carbon fuels”" which presumes carbon to be guilty before trial. What we need is further, honest climate science designed to establish what, if any, influence carbon has on climate change. I personally am doubtful if carbon has any measurable influence; if it were guilty, there would be no need for Jones, Mann, Hansen and others to collude in fiddling the data.

]]> By: robin http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/2010/01/post-copenhagen-what-next/comment-page-1/#comment-290 robin Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:55:22 +0000 http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/?p=734#comment-290 The news cycle keeps turning but under it the heartbeat of reality continues to beat driven by human behavior. How does RSA fit into all this? We are exploring a new active model where a Fellow is empowered to grab any one of the issues you mention and run with it....the aim being to achieve social progress. Climate change continues regardless of Copenhagen. Resolution of issues surrounding the burning of carbon need to be transformed into action such as a tax on carbon fuels. Are we able to find pathways that help to decarbonize our atmosphere and enable us to survive? The news cycle keeps turning but under it the heartbeat of reality continues to beat driven by human behavior. How does RSA fit into all this?
We are exploring a new active model where a Fellow is empowered to grab any one of the issues you mention and run with it….the aim being to achieve social progress. Climate change continues regardless of Copenhagen. Resolution of issues surrounding the burning of carbon need to be transformed into action such as a tax on carbon fuels. Are we able to find pathways that help to decarbonize our atmosphere and enable us to survive?

]]> By: Christopher Williams http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/2010/01/post-copenhagen-what-next/comment-page-1/#comment-287 Christopher Williams Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:18:14 +0000 http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/?p=734#comment-287 Copenhagen has been quickly forgotten - Toyota's production problems, for example, are now the media's focus. Banking reform and healthcare issues have replaced the environment on the public's priority list. Questions for me include, how well co-ordinated is the 'pro-environment' camp; what's the strategy; who should be the lead partner (in disaster response matters the Red Cross comes to mind). This issue is the most important matter of our time, yet we are not treating it with the respect and resource it derserves. As I've said before, the financial services collapse is a current, clear example of what happens if one waits too long, i.e. a near complete collapse of our financial system and now severe pain for millions of people. Shall we follow the same path for the eco-system? Copenhagen has been quickly forgotten – Toyota’s production problems, for example, are now the media’s focus. Banking reform and healthcare issues have replaced the environment on the public’s priority list. Questions for me include, how well co-ordinated is the ‘pro-environment’ camp; what’s the strategy; who should be the lead partner (in disaster response matters the Red Cross comes to mind). This issue is the most important matter of our time, yet we are not treating it with the respect and resource it derserves. As I’ve said before, the financial services collapse is a current, clear example of what happens if one waits too long, i.e. a near complete collapse of our financial system and now severe pain for millions of people. Shall we follow the same path for the eco-system?

]]> By: robin http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/2010/01/post-copenhagen-what-next/comment-page-1/#comment-279 robin Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:09:00 +0000 http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/?p=734#comment-279 Let's fill the room to overflowing! Great location. Important subject. Exciting opportunity to meet others passionate about this challenging issue. Robin Let’s fill the room to overflowing!

Great location. Important subject. Exciting opportunity to meet others passionate about this challenging issue.

Robin

]]> By: Professor Derek Smith http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/2010/01/post-copenhagen-what-next/comment-page-1/#comment-278 Professor Derek Smith Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:47:35 +0000 http://www.blog.rsa-us.org/?p=734#comment-278 Now that the Chinese have formally questioned the validity of any connection between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and the evidence for global warming is seriously shaken by revelations concerning the quality of key data used in the IPCC Reports, how will the UN modify its recommended policy of transfer of more than $1 billion from developed to industrialising nations? Now that the Chinese have formally questioned the validity of any connection between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and the evidence for global warming is seriously shaken by revelations concerning the quality of key data used in the IPCC Reports, how will the UN modify its recommended policy of transfer of more than $1 billion from developed to industrialising nations?

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