Month: December 2015

A bit of what I have seen online so far:

• Grand promises of Paris climate deal undermined by squalid retrenchments — George Monbiot
• James Hansen, father of climate change awareness, calls Paris talks ‘a fraud’
• Why James Hansen is wrong on COP21
• Paris climate deal: nearly 200 nations sign in end of fossil fuel era
• Elizabeth May: Canada was ‘hated’ for its inaction on climate change

My quick take: there is lots to be disappointed about in this agreement. Targets aren’t legally binding. Indeed, the agreement text seems far too aspirational in many places. I can’t help but feel that an international agreement on trade or defence would include more concrete measures for effective implementation. It’s also objectionable that the agreement seeks to prohibit people harmed by climate change from suing those who are causing it for damages.

Even if fully implemented, this text doesn’t do nearly enough to prevent catastrophic climate change. That being said, having an agreement endorsed by so many parties — and which does include mechanisms for increasing ambition over time — makes me a bit more hopeful that this problem can ultimately be resolved.