Climate Change: A Policy Disaster

Climate change is larger than a state, a region, or a country; climate change affects multitudinous people in multitudinous different ways; climate change is without borders.

It is for these reasons why climate change governance based in science is so important.

Michael Bloomberg, a former mayor of New York with substantial knowledge on climate change has professed the important of the role of governance when it comes to climate change issues. He has the authority to speak on this matter, in particular, because of his prior experience in government.

"The Elders" who assert that policy descriptions must show a clear basis in sound science in order to be of any substantial use. The Elders are "independent global leaders - originally brought together by Nelson Mandela - who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering, and promote the shared interests of humanity". Climate change is an issue that relates to all of these factors, and as such, The Elders have the authority to speak on this matter.

To conclude - in order to prevent the negative effects of climate change from becoming even more severe - policyinformed by verified science must become the norm!

The Continued Effects of the Deepwater Horizon (BP) Oil Spill

Within this past month, on April 20th of 2017, people are still writing about the 2010 oil spill that ravaged the news and environment. A Virginia Tech article outlines, "The 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill did $17.2 billion in damage to the natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, a team of scientists recently found after a six-year study of the impact of the largest oil spill in U.S. history."

As "the first comprehensive appraisal" of the 134-million-gallon spill's financial tolls, the new findings have concluded the far-reaching effects have totaled this final valuation. In class we have talked about short-term, medium-term, and long-term effects, and the BP crisis outlines all of the above.As we talked about in discussion, the explosion on the BP rig was due to defective cement, yet this error cost 11 people their lives, and 4.9 million barrels of oil to seep into the gulf and ultimately sending crippling effects radiating into the surrounding areas. Industries like fishing, tourism, and hunting were negatively impacted, however more importantly was the toll the spill took on the environment.

The Deepwater Horizon spill displayed extremely low levels of effective response (using standards outlined in class) with the reaction time taking far too long for government officials to contain the incident (4 months to seal the leak of oil being discharged).

With the costs just officially being tallied over 6 years after-the-fact, it is clear we must have improved measures of coordination and contingency plans set in place for the future. Our task is now to take our mistakes and learn from them, as this unparalleled event simply cannot afford to be repeated.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170420141825.htm

More Than We Think

Throughout this semester, we've discussed the dangers of numerous disasters. Some of these disasters have far-ranging consequences - many of which most individuals do not think about in the context of such disasters.

Sex-trafficking in the context of climate change is one such example.

When we think about climate change, we think about ocean acidification, food scarcity, and maybe even climate migrants. However, we rarely extend our thinking to the analysis of what people are forced to do in order to survive.

Justine Calma's article on the connection between climate change and sex-trafficking evokes many of the concepts that we've spoken about in class.

Calma touches on what we've described as "vulnerability" in class. The Philippines is extremely susceptible to damage or harm by climate change which increases the likelihood of threats such as typhoons. Calma states the following:

"Climate change is a new push factor for human trafficking; its effects destroy livelihoods and place women and children in post-catastrophe situations that traffickers exploit."

It is because of this vulnerability that the exposure of the disaster is so significant. The individuals who are trafficked often continue being prostitutes because the alternative is starving and not providing for family. There is also a "stigma of having worked in the industry" that prevents victims from leaving or obtaining legal assistance. In this way, we can see how the duration of the event is extremely long-lasting.

Additionally, the hazardous nature of the forces that are exacerbated by climate change contribute to this problem. For example, the destructivity of Typhoon Haiyan was enormous. Calma states that the force "nearly wiped out" Tacloban, one of the Philippines' costal cities. The significance of this hazard, which is at least in part due to climate change, is that it displaced more than 4 million people. This displacement is what creates opportunities for the sex-traffickers.

We've discussed natural disasters, natural hazards caused by humans and natural hazards that are increased by humans but I propose that this is a phenomenon that humans have created (sex-trafficking) that has been exacerbated by a natural hazard (climate change). To complicate matters further, climate change is also an example of a disaster of which humans have increased the severity.

It is imperative that we tackle these problems (sex-trafficking, climate change, and issues that are exacerbated by climate change) specifically. However, looking at these issues and how they interact may allow us to come up with more holistic solutions.

British territories' environment 'at risk'- BBC News

In this article from BBC, author Roger Harrabin discusses wildlife and the environments of "far-flung British territories [being] under threat." British environmental ministers are blaming Brexit from distracting from the more pressing issues of the earth and wildlife endangerment to which the British government has called "unfair" criticism. The government has also recently highlighted the importance of the protected marine areas they have implemented, however, they fail to transparently take responsibility for their own overseas territory, and there is obvious confusion and miscommunication to which sector is responsible for the islands threatened.

The main issue here is the shift of blame when action needs to be taken, not debated over, in the face of this urgent matter. While the Foreign Office reverts action onto Defra, and the Ministry of Justice, aid department DFID, and individual ministers argue over respective views, the environment fails. With 19 British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies under the UK holding 94% of Britain's endemic species (species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world), this matter's exigency consists of those animals' survival.

Much like the island nations (such as the Maldives and Indonesia) we discussed in class during our mock UNEP session, these British territories are extremely susceptible to direct and present climate change effects. Though processes and efforts to combat climate change have happened in the past, such as reforestation attempts, the budget for the Foreign Office environmental department has been almost halved by the British government. In addition to that, a substantial amount of funding for preservation came from the EU, which again highlights the negative impact of Brexit on the environment. In a quote from the article, "Gibraltar's minister John Cortes, a professional ecologist, said he was nervous at the possibility of Spanish encroachment on protected marine zones after the UK has left the EU." The effects of Brexit are rippling through many different channels, and unfortunately, the environment is bearing some of the cost.


Harrabin ends the article saying, "[The islands'] best hope is that when Brexit is settled, the UK will devote more of its time and energy to them, rather than less." This should not be the best possible course of action; merely hoping will not stop the endangerment of the earth's animals and ecosystems. Yet again, I am writing a call for action for nations to take responsibility and implement proactive anti-climate change laws as a priority. The future depends on whether we take action now, and we must step up before it's too late.

Why we should ALL care about Climate Change

When I first read this CNN article, "Why are Muslims marching for climate Change" I was a bit confused because the obvious answer to me is that because we care and as humans, it is our duty to care about this world and preserve it for future generations. As I continued to read I notice the relation between climate change and religion. Many Muslims live in areas that are severely affected by climate change and millions of people are becoming displaced due to famine, heat waves, floods and extreme weather. These people are becoming environmental refugges, and due to the high climate of the Trump administration and their recent behaviors towards Muslims, it is unsure what the future holds for those who practice this religion.

Muslims in America and across the world are united in this fight to combat climate change. To address this pressing issue, 80 global Muslim leaders from over 20 countries released the Islamic Declaration of Global Climate Change. This initiative urges governments around the world to phase out the use of fossil fuels and make the transition to using renewable energy. In addition to that, the Global Muslim Climate Network has encouraged thousands of Muslims to find solutions and to take meaningful actions. For example, recently many mosques have switched over to running their buildings using solar enegry. This small but important step is wonderful because it shows initiative and demonstrates how important this issue is to the Muslim community.

President Trump's clear denial on climate change is nothing short of divisive and fails to properly address a burning issue that will affect the future of this planet. Saturday's Climate Change March on Washington put aside Trump's rhetoric on this issue and focused on unity among all individuals who see this as an important issue. Muslims, Christians and those of all faiths and those with none see climate change as a problem and it shows that we as people must continue to fight for peace and unity, without letting our differences divide us.

45's 100th Day: Climate Change March

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/29/thousands-march-washington-protest-against-donald-trumps-policy/

Saturday, April 29th marked the 100th day in office for Donald Trump. The president decided to hold a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He spoke about the administration's decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, his appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, job creation, a crackdown on immigration and terrorism as some of his achievements. However, back in the city he works in (D.C. not West Palm Beach or NYC), there was a much bigger event going on. The Climate Change March on Washington.

Thousands of people braved the intense heat on Saturday to march along Pennsylvania Ave protesting Trump's stance on climate change and his cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. Hundreds of similar marches occurred throughout the country and other parts of the world. 

It will be interesting how the United States will deal with the issue of Climate Change in the next 4 and even 8 years. All the countries in the world look to the United States to see what their course of action will be. So far the current administration has decreased the funding for the EPA and even this past week the president signed executive order that basically dismantle Obama's policies.The order looks to curb the federal government's enforcement of climate regulations by putting American jobs above addressing climate change. The White House is arguing that the best way to protect the environment is to invest in the economy.

The world can not wait 4 or 8 years for the United States to pick up on climate change issues. As the world's super power and one of the largest carbon emitters in the world, it is imperative that the United States act now on climate change. That is why thousands marched along Penn. Ave passing the Trump Hotel, making their way to the White House. There really is no "Plan B" for Planet Earth.

Social Media and Emergency Response

While victims of Hurricane Katrina may have only had Facebook to spread news, search for family members and voice their opinions, today there are a plethora of social media outlets in which people from any side of a disaster can use. Experts, for the most part, agree that the heavy use of social media has positive effects although others have pointed out social media may serve as a catalyst to spread false information during disasters in the future. However, overwhelmingly social media has the capability to create a positive spread of information during disasters.

            Specifically, the ability to alert family and friends about ones’ safety status has become popularized thanks to apps like Facebooks ‘safety check-ins.’ With a click of a button people can quickly ease their loved one’s fears. According to the Scientific American magazine other website and popular applications are also adapting their services to include a safety check in option. For example, google is in the process of creating a system like this which would coincide with their google hangouts and Gmail applications. Similarly, WhatsApp already includes a check in option which is enhanced by their location services. Overall, the development of these options will not only assure others of where their friends and family is but also increase overall safety in communities around the world.