‘Negotiators from 195 nations on Saturday finalised a blueprint for a pact to stave off some of the most dramatic consequences of climate change at the COP21 summit in Paris.’

Source: France – Nations agree climate-change blueprint at Paris COP21 – France 24

Dec 2, 2015, COP 21, Paris

Iconic Climatologist James Hansen appeared at a COP21 press conference, where he issued a strong critique of the anticipated Paris agreement as ‘half-assed’ and ‘half baked’ for once again relying upon voluntary emission reductions. Hansen argued instead for a gradually rising cap and dividend approach to controlling carbon emissions.

“Science tells us we have to actually reduce emissions rapidly. And furthermore, the economic studies show that if you put an honest price on carbon emissions, you would reduce emissions rapidly. But if you don’t have that price on there, you’re not going to reduce the emissions. You will reduce the emissions someplace, but then it keeps the price low so somebody else will burn it.” ~ James Hansen

“The problem is, fossil fuels appear to the consumer to be the cheapest energy. They’re not really cheapest, because they don’t include their full cost to society… and the climate effects, which are beginning to be significant and will be much larger in the future are also not included in the price of the fossil fuels.” ~ James Hansen

Hansen swamped by reporters with further questions for nearly an hour after the press conference.

Report by James George

The ‘feel good about themselves’ assumption below seems rather condescending and likely inaccurate. One panelist here in Paris made the point that divestment challenges the legitimacy and morality of fossil fuel extraction – in other words it is not just an economic strategy.

‘Before we get into the numbers, a little background. The idea behind the divestment movement is that fossil fuels are doing terrible things to the environment and that if investors withdraw capital from companies that extract and sell fossil fuels it will hinder their growth and maybe even shut them down. It’s a specious argument, but railing against oil companies makes the global warming agonistes feel good about themselves, so they carry on.’

Source: Why The Carbon ‘Divestment’ Craze Just Doesn’t Make Sense – Forbes

BERLIN — If negotiators in Paris reach an agreement next week on a global plan to rein in the use of fossil fuels, the next question becomes this: How can the participating countries fulfill their pledges to do their part?

Source: Germany May Offer Model for Reining In Fossil Fuel Use – The New York Times

Gov. Jerry Brown was deep into a two-hour meeting on climate change with some of California’s top scientists when he interjected a highly technical and much more personal question.

Source: Brown readies to take spot on global climate stage: ‘They’re not calling him Moonbeam anymore’ – LA Times

Dec 1, 2015 Paris

Tom Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network  appeared at a press conference inside COP21 with Gloria Ushigua, Alberto Saldamondo, and Berenice Sanchez. In the following video he is shown  answering further questions  by reporters in the hall afterwards.

Tom Goldtooth’s comments from the press briefing:

“One of the concerns that indigenous people in our network are worried about is the further implementation of what is called REDD, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. It is one of the carbon market regimes that is within the Paris Accord Document.”

“And we have a concern that this is an instrument that will further cause the land grabs and human rights violation of our indigenous peoples. But most concerning to us is the issue around the violation of our traditional cosmo-vision, so were going to talk about how REDD and other carbon market regimes violate that traditional beliefs that we as indigenous peoples have, the sacredness. ”

“How can you sell the air? How can you sell our trees in a climate capitalism system? That’s what were going to talk about.”

“Whenever you hear indigenous people speak, no matter where we come from, you hear us talk from our heart. You hear us talk about our relationship to the sacredness of the female principle of Mother Earth. We talk about the sacredness of all of nature, of life, that is our foundation.”

“So that’s why we are very critical in our analysis of any solutions that are coming from the hallways of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change. Like I said in this film and for this panel, this part of the information has not been provided here, as far as how it violates the sacredness of who we are, and what we have to compromise to participate in these foreign regimes of market systems. How do we reconcile those traditional beliefs, and how it tears at the fabric our communities, ripping us apart, causing us to fight against each other over money.”

Comments outside in the hall

“These forested areas are now used for carbon credits that allow polluters in the North to continue to pollute.”

“There is no way to make the REDD project better, it cannot be fixed. It is not a solution. It involves a climate market regime that has been part of a big capitalist market system that has never protected front line communities, indigenous peoples, fisher peoples, andnd that’s why we have to look for other alternatives to product the trees but not in these market systems that just allowed more dumping of pollution in the North.” ~ Tom Goldtooth

Report by James George

‘The decision by many of California’s most powerful leaders to decamp across the Atlantic Ocean shows how stemming greenhouse gas emissions is viewed as both an environmental imperative and a potential economic boost for the state.’

Source: California isn’t a country, so why are so many in the state headed to climate talks in Paris? – LA Times