Tag Archives: collective action

Module 9: Climate Diplomacy

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WikiLeaks climate change nit5075My system diagram shows the connection between the WikiLeaks cables and climate change. The article explains how the United States used different tactics to gain support for the Copenhagen accord and highlighted the unethical ways to do business. The diagram starts with the climate change issue because it is the focus of the article and the reason for the Copenhagen accord. In my diagram, climate change is linked to the Copenhagen accord because the U.S saw this opportunity to boost themselves on a global scale and that the accord’s purpose is to reduce the impacts of climate change. The next linkage is the WikiLeaks Cables. This is the center for the diagram for it being the main point for the article. The WikiLeaks Cables reviled how the U.S was able to gain support for the Copenhagen accord. The WikiLeaks Cables also showed how the United States took this issue of climate change and lead the world on changing it. The result of the United States efforts to gain support for the Copenhagen Accord made 116 countries associating with the accord and 26 counties intend to associate with it. The WikiLeaks Cables is also linked to climate change because the United States tactics helped curb the effects of climate change. The last linkage in my system diagram shows the overall results of the Copenhagen accord. The article states that 75% of the 193 countries that are parties to the UN climate change convention and support the accord are responsible for over 80% of current global greenhouse gas emissions.

I believe that it was right for the State Department cables to be made public after the fact. It shows how the negotiations are made between countries and what is the true costs. This kind of collective action problem can be dealt with in different ways. The way the United States handled it would be different if another country was focused on making the accord happen. The issue of climate change is growing and cannot be solved by one country on their own. The individual and collective action changes are ways to begin to create ways reduce the impact of climate change. Some of the ways the United States conducted climate change diplomacy showcased in the WikiLeaks Cables can be unethical. The use of spying and threats were probably used as a last option, but should not have been used to gain support for an important issue like climate change. This effects everyone in the same way and the Copenhagen accord should have benefited all counties equally. Also, the United States does not look as trustworthy if they are spying on counties and threating them for support. The WikiLeaks Cables did raise awareness of how important the issue of climate change is on a global scale. The United State should have worked more closely with the counties wanting the same outcome and have an open discussion with the counties that were more hesitant with the Copenhagen accord. Another option was to go through the United Nations and follow their standards to create another accord on the issue of climate change.

Russo Module 9 – Climate Diplomacy

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Burning fossil fuels started 200 years ago. Once this started, the world was burning more than they could regenerate. This led to a substantial amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Climate change is a major problem affecting the entire planet. In order to adapt to this problem and combat it, the world must unite to form a plan of action. As a way to unite and discuss this issue, the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit was held in 2009. The result of the summit was an unofficial document known as the Copenhagen Accord. This document was not adopted into the UN process, so it was irrelevant to many countries. The accord offered to solve US problems, such as finding an easier way than the UN process to bind in rapidly growing countries. Negotiating a climate treaty is no small process, it involves the re-arrangement of the flow of billions of dollars to reduce global carbon. In order to reap the benefits of the accord, the United States needed to get as many countries as possible to back it. They accomplished this by sending financial aid to some nations and by using espionage on other more powerful nations. They were able to gain supporters both ways which led them to receiving allies against some of its most powerful adversaries. As a result, 116 countries are currently associated with the Accord and there are another 26 with intent to join. These countries produce 80% of the world’s emissions. The United States now has the upper hand when it comes to combating global warming.

I personally believe that climate change mitigation is a collective action problem. In order to adapt to this changing climate, we need to find a middle ground and work together. No matter what country burned the most fossil fuels, every single person on this planet is affected by our choices. Even though it is a collective action problem, the larger countries who produce the most greenhouse gases should pay or contribute more to solve this problem. A small island nation with environment friendly attributes should not have to be burdened with solving this problem as much as heavy polluters like the United States and China. It would be difficult for the richer nations because they would have to reduce emissions by reducing industrial production which leads to less money for the nation and its citizens. Nobody wants to make less money. We can also help reduce greenhouse gases ourselves. Individual action also comes into play. One person may not seem like they will make a difference, but there are many people who are similar in their lifestyles. There is a large percent of the American population that live in automobile suburbs. If everyone carpooled to work or school, that would cut emissions greatly. I do not believe the State Department cables should have been leaked to the public because it will make climate change negotiations much more difficult. I feel as if countries will not trust the United States and make things worse off than when the talks began. The United States should not have been so shady in conducting their deals. They should have been open with other nations and gain trust the respectable way. There should have been no espionage or bribes. The United States should find a common ground with the UN. The countries supporting the accord should merge with those supporting the UN’s protocol. There should be a plan that every country agrees with. This would be a very hard task but extremely beneficial for the world.

 

Mod 9 System Diagram

Russo Water Activity-Module 4

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My hometown is Douglassville, PA which is located in the southeastern part of the state. It is a well-irrigated area. My house gets its water supply from a shallow underground well. This process is not very collective because it is a private well. The water is electrically pumped into my house by a submersible pump. The water is then fed into a pressurized tank that leads to a filter followed by a water tank for hot water. The hard water from the well is softened during this process. Once the water is used for flushing, showering or whatever other purpose, it is sent into the local sewer system. From the sewer system it is led to a waste water treatment plant in the next town over. After the treatment plant, the water is put into marshes where it rejoins the water cycle. In the marshes are reed beds that help process the aerobic sludge. The reeds are constantly replaced.

Activity                         Number of Times Performed           Gallons of Water Consumed
Teeth Brushing                           2                                                   1 gallon
Hand Washing                            6                                                   6 gallons
Face Shaving                             1                                                   1 gallon
Showering                                  2                                                   120 gallons
Toilet Flushing                            6                                                   18 gallons
Water Drinking                           2 glasses                                       .125 gallons
Clothes Washing                        2                                                    50 gallons

The day I tracked my typical water usage, I almost used two gallons of water just from brushing my teeth. Areas of water use in the experiment included getting ready in the morning, hydrating and using the bathroom. One priority for water usage for the day was using the bathroom which includes flushing the toilet and washing my hands. Another priority was water drinking to stay hydrated. In order to cut down on water usage for the day, I set strategies of not doing any wash, not shaving, taking one shower in the morning and washing my hands as many times as I use the bathroom. Even though I used less than I did in a typical day, I still consumed a lot of water. When people think they are saving water, no matter how hard they try, they will still use a lot. Geography is very key to water consumption especially if the water supply is collective among many humans and even animals. A dry area would cause a smaller amount of water to be used by a person, while a well irrigated area would allow humans to consume more without worrying about the source running out.

Getting to Know You: Alex Deebel

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Hello, my name is Alex Deebel! I grew up in Hershey, PA, and have lived there since my family moved from Washington D.C. when I was 4 years old. I am a senior majoring in Finance with a minor in International Business. I will be moving to Philadelphia, PA after I graduate this spring to peruse a career in consulting with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). My International Business minor focuses a lot on sustainability and corporate social responsibility, so I thought GEOG 030 would provide a more scientific perspective to the topics. Sustainability is something that every company should be concerned with, as consumers tend to demand better and have higher standards for the businesses in their community. I don’t consider myself to be a sustainability expert by any means, but I enjoy learning about all the innovative ways we can protect the environment while businesses are still able to make a profit.

A topic I think geography is well suited to explore is corporate sustainability. I consider this topic to be very important and time sensitive, and fits well into the category of human impact on the environment. Consumers demanding more responsible actions from corporations is a quickly growing trend around the world. Many people look immediately to major manufacturers with large power plants and harmful chemicals to change their processes and decrease their pollution. While this is a good start, we shouldn’t forget about the major businesses that are not necessarily manufacturing physical goods. The services sector makes up a larger percentage of the economy than goods, so we need to focus our attention on their processes and effects on the environment also. Globalization has caused the demand for US services to significantly increase around the world. Stricter standards of more ethical environmental protection need to be introduced quickly. Examples could include reducing the number of people and/or the amount they travel to clients, or keeping electronic copes of reports instead of printing multiple copies.