Host: Greg Dalton

Guests:

Kate Larsen, Director, International Energy & Climate, Rhodium Group

Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis, Bloomberg NEF

Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Climate Justice Activist, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines

Carlon Zackhras, Marshall Islands youth climate activist

In a couple weeks, delegates from around the world are set to convene in Glasgow at the international climate summit known as COP26 – ideally to hammer out commitments to reduce carbon emissions in hopes of avoiding the worst impacts of climate disruption. 

Kate Larsen, a director at the research firm Rhodium Group, says the meeting will demonstrate whether voluntary commitments under the Paris agreement are working, and whether countries are willing and able to make additional commitments to reduce emissions even further in the 2030 timeline.  

“Are countries hearing the science and the activists and watching what industry is doing? And are they taking that next step in a serious way?”

Larsen says while these climate negotiations no longer require countries to come together to write treaty agreements, there is still significant pressure for leaders to demonstrate they are taking action toward a net zero future – not just by midcentury as most have promised, but concrete steps they will take in the next decade. 

“And so, you'll see some heads of states and other leaders twisting each other's arms to try to go even further,” Larsen says.

Albert Cheung, London-based head of global analysis for the research firm BloombergNEF, says it’s important that the U.S. is back at the climate table this year, after withdrawing from the Paris agreement under President Trump. 

“We can’t get anyone near global net zero without the U.S. taking real action.  And I think it matters as well because the developing world won’t act if the rich world doesn’t.” However, Cheung adds that the U.S. has not demonstrated itself to be a constant climate actor in the past, and this year its role may be a bit less important.

“In the intervening four years while the U.S. was absent, a lot changed.  A lot of other countries and regions: China, Japan, Korea, Europe all pledged to get to net zero.  They’re all looking at policies and how to get there.”

China has pledged to be net zero by 2060 – ten years later than most countries – and the U.S. and most of the world would like to see China do more. But Cheung says China’s recent pledge to stop financing overseas coal is a significant step, and demonstrates that President Xi Jinping is responsive to the global climate discussion. 

There’s been increasing pressure on organizers of COP26 to ensure fair and equitable representation of countries in the Global South – particularly those already facing climate impacts who will continue to suffer as the world tries to slow the effects of fossil-fuel-driven climate disruption. 

Mitzi Jonelle Tan is a full-time climate justice activist based in the Philippines. 

“How do you expect to have a climate conference where you have climate policies being decided on by people who have never seen or even faced any semblance of the climate crisis?” she says. “And that’s why it’s so important that we have people from the most affected areas in these climate negotiations. And then going beyond representation, it's not just about having people there but listening to people who are there. Making sure that the changes that happen are because of the people who are most affected because it's been way too long...emissions are still rising, people are still suffering.” 

She and others want to see countries from the Global North take responsibility for their emissions. 

“Climate finance isn't help; it’s reparations. They caused this, they have to pay. They have the climate debt to the Global South and to humanity.”

While she’s hopeful for some strong commitments and pledges at COP26, she says climate justice is a continuous process that doesn’t start or end at that conference.  

Related Links:

COP26 Climate Summit

Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines

America Is All In, report from Bloomberg Philanthropies

This week on Folk Alley we remember to great Paddy Moloney - founder of the legendary Irish group, The Chieftains - who passed away on October11; more music from Ireland by Cathy Jordan & Seamie O'Dowd and Dave Curley; some spooky tunes for Halloween from Gabrielle Louise, Buddy & Julie Miller, and Gretchen Peters; plus new music from Sean McConnell, Jamestown Revival, and more.

In hour two, an advance single from John Mellencamp's forthcoming 2022 release featuring Bruce Springsteen; more new music from Jordan Tice, Margo Cilker, Buffalo Nichols, and Billy Strings; plus favorites from Taj Mahal, Anjimile, Rhiannon Giddens w/ Francesco Turrisi, Jeffrey Martin, and much more.

Deep Ecology extends an inalienable right to life to all beings. Yet as the naturalist Aldo Leopold observed, “One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.” Either harden your shell, or be a doctor. Joanna Macy decided to be an Earth doctor. A systems theorist, author and lifelong activist, she describes how healing the world and healing your heart and soul go hand in hand.

This week on Art of the Song our guest is Jonatha Brooke. Jonatha has been writing songs, making records, and touring since the early 90's. After four major label releases, she started her own independent label in 1999 and has since released eight more albums. 

Jonatha has co-written songs with Katy Perry and the late Joe Sample among others. In 2014, she debuted her one woman musical and companion album My Mother Has Four Noses at the Duke Theater in New York City. We spoke with Jonatha about her EP, Imposter.

This month on Climate Connections: 

Air Date        Title 

Mon., 10/4 - Global warming is making ragweed pollen season worse: Ragweed is a common culprit in late summer and fall allergies.

Tue., 10/5 - How ‘nuisance’ flooding is hurting coastal economies: In many communities, water spills onto streets at high tide. The problem is getting more common as sea levels rise.

Wed., 10/6 - Mennonite leader helps other pastors speak up on climate change: Doug Kaufman’s pastoral retreats help empower Mennonite pastors and leaders to talk with their congregations about the problem.

Thu., 10/7 - Young poet calls on people to apply their talents to fighting climate change: Aniya Butler uses her skill at poetry to bring attention to racism, police brutality, and global warming.

10/8 - The Great Salt Lake is shrinking, worsening risk of dust storms: Wind kicks up dirt from the exposed lake bed, degrading local air quality.

Mon., 10/11 - More ships are crossing the Arctic, worrying local Indigenous people: Sea ice melt in the region is making the ocean more accessible to ship traffic.

Tue., 10/12 - How Georgia farmers are protecting their cattle from extreme heat: When dairy cows get too hot, they eat less and milk production drops.

Wed., 10/13 - Bed-Stuy organization works to get more people of color on bikes: The Bedford–Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation has held block parties and community bike rides.

Thu., 10/14 - Boulder students win national competition with a hyper-efficient home: The Solar Decathlon Build Challenge is organized by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Fri., 10/15 - Ghost forests are an eerie sign of rising seas: Look for these weird stands of dead or dying trees the next time you’re driving along the Atlantic coast.

Mon., 10/18 - Project helps disadvantaged organizations access federal climate funds: The Justice40 Accelerator will provide fundraising support and training to grassroots groups.

Tue., 10/19 - Scouts can earn patches for learning about solar energy: They complete activities such as building solar ovens out of pizza boxes.

Wed., 10/20 - Nonprofit works to expand solar energy in Puerto Rico: It’s starting with a 10-home pilot project in Caguas.

Thu., 10/21 - Colorado organization helps communities plan for a future without coal: The state expects all but one of its coal plants to close within the decade.

Fri., 10/22 - Some climate advocates are also working to address systemic racism: People in low-income, minority communities face disproportionate risks from pollution and weather disasters.

Mon., 10/25 - Research farm studies benefits of pairing farming with solar panels: The farm encourages community leaders, students and elected officials to visit and learn.

Tue., 10/26 - New bank specializes in climate-friendly financing: Climate First Bank in St. Petersburg, Florida, offers loans for solar installations, energy-efficient retrofits, green building projects, and the like.

Wed., 10/27 - Colorado home relies on sun to stay warm through cold winters: Tight insulation, active and passive solar systems, and a wood stove help keep the home in Bear Creek Valley fossil-fuel free.

Thu., 10/28 - Feral hogs are a problem for the climate, researcher says: They churn up soil with their snouts, releasing stored carbon to the atmosphere.

Fri., 10/29 - Composting can be as fun as smashing pumpkins: In 2020, ‘pumpkin smash’ events across Illinois and beyond kept more than 150 tons of pumpkins out of landfills.