My name is Timothy Damon. I hail from Alliance, Ohio, and I am a senior Law & Policy major at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I am motivated to address the myriad intersecting challenges facing my generation, like climate change, international security, and social justice. In my view, students have the power to solve these issues because they are young enough to not (yet) be totally enslaved by the existing world system, while also having the creativity to devise a new vision for the planet we are inheriting. Quirky/fun fact: I am such a lover of history that I have taken rides in two surviving American bombers from WWII in order to get a more “hands on” perspective.
Timothy Damon – Coordinator
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Is the USA “blocking” the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol?
December 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Well, that depends on your definition of “blocking”. Since the USA did not join the Kyoto Protocol (KP), it is not (officially) included in the negotiations specifically for the KP. Thus, it is completely possible for the KP to enter a second commitment period even though America may hate the very idea. This means that technically it is wrong to say the USA is “blocking” the KP because it does not have that authority. Despite this technicality, America is still very much hindering progress. This is occuring because those countries that are … [Read more...]
The problem COP17 isn’t talking about
December 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Many issues are covered during each COP, including a staggering 70 plus agenda items this time around. Some issues get much more treatment than others, but there is one that is getting no time at all. What could this mysterious topic be, you ask? Ocean Acidification (OA), the “other half of the carbon problem”. I just attended a side event by almost the same name here in the Durban expo center. Its panel provided a refreshing splash of science in what has otherwise been a conference nearly devoid of such a perspective. Unfortunately, the news, … [Read more...]
Update from COP17: The Kyoto roadblock explained
December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
In my previous post about long-term action, I addressed some disagreement last week involving the USA, EU, and China. Since that time, I have observed several more sessions of the AWG-LCA which offer further insight into the areas of contention in the negotiations for a continuation of a legally binding instrument (LBI) for national GHG reduction commitments. Consideration of several such key points follows. One of the most important phrases on the table is “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities” (CDR-RC - yes, we … [Read more...]
COP17 report-back: USA, China, EU not on the same page for long-term action
December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Earlier today I sat in on the open meeting of the Ad hoc Working Group for Long Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA), a body tasked with looking ahead and considering the future trajectory of activities under the UNFCCC process. There I had the opportunity to witness a brief exchange between several major players, including the USA, EU, and China. I will recount this episode and provide some analysis. Shortly after I entered the room, the US representative took the floor to state that America’s expectations for the COP are centered on settling … [Read more...]
