Monday, October 25, 2021, 2:00 - 3:30 PM
COP26 will open at the end of October. The 2021 UN Climate Change Conference will bring together parties for two weeks in Glasgow to accelerate action toward the goals of the Paris Agreement. Since the recent urgent warnings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the increasing extreme weather, the public awareness of climate change is rising. A recent poll shows that now only 18% of the U.S. public denies or is skeptical. Whether governments will be willing or able to take serious action will depend on public pressure. As we prepare for COP 26 we will hear from three experts from different parts of the world about some of the factors that are fueling climate change. Manuel Pérez-Rocha of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC will explain how trade agreements are designed to protect the interests of fossil fuel investors regardless of the effects on the public. Lucia Barcena of the Transnational Institute will talk about the Energy Charter Treaty We also go to South Africa where geographer Patrick Bond will show us how his government is adding to climate change. And then Canadian oceanographer Paul Snelgrove will discuss the impact of climate change on the world’s oceans.The earth’s climate has reached tipping points that are changing the natural world in ways that add even further to climate change. For example, the warmer climate has warmed the oceans and that results in more intense hurricanes and heavier rainfall. Draught leads to wildfires whose smoke adds greenhouse gasses that traps even more heat in the atmosphere. In the earth’s natural system everything is interconnected so that climate change produces further climate change. This webinar is part of a weekly series featuring thought provoking speakers on a variety of social issues. The Center for Global Justice is devoted to research and learning for a better world. We offer these webinars every Monday at 1:00pm. Tune in at www.globaljusticecenter.org. You can also view past programs there.