A new beginning

Exciting news out of Paris on this late but final day of action. There is so much excitement, enthusiasm, and progress moving forward coming out of these last two weeks. With negotiations referring to the agreement as a "high ambition coalition" and a that the text is "the best possible balance," states  have flexibility in their actions but have all committed and agreed to stop the global temperature rise and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The final draft still needs to get one last approval, but there seems to be so much support and optimism for the progress made thus far. This is the best thing that could have come out of Paris but also having happy and excited negotiators and leaders. Reports indicate both rich and poor nations clapping and cheering as negotiators entered the plenary room, including a photo of Francios Hollande, Lauren Fabious, and Ban Ki Moon smiling with the progress that had been made. These last two weeks will leave a lasting mark in history for nations all over the world. We can be thankful that negotiators stayed up late into hours of the night working tirelessly to preserve our planet and the future lives of our children and grandchildren. We have so much to be thankful for as Christmas is so close to coming early for our planet! This draft and the actions taken thus far represent the solidarity undertaken by negotiators and world leaders. Coming to this collective action is the best possible thing for our world and doing it together makes it all the more worthwhile and meaningful. Lets hope that the process will come to a close within the next 24 hours and then we will have so much more to celebrate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/world/europe/climate-change-accord-paris.html?_r=0

Mayors leading the way

Within the climate negotiations taking place in Paris, there is a noticeably strong presence from local leaders across the world. Their cities are the ones where people live, where pollution occurs, and they are taking action. While nearly 500 mayors were in attendance at the Paris meetings and met Paris with the Paris Mayor at City Hall, there are thousands of mayors throughout the world. Why didn't more of them attend? More than 60% of the world population will live in cities in future years and mayors play a key role in the city. Whether the city is large or not is irrelevant as smaller cities and suburbs that surround larger ones are directly connected to it. The phrase, think globally, act locally was a key phrase throughout Paris. Local actions are already taking place on multiple levels. People care about their local environment and neighborhood. Mayors should be leaders in the climate change fight as their citizens will be directly affected.

Progress in the making and the end in sight

To say that progress has been in the making during these last two weeks is an understatement. The amount of progress made thus far during the climate negotiations at COP21 could be argued the most difficult and successful progress that has happened in the last year. Nearly two hundred countries debating over the complexity of words to be used to reach an international agreement on climate change and global temperature rise. With almost one party objecting to nearly every single word and phrase during the early negotiations, having a condensed 27 page draft and an "agreement in sight" according to the Huffington Post, is significant progress and success (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/10/paris-climate-talks-deal-in-view-but-negotiations-likely-to-go-into-overtime?CMP=share_btn_tw&utm_content=bufferc5ae1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer).
 Ultimately, the most successful outcome will occur when the final text is released and it is announced that a final agreement has been made. I am optomoistic that this will happen as our many of my colleagues. We spoke with a reporter from the St. Cloud times yesterday who asked us to make a prediction about the final results. We all said, yes, an agreement will be reached. So far that is looking like it will happen. After nearly two all night sessions, we and our future generations can be hopeful that the negotiators will reach a deal. This deal will set the tone for upcoming years of progress toward reducing global temperature rise and greenhouse gas emissions. Let's hope that the local government leaders, business leaders, indigenous communities, politicians and researchers present at COP21 will carry forward with their strong actions and desire to improve our plant. We need this deal. It will provide hope and optimism for our youth who will have to and are already bearing the consequences of climate change. This time last year I had already been skiing more than two dozen times. And now with no snow and temperatures in the mid 30's and 40's, I have yet to step into a pair of skis. I sure would like to teach my kids how to ski one day. For the sake of skiing, our future generations and our planet, let's hope our leaders are true to their word that the media has put out in the last few hours. Progress is happening, and an agreement is in sight. Cheers to this progress and the beginning of the weekend!

Advocating for Change

Last week in Paris there was much more than just presentations and negotiation meetings taking place, but rather people pleading for change to save their livelihoods and different methods of advocacy. We had the opportunity to see one of the most unique forms that could only be seen in Paris. The Eiffel tower was lit up with various forms of art and messaging. Phrases such as "protect the earth," "COP21," and "2 degrees" along with varying colors of light were displayed on the tower. This was an interesting experience to see as it attracted many tourists, visitors, and climate activists. Additionally, it attracted a Thai news station who reported on the subject matter and interviewed one my colleagues. Some felt that this act of art was a disgrace to the Eiffel tower itself, while others found it to be a unique form of messaging. Paris has taken quite a few steps to show their support for COP21 and reaching an international agreement. This shows to be one of their strongest intentions in support of negotiations. While the event may not been put on by the city, clearly there must have been some support as there was no pushback to take down the images. What I found even more fascinating about these images was the solidarity and globalization that it provides. These message are ones that do not just affect France or America, but rather ones that affect everyone at the conference and in the world. We need to protect the earth for it's own sake and for the sake of our livelihoods and displaying the messages on the Eiffel tower seemed to be an effective way to so!

Big Business's step up for climate change

Recently this week, 8 United States Senators spoke at COP21 calling for action on climate change. They acknowledged the role that the U.S. has played thus far and emphasized the need to reach a global climate agreement. Among these senators was Minnesota senator Al Franken, who stepped up with Minnesota business leaders to act on climate change. A recent article in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, quoted Franken and the CEO of Cargill pushing for an international agreement at COP2,  http://www.startribune.com/our-food-supply-is-reason-enough-to-act-on-climate-change/360631241/.

Minnesota has a strong economy with many big business leaders in addition to Cargill including Target, Best Buy and General Mills who have all signed the White Houses's American Business Act on Climate Change Pledge. For Cargill in particular, climate change poses signifiant challenges for their business. As the worlds largest privately held company and one of the largest producers of food for the world population, adapting to the changes and finding solutions is critical to our world. For Target and Best Buy, these businesses are dependent on consumers purchasing goods, which is contrary to supporting environmentalism and conservation. It is great that these companies are committed to energy conservation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, however consumption poses significant threats to climate change and our environment. Throwaway culture is a major issue and unless these companies commit to producing and transporting their goods in friendly ways, there won't be significant gains in terms of protecting our climate. However, the fact that these big businesses are committing actions to climate change means that they are acknowledging the problem. Their presence at COP21 shows much support for an international agreement and to citizens and businesses world wide. 

Men or women? Who is leading the fight

Throughout this week I have sat in on many sessions about cities and local governments and been not only impressed with the action that many European cities are taking, but also impressed with the strong presence of women leaders taking action. A Tap talk with Jeffrey Sachs yesterday featured two female mayors, one from Stockholm and the other from a medium sized city in Brazil. Later in the day the Mayor of Gothenburg Sweden spoke, also a female. Prior to that, Olso's Mayor for the Environment addressed the audience, again a female. Sachs commented that if all of our leaders around the world were women, the problems we face would not be as bad. Women have a strong presence in cities and local government when it comes to addressing climate change. They have taken dynamic and innovative actions to improve and protect their cities thus far. I don't want to say I am surprised by these women, but their leadership was not something I had thought about prior to COP21. The gender and climate change dynamic is one that is interesting to follow. Both men and women have a role to play and both are contributing but will one gender step up more to take action? I guess we will have to wait and find out...

I guess we're all hypocrites

I recently read an amazing piece from the Twin Cities Pioneer Press regarding the Paris Climate Conference, and by amazing I mean it was well written, hilarious, and far right winged. Joe Soucheray, a columnist with the local paper feels this convention on climate "is an exercise in hypocrisy" (http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_29174240/joe-soucheray-paris-climate-conference-is-an-exercise?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook).
Sure we are all flying on large jet engine airplanes to travel across the globe and talk about climate, but these are conversations worth having and ones that will impact generations to come. While we know flying in airplanes has its effects on the environment, we'd all like to admit that we enjoy flying and traveling and we'd like to keep it that way. And thus we are taking steps to protect the environment, reduce our consumption and footprint so we can continue to enjoy these many first world pleasures. Theses changes are about sacrifice and for them to be effective we'll have to sacrifice certain luxuries to receive the benefits of others. While it may one day be possible to consume excessively and see no repercussions, taking steps and making sacrifices now is essential. While I give Soucheray credit, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman's evidence about the Metronome's dome roof collapsing isn't very substantial in support of climate change, at least he's making moves to improve the city, it's residents and overall liveability. Speaking of liveability, alternative transporation is an essential component. Because many citizens first make the smart choice of living near their occupations, and secondly ride their bicycle to work.... all year long! Yes, that's right, they ride their bike in the winter too! And you also think all of these people are hypocrites. Is that the only thing you write about these days? One day when I grow up and serve on some city committee, commission, or council, I hope I can be featured in a piece of yours.... that would be a real pleasure!(http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_29098754/joe-soucheray-st-pauls-hypocrites-love-bike-lanes)

The tragedy of the local commons

One of the most influential pieces of literature in the fields of environment and political science is the Tragedy of the Commons by Garret Hardin. This writing describes Hardin's take on solving problems related to the overuse and excessive pollution of common goods such as land, air and water. I recently read a piece in my local newspaper, the Chaska Herald, about the local mayors providing updates on their respective cities to the Southwest Metro Chamber of Commerce. The four mayors from Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria and Carver highlighted projects and successes their cities undertook in the past year and discussed the challenges ahead in the next year. Of these four cities, Victoria is the only city that is a part of the GreenStep cities program. I wandered if the other three mayors were aware of the program and if they had ever read or heard of the Tragedy of the Commons. After reading the four pieces from each mayor, almost all of them highlighted recent successes in new buildings, mostly restaurants, and community growth. Growth is one area that cities need to address related to the Tragedy of the Commons and climate change. While growth can be done, it must be done in an appropriate way. Climate, energy, or the environment were not mentioned in these mayors updates and it is something that should be a priority as they experience and plan for growth. Victoria is the only city that addressed housing as a priority; creating smaller housing unites to attract new homebuyers, smaller homes, and those looking to downsize, rather than large half-a-million dollar homes. Climate change and environmental protection can be addressed locally, but only if mayors and city officials incorporate it into their agendas. It does not even have to be a priority, but should be an area of concern that they address.

Making Observations

At this same time one year ago, nearly 8 inches of snow covered the ground. This year, we have already received two light snowfalls, yet the temperature has risen so much following the snowfall that it rapidly disappears. The temperature drops to below freezing, the Gemini lakes begin to freeze, and then the temperature rises again to 40 degrees. As someone who enjoys winter and colder temperatures, I find myself making keen observations of these weather patterns. It is late November, nearly December and we have no snow and temperatures that would be normal during the fall season.  Clearly our climate is changing and we can see these changes every day, every year. While we see these changes, many of us think very little about this over the holiday season, with millions of people traveling hundreds of miles to visit family and friends, consuming enormous amounts of carbon emissions. When I think of the holiday season, I often think of snow and have memories of sledding, ice skating, warming up by a fire after playing outside and cutting down a snow covered christmas tree. These perceptions are beginning to change as those who live in the northern hemisphere will adapt to snowless holidays. It is these observations that leave me with a sense of sadness, that my own children will not be able to experience what I once did. While we cannot control our weather patterns, we can control our contributions to its warmth. Changing our actions is crucially important not just for our climate and health, but for our everlasting memories of the holiday season and the traditions and habits we hope to instill in future generations.

Resource Guide: Land use and Sustainable Cities

Benfield, Kaid. "What Cities Should Do to Become More Sustainable and Resilient (and It's Not What They Are Doing Currently)."  Switchboard: Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Blog (2010). Published electronically March 30, 2010. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/what_cities_should_do_to_becom.html

Benfield discusses the current issues that some cities face when it comes to addressing sustainability. Many cities focus their efforts on energy efficiency and conservation when in fact tranpsortation is it's largest source of emissions. Benfield and Warren Karlenzig, founder of the Common Current determine seven rules of thumb for economic vitality and sustainability in cities: Planning, Mobility, Built Environment, Economy, Food, Resources, and Management. Thess actions will provide me with areas of solutions to discuss in my writing.

           

Birch, Eugenie L, and Susan M Wachter. Growing Greener Cities: Urban Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century.  Philadelphia Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.

Birch and Wachter discuss important topics in their writing to improve urban sustainability. They stress the importane of sustainability throughout a region rather than simply one large city, greening cities through the public realm approach, greening homes, infastructure, financing development, ecosystem services and the evolution of the urban green movement. Through this wide array of topics, these authors conclude key components of what makes cities green.

           

Brugmann, Jeb. Welcome to the Urban Revolution.  New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2009.

Brugmann argues how cities can be transformed to address the problems of the twenty-first century. Through examples and case studies of the worlds most productive, sustainable, and equitable cities, brugmann makes a case for how these cities can be used to transform other cities. Barcelona, Vancouver, and Curitiba Brazil serve as models with practices that can be taken and implemented in cities across the globe.

           

Bulkely, Harriet, and Michelle M Betsill. "Rethinking Sustainable Cities: Multilevel Governance and the Urban Politics of Climate Change." Environmental Politics 14, no. 1 (2005): 42-63.

This journal discusses four key reasons why reducing greenhouse gas emissions is important for urban areas. In addition to these reasons, Bulkely argues for a multilvel governance approach to sustainable city planning for climate change. Within different levels of government, energy conservation is a key issue within urban sustainability. The multilevel government approcah offers two types explained through case studies used to illustrate ingishts for uban sustainability.

Gedikli, Bahar. "The Open Space Contributing to Neighborhood Sustainability through Public Events: A Case from Ankara Turkey."

In this paper, Gedikli explains the benefits of open space for mitigating climate change within urban and suburban neighborhoods. Gedikli explains the benefits of open space related to the quality of life which is then used to explain urban sustainability through the environment, economic, and social justice components. Through a case study of Ankara Turkey, the impacts of open space are identified for community benefits and nieghbohood sustainability.

           

Gill, S.E., J.F. Handley, A.R. Ennos, and E.R. Pauleit. "Adapting Cities for Climate Change: The Role of Green Infrastructure." The Built Environment 33, no. 1 (2007): 115-33.

As the climate continues to change on a daily basis, the authors of this journal discuss the need for green space and green infastructure in great britan. They call for a transition away from the typical mitigation stratagies that many cities currently use, and argue for a transition to green infastrucute made up of greenspace. The biophysical components that greenspace provides positively impacts human health and the health and longevity of urban infastructure. These authors discuss green infastructure as a way of adapting to cities to climate change. 

           

Glaeser, Edward L. Triumph of the City : How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier.  New York: Penguin Press, 2011.

Edward Gleaser’s Triumps of the City, describes how cities are the greatest invention that make humans happier, richer, smarter, greener and wealthier. Gleaser provides a strong framework for how cities serve as sustainable alternatives to address climate change and growing greenhouse gas emissions. This book discusses current city practices that are successful in health, happiness and sustainability and the steps that some cities should make to increase their success.

           

Grant, Jill L. "Theory and Practice in Planning the Suburbs: Challenges to Implementing New Urbanism, Smart Growth and Sustainability Principles." Planning Theory and Practice 10, no. 1 (2009): 11-33.

Grant discusses the theories and planning frameworks used in planning urban areas and suburbs in Canada. She discusses the current theories used in planning suburban areas which are often associaed with unsustainable low density development. Grant specifically discusses the New Urbanism and Smart Growth movements throughout Canada, the pressures that urban planners face and lack of political support for these movements.  

Ling, Ooi Giok, and Belinda Yuen. World Cities: Achieving Livability and Vibrancy.  Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pete. Ltd., 2010.

This book provides a strong framework for planners, activists and governments to use in working towards sustainable urban development. The book focuses on different topics from waste management, transportation, biodiversity and infastructure. Through these issues, the authors ultimate goal is to explain how cities create greater happiness and can achieve vibrancy and liveabilty in a rapidly changing environment. This book will complement the writing of Edward Gleaser and form a substantial portion of my argument in sustianable urban development.

           

Office of Sustainable Communities, Smart Growth Program. "Our Built and Natural Environments: A Technical Review of the Interactions among Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality." 2013.

This comprehensive report provides data from the U.S. Environmental Proetection Agency and other government departments on population projections and metropolitan growth throughout the United States. It explains how the environment is affected by varying forms of transportation and land use, our current scope of greenhouse gas emissions in these aras, and the different processes we can use to move forward in sustainable land use and urban residential sustainability.

           

Peter, Camaren, and Mark Swalling. "Sustainable, Resource Efficient Cities- Making It Happen!", 2012.

This complex report from the United Nations Environmenal Programme provide in depth information on urban infastrucutre and sustainability, 21^st century trends, and steps to take forward to reach our goals. Specific examples from different countries are used to highlight what regions are doing well and what some need to improve upon. This will provide me with a global scope on problems and actions to make cities resource efficient.

           

Smith, Heather. "Suburbs of Chicago and San Francisco Struggle over Who Gets to Live There."  (2015). http://grist.org/cities/suburbs-of-chicago-and-san-francisco-struggle-over-who-gets-to-live-

This article outlines suburban growth in two major urban centers and highlights the environmental justice componet of them. Sustainable cities are not just about the quality of the natural environment, but also about the social justice of who gets to live there and its affordability for the average citizen. This article will provide insight into current problems facing suburban homeowners beyond the environment and sustainability.

           

Thompson, Claire. "The 15 Most Sustainable U.S. Cities."  Grist (2009). Published electronically July 17, 2009. http://grist.org/article/2009-07-16-sustainable-green-us-cities/full/

Thompson provides data on a recent project from 2009 to highlight the most sustainable U.S cities and their current practices. Thompson provides details on the 15 most sustainable U.S Cities from 2009 and highlights the areas that each city focuses on for sustainability and the environment. This will provide me with a good overview of U.S. practices in urban sustainability.

           

"Urban Planning and the Importance of Green Space in Cities to Human and Environmental Health." http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/urban-planning-and-the-importance-of-green-space-in-cities-to-human-and-environmental-health.

This article explains briefly what urban planning is and then describes the importance of green space in urban areas. Green space is important for not only the environment but also for human health and the biodiversity and health of the city. The heart of this argument draws upon the fact of making cities liveable. The better liveability a city has is determined by not only it's ammenities but also it's management and efforts in making it truly sustainable and healthy.

           

Wilson, Jonathan Sinclair, Hamish Ironside, Alison Kuznets, and Andrea Service. "Cities and Climate Change: Global Report on Human Settlements 2011." edited by Naison D. Mutizwa-Mangiza, 1-300. Kenya: United Nations Human Settlements Programme, 2011.

This extensive document outlines urban development and action as a global problem and area of effort. following a history of climate change policy and negotiation, it focuses on areas where cities can improve to adapt and mitigate climate change. This document calls for immediate action amongst nations as well as state and local government action. This report will provide me with in-depth global data on actions regions throughout the world are taking and how developing nations can be successful amidst this time of crisis for city infastructure.

Studying Climate Change through Social Sciences? Integrating varying disciplines of study

Climate change is first and foremost thought of as a scientific discipline. While this is true, scientists do study climate change and collect scientific data on, the study of climate change goes far and beyond solely the physical science discipline. Many social science disciplines study climate change and produce data in a different form that still conveys the impacts or outcomes that climate change can have. One of the most common social disciplines used is Economics. Economists measure risk, and the economic impacts that climate change will have on our society. The damage that is associated with the changing climate often results in the loss of resource (money, food, services) that negatively impact the society. Through collaboration, scientists from all disciplines should work together to properly convey their arguments. Scientific data on the change, associated economic costs, the changing cultural practices that have resulted and business or technical solutions to move forward. The study of climate change is truly an interdisciplinary study if one is to truly understand the breadth of the issue and outcomes. Economists are not scientists, and scientists are not policy makers. Collaboration is key to success in this field.

Campus Climate Change

Much has been to combat climate change on college campuses across the nation. Combating climate change in this way serves as an ideal community to reach out to in making strides toward success. Not only is it important to educate this age demographic on the issues at hand, but it is the college aged students who will serve as future leaders who will be needed to combat the issue. Our generation is the future and thus we need to be educated on climate change. Additionally college campuses serve as an ideal place to spread knowledge about climate change given the large demographic of people who attend colleges. With thousands of colleges located across the united states, there is a significant number of people, both students, faculty, and staff that serve as people to be educated by this issue. College campuses are essentially micro communities that have their own operational systems and reducing greenhouse gas emissions on them would make a significant difference. One of the largest changes college campuses can make to contribute to the issue is working to change the behavior and consumption habits of students. Rather than have students pay their room and board fee, a flat rate that covers everything associated with dining, lodging and comfortable living, students should be charged per amount or item that they use. Students should have to pay for the amount of water, electricity, food, paper products etc that they use. This will essentially force people to change their habits rather than being careless and knowing that their usage is already covered in their payment. Living in an off campus house this year and last summer, I was made much more aware of my consumption. By paying your water, electricity and food bills, one is more aware of their use and pays more attention to conserving water, electricity and minimizing waste. Rather than simply investing in renewable energy sources to be carbon neutral, colleges should work to change the consumption habits of their students to contribute to their reduction in greenhouse gases. This will not only benefit the campus, but the student and the society for generations to come.

Up Up and Away

This week I learned that it is possible to research almost anything out there in the world. Often when people here the word research they instantly think about research being done in the medical field such as cancer and other lifesaving medical research. The common citizen is often confronted with campaigns or partnerships to donate to this type of research. While I have learned many different areas and interests of research throughout my 3 1/2 years of college, never had i though that important research could be done on counting the number of errors, disagreements, or misunderstandings. However, this area of research done on the work and members of the IPCC serves as a critical area of research for our world to understand climate change and take steps toward solutions. This fascinating and complex process of research, data collection, reporting and review serves as one of the most complex and under-credited jobs in our world. Recently this week, I had the opportunity to conduct research of my own at a conference in Portland. While I was not researching a climate related topic, my travels did make me think about our climate and the IPCC. Members of the IPCC and those who research them, fly all across the world emitting significant amounts of greenhouse gasses into the world via air travel. I did this same thing as I traveled from Minneapolis to  Portland. I could not help but think about the impact that I was making during my time flying in the sky. What I find most fascinating about air travel is not only the incredible scope of the world and scenery one is provided by looking out the window, but the people that surround you on the flight that do not think once about their impact on the climate; pilots and flight attendants who are simply doing their jobs, and the common business flying across the country to meet with clients. It occurs everyday, everywhere by thousands if not millions of people. I can only hope that on my next flight I sit down next to a member of the IPCC and then we'll see where the conversation takes us.

The Future of Forests

This week we read about the REDD+ program and the importance of forests in our climate future. How much carbon do our forests actually offset, what can we do to them so they offset more, and what is the monetary or economic value associated with those trees? Good questions. That is one that is continually debated and studied across many disciplines. What is the actual value that the ecosystem provides to human beings? And how does that value compare to our polluting actions. It all comes down to tradeoffs. I have always found it difficult to place a monetary value on such things and special places that have so many benefits to humans and our society. Not only do trees release oxygen and take in carbon, but they make up a vital part of the habitat that animals and wild species call home. Trees are a vital part of the soil composition when they fall and eventually decompose to make up parts of the organic layer of soil. They provide us with wood for furniture products, paper and other disposable items. A large amount of trees in one location also make up a forest. Forests as a whole absorb a tremendous amount of carbon and provide exceptional benefits to those who spend time in them. They relax the body, mind and sprit and one can leave the forest, whether it was a 30 minute walk or a ten day backpacking trip, feeling renewed and refreshed. Why forests? Because my home at St. John's University has a forest of it's own. A forest that truly does all of these things for us, recreation and renewal, wood for our campus to use, habitat for wildlife, a source of carbon intake, and products such as maple syrup. Forests have value, one that is more than just a monetary and economic value. It would so hard to see them be traded for something of exchangeable value.

Making the transition

Infrastructure is a critical part of our current consumptive society; it could be argued that almost anything is a part of infrastructure. However, roads, buildings, utility lines, and water systems are often the most common association with infrastructure. Paul Edwards stated that infrastructure was not a system but rather made up of networks and webs. I would argue otherwise and that infrastructure is also a system. A major piece of art and technology that can be useful is Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This technology, with the term systems in it's name, clearly evolved with the basis of systems and science. One of the most beneficial uses of GIS is networks. When our societies infrastructure fails, a utility cable is out of service or there is a broken valve in the water system, GIS and or city managers can log into the GIS network and instantly see where the failure occurred. The network can then be repaired knowing the exact location and at times even cause of the failure. Because these GIS networks are so important and a critical component of our twenty first century infrastructure, and these networks are within the Geographic Information Systems, I would argue that infrastructure is more than a network or web but also part of a system. Updating our infrastructure and transitioning to cleaner energy sources will pose challenges as we make these changes to protect our climate. With our extensive highway system, it seems that bringing in other forms of transportation infrastructure, high speed rail, bicycle lanes and paths, and even light rail, would not only address the change in lifestyle patters that Pope Fancis called for but also reduce our consumption of GHG's caused by automobiles. Infrastructure is where nearly all of the pieces to climate puzzle meet and our preparedness for that meeting is essential. It is time to transition and save our planet and people.

Doom and Doubt

If the words and work of Pope Francis, one of the most influential people in the world, cannot change the views of climate skeptics, than I cannot imagine if anything or anyone will be able to. The only thing that may actually make them believe that climate change is a problem is when the day after tomorrow strikes this world. Denying that human actions are causing the problem can be one understandable argument or opinion I suppose, but when one simply does not believe that the climate is warming at all, even if it is from natural causes is one that I truly struggle to understand. Sure science can be hard to interpret and understand, but people in academia have done marvels to put it in words for the common working person to understand. The Grist headline on my Facebook page today was "Sea Levels are Rising and They're Not Going to Stop says NASA," http://grist.org/science/sea-levels-are-rising-and-theyre-not-going-to-stop-says-nasa/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=update.
If the people who can figure out how to get to the moon and back safely say that sea levels are rising, I would think that many would be inclined to believe them and start taking actions to prevent further disaster. I appreciated the scholars, scientists, and skeptics in the film Merchants of Doubt. What I would really like to see would be a film from the perspective of the skeptics. I think this would be horrible for the common person to watch as it could completely misguide a common person and corrupt the minds of the young. But as any good advocate, it is always important to see the other side of the argument. We were introduced to quite a bit of that in the film, but I would be curious to see an entire film from that perspective. While we cannot change the minds of these skeptics, we can only continue to move forward and educate the younger generation on the problem, and take steps toward solutions in Paris and our local communities.

The Pope is coming the Pope is coming.....

"BREAKING NEWS: Pope Francis makes Inhofe believe in Climate Change!"...... According to the news that never happened. Now lets get back to the real world. Climate denier and Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe may have actually been quite pleased with the Pope's address to congress. Inhofe told CNN news that he "think[s] it is totally inappropriate that the Pope is weighing in on all the real sensitive far-left issues" prior to the Pope's arrival. (http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/21/politics/pope-francis-congress-republicans-politics/) Pope Francis knew he would be battling the GOP and conservative catholic members of congress and faced his battle without directly mentioning the issue of climate change. Now lets get to the actual breaking news, September 25 2015, 10:25 a.m. House Speaker John Boehner will resign from congress. I cannot help but think that part of his resignation has to do with the Pope's visit. Members of the GOP party criticize Boehner for not taking a stronger stance on republican party issues. While Boehner may have been required to host the Pope and show him hospitality, I strongly believe that he enjoyed his presence and believes in the issues that the Pope addressed, contrary to some republican party members. Even if climate denier Inhofe read Laudato Si, he would probably dismiss much of its content. It's a great feeling to know that the leader of the Senate Environment Committee cannot acknowledge the issues at hand, or even keep an open mind about them. While not every human being will not read the Pope's Encyclical letter, I would encourage any being to do so. This writing is the most important and influential piece of literature in the 21st century. Tying together the important issues of poverty, wealthy, climate, and the environment, the Pope does a remarkable job of describing the interconnectedness of all the important issues. Not to mention his proposed solutions are remarkable and fascinating to think about. Connecting the ecology of science to human is a topic of discussion and one to think about as we move forward with these issues.

An Evolving Problem

The science behind our changing climate is often the most difficult piece to understand, but it can also be the most interesting piece to think about. After learning about the history of the earth, I look at the problem in two ways: The warming of our planet was caused solely by our human actions, or the warming was inevitable since the evolution of our earth, with the intention of allowing us to live here on earth. While the greenhouse effect is often attributed to being very bad, it does allow us to live comfortably. Having begun to read Pope Francis' encyclical, I cannot help but think about this mystery. Science, after all is the reason we were able to increase our emissions, and cause this problem. It is also what we need to help stop the problem and reduce our emissions. There are both positives and negatives to it, but in the end, it provides us with a means of knowing our true impact on the planet. Pope Francis is not a scientist, but he uses some science in the beginning pages of his writing. It can be complex at times, but written and taught in a way for the lay people to understand. Regardless of how much scientific evidence we have, or how easy it is to understand, some people will still never believe it, never believe that we are the cause of climate change or that it is even happening!

Reacting to the future

Recently I read the book The Collapse of Western Civilization by Naomi Orestes and Erik Conway. This piece of science based fiction written in the perspective of the future is by far one of the best books I have ever read. Orestes and Conway paint a clear picture of the natural disasters that occur throughout the world as a result of climate change; "by 2060 arctic summer ice was completely gone. scores of species perished, including the iconic polar bear-- the dodo bird of the 21st century" (Orestes, 28). Not to mention the disasters that lead to disease outbreaks, thousands of lives being lost, and massive food shortages, these disasters appear to real! However, as I read through some of these disaster stories from 2050 and beyond, I could not help but give a slight laugh. They seem so exaggerated and beyond reality, but in actuality the science supports these outcomes. My first reaction was wow this is like watching a science fiction based action movie, sitting at the edge of my seat, but as I continued to read I continued to be engaged in the fiction and how real it could become one day. What struck me most surprising about this piece of fiction was the epilogue, when China appears to be the most successful country amidst all of the disasters. That is not to say that I am surprised that China succeeded, but rather I interpret the first two paragraphs of the epilogue to show that our government must act in the way that China did (does) in order to survive this climate conundrum; We must move away from our centralized government and begin to make choices that could benefit the country and the world regardless of what the people want. This then opens up an entire new can of worms on the ethics of government intervention. For now, climate change is real, and we must take action to prevent disaster from occurring.

A Changing World

Friends, classmates, colleagues, professors, welcome to my blog. Throughout this semester I will be reflecting upon the readings and my coursework in my Climate Studies class this semester in addition to my trip to Paris France in December when myself and 14 other classmates and colleagues attend the UNFCCC conference. Who am I? I am many things; I am a student, skier, lover of the outdoors, team captain, leader and motivated individual. Not only will I reflect upon my coursework, but I will connect my reflections to my own college life. My home in St. Joseph, my work at the Outdoor Leadership Center and St. John's Outdoor University, my post class ski practices and my passion for the outdoors. So how are they related? As an avid outdoor enthusiast and adventure seeker, our changing climate has impacted and will continue to impact the outdoor spaces and natural environment that many of us love. I am just coming off of my final trip to the boundary waters canoe area wilderness with CSB/SJU's Collegebound program. After more than 7 months of planning and preparation, all 87 of us safely returned from our wilderness experience. The reason I bring up the boundary waters is due to its fragility and future outlook. The changing climate will impact those lakes, forests and rivers. Future projects predict that it will one day be drastically different turning into an oak savannah. An oak savannah is a grassland with dispersed mature oak trees, typically Burr oaks. Not to say that an oak savannah landscape is bad, but it is just different, and would entail a much different environment for the species that call it their home, for recreationists, and for the area economy. This short video shows how the area is predicted to change: http://video.startribune.com/climate-change-may-turn-bwca-into-oak-savanna/228079981/

If it changed, myself and many others would still travel there no doubt. After all, change is inevitable, but if these are the kinds of changes in store for us, something is causing them, and something can be done to stop them. I would say something can be done to limit their effects, but then i would have to call myself a climate denier after reading Naomi Klein's article from the Guardian. Limiting the effects is only denying the problem, or pushing it off for the next generation to stop. A problem exists and we must change to stop it!