2014 presents a “perishable moment” in the effort to protect the world from catastrophic climate change. The parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have promised to reach a new global agreement in 2015, and the steps taken this year will determine whether it is weak or strong.
On International Women’s Day, let’s remember that a crucial step to ending poverty comes through providing access to reliable and sustainable energy for girls and women.
Imagine your favorite wild animal or place, like the majestic polar bear bounding across the northern ice tundras, a graceful turtle gliding through the Great Barrier Reef, a soulful orangutan swinging through the magnificent Borneo forest, or a small orange frog glistening in the Amazon.
Everybody’s talking about the crazy weather. The polar vortex walloped the Eastern United States with ice and snow while the West suffers through extreme drought. Big parts of Britain were hit by record-breaking floods. January 7 was the hottest day in Australian history, with an average high temperature of 105°F over the entire country.
Every four years, we all get to celebrate the best in winter sports, and this week in Sochi, the Olympics will host some of the most incredible winter athletes in the world on the biggest stage in sports. It’s going to be amazing.
Athletes from 88 countries have gathered in Sochi to compete. As a long-time runner, triathlete, and bike racer, I appreciate the spirit of competitiveness these individuals bring with them. But the Olympics are about more than competition. They’re about building understanding between people of different cultures and countries – understanding that must be based on respect for human rights.
Gardening columnist Henry Mitchell once wrote: “No gardener needs reminding that life depends on plants. No plants, no life. Very simple.” Yet it is very easy for biodiversity and ecosystems to get lost in the debate about eliminating poverty and reducing inequity.
Last fall, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a comprehensive and authoritative report on the science of climate change. The key takeaway: Scientists are more certain than ever that climate change is real and is caused by human activities – mostly the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.
A recent image making its rounds on social media demonstrates that the occurrence of regional cold blasts does not discount human-driven climate change and global warming.
“In 2014, we must turn the greatest collective challenge facing humankind today – climate change – into the greatest opportunity for common progress towards a sustainable future. Next year is the year from climate action.”
