Planning and Planting Future Forests with Climate Change in Mind

This article argues that the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s conception of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDRRC) was never effectively implemented through the Kyoto Protocol. The investments under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism suggest that CBDRRC has been used by developed countries to buy a “right to pollute”, i.e., maintaining or even increasing their greenhouse gas emissions, while investing in clean energy in developing nations, thus defeating the essence of CBDRRC as intended under the UNFCCC. Second, it points out that the Paris Agreement reflects a significant shift in the CBDRRC, both in terms of its textual understanding as well as its implementation. A qualifier, “in the light of national circumstances”, was added to the principle of CBDRRC in the Paris Agreement, allowing a form of voluntary self-differentiation. This qualifier diluted a top-down, objective analysis of States’ commitments. For several scholars, this shift has meant a softening of the principle, making the “differentiation” more dynamic and flexible. In the authors’ opinion, the qualifier is a fundamental modification of the principle to make it politically more palatable. It completely disregards the notion of historical responsibility for climate change, which was the cornerstone of CBDRRC as conceived under the UNFCCC. Therefore, rather than presenting a more flexible understanding of UNFCCC’s conception of CBDRRC, the Paris Agreement marks a total departure from it. Lacking an explicit redefinition of the principle of CBDRRC, it is misleading to contend that the Paris Agreement is still anchored in it.

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Lesson Learned from Social Forestry Practice in a Forest and Climate Change Project in Kalimantan, Indonesia

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/363/1/012001 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 363 ◽

pp. 012001

Author(s):

Fitta Setiajiati ◽

Basoeki Karyaatmadja ◽

Ignn Sutedja ◽

Harri Kuswondho ◽

Prabu Satria ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Social Forestry ◽

Forestry Practice

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Climate change impact on Balearic shearwater through a trophic cascade

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2011.0225 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 702-705 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

C. Luczak ◽

G. Beaugrand ◽

M. Jaffré ◽

S. Lenoir

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Trophic Cascade ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Fish Prey ◽

Sea Temperature ◽

Predator Species ◽

Change Impact ◽

Regional Index

A recent study showed that a critically endangered migratory predator species, the Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus , rapidly expanded northwards in northeast Atlantic waters after the mid-1990s. As a significant positive correlation was found between the long-term changes in the abundance of this seabird and sea temperature around the British Isles, it was hypothesized that the link between the biogeographic shift and temperature occurred through the food web. Here, we test this conjecture and reveal concomitant changes in a regional index of sea temperature, plankton (total calanoid copepod), fish prey (anchovy and sardine) and the Balearic shearwater for the period 1980–2003. All three trophic levels exhibit a significant shift detected between 1994 and 1996. Our findings therefore support the assertion of both a direct and an indirect effect of climate change on the spatial distribution of post-breeding Balearic shearwater through a trophic cascade.

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Global Coordination against Global Warning: “Catch-up” Countries against Affluent Countries

Sustainability in Environment ◽

10.22158/se.v2n1p82 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 82

Author(s):

Jan-Erik Lane

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Policy Making ◽

Time Frame ◽

Ex Post ◽

Global Warning ◽

The World ◽

Ex Ante ◽

Long Time ◽

Catch Up ◽

Global Coordination

The UNFCCC has delivered the COP21 project as the main response to climate change, promising radical decarbonisation of the country economies in the world. A promise is merely a verbal commitment ex ante, whereas the outcomes of policy-making and government coordination inform about the actual matters of fact ex post. Scholars now fear that there will be reneging or defection in the COP21 games to be started now with a long time frame into the next half of this century. Thus, world famous Stern (2016) asks what we are waiting for, given his stern warnings already in 2007. And Conca (2015) suggests that environmentalism and climate change becomes the chief task for the United Nations, on par with peace, security, human rights and development. Star economist Sachs (2015a, b, c) promotes the idea of linking anti-global warming policies with general Sustainable Development (SDGs), including anti-poverty policies. Yet, they bypass fundamentals: climate change is driven by Juggernaut forces, namely the links between GDP, energy consumption and greenhouse gases involving the economic struggle between the haves and have-nots. The challenges in implementing the COP21 goals (I+III) are formidable.

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Rainfall Trend and Variability Analysis of Sub-Tropical Hills of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeastern Himalayan Region of India

Current World Environment ◽

10.12944/cwe.11.2.35 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 631-636

Author(s):

Kaushik Bhagawati ◽

Rupankar Bhagawati ◽

Amit Sen ◽

Kshitiz Shukla ◽

Rajesh Alone

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Trend Analysis ◽

Himalayan Region ◽

Annual Rainfall ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Rainfall Trend ◽

Arunachal Pradesh ◽

Extreme Rainfall Events ◽

Dry Spell ◽

The Impact

The climate change especially the changes in rainfall pattern is most crucial for Himalayan region as it leads to changes in river runoff and consequently affecting environment, agricultural productivity and human livelihood downstream. Current study aims to evaluate the rainfall trend and variability in the highest rainfall recipient sub-tropical hill regions of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeastern Himalayan region of India. Sen’s estimator is used for trend analysis and Mann-Kendall test to determine significance of the trend. The 37 years (1979-2015) data reveals no clear and consistent trend of average annual rainfall. But a wide inter and intra seasonal variation in the monthly rainfall has been observed. Also a significant shift in rainfall during pre-monsoon and Southwest monsoon was noticed leading to change in forest and agricultural growing seasons, mid-season dry spell during July and increase in extreme rainfall events during August, September and October. The trend analysis of rainfall will help in prediction of future climate scenarios in this Himalayan region and to understand the impact of climate change.

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Megatrends affecting smallholder forestry in Indonesia to the year 2030

International Forestry Review ◽

10.1505/146554819827293240 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 350-371

Author(s):

L. ROBINS ◽

P. KANOWSKI

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Middle Class ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Smallholder Forestry ◽

Forestry Sector ◽

Physical Infrastructure ◽

Vested Interests

This paper identifies and explores megatrends with major implications for smallholder-based commercial forestry in Indonesia to the year 2030. A megatrend is a cluster of trends that represent a significant shift in the condition of the environment, economy or society, with major implications over the longer term. Megatrend analysis is one example of foresighting, an approach which complements traditional forestry sector outlook studies. The eight megatrends explore the dynamics of Indonesia's urbanising population; their rising incomes and education rates, manifest in an expanding middle class and changing demands; the imperative to provide for the needs of the still-many poor; the tension between market-based opportunities and the Indonesian bureaucracy, inadequate physical infrastructure and vested interests; Indonesia's place as a global hotspot of forest and biodiversity loss; the consequences of climate change; the emerging digital and technology-driven economy and society; and the possible impacts of both natural and man-made crises. These megatrends and their component subtrends have various implications for smallholder forestry; we identify best, worst and more likely case scenarios as starting points for further research.

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Agro-ecological suitability assessment of Chinese Medicinal Yam under future climate change

Environmental Geochemistry and Health ◽

10.1007/s10653-019-00437-w ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 987-1000 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dongli Fan ◽

Honglin Zhong ◽

Biao Hu ◽

Zhan Tian ◽

Laixiang Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Climate Change ◽

Future Climate ◽

Living Standard ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Climate Projections ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Potential Yield ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Suitability Assessment

Abstract Chinese Medicinal Yam (CMY) has been prescribed as medicinal food for thousand years in China by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners. Its medical benefits include nourishing the stomach and spleen to improve digestion, replenishing lung and kidney, etc., according to the TCM literature. As living standard rises and public health awareness improves in recent years, the potential medicinal benefits of CMY have attracted increasing attention in China. It has been found that the observed climate change in last several decades, together with the change in economic structure, has driven significant shift in the pattern of the traditional CMY planting areas. To identify suitable planting area for CMY in the near future is critical for ensuring the quality and supply quantity of CMY, guiding the layout of CMY industry, and safeguarding the sustainable development of CMY resources for public health. In this study, we first collect 30-year records of CMY varieties and their corresponding phenology and agro-meteorological observations. We then consolidate these data and use them to enrich and update the eco-physiological parameters of CMY in the agro-ecological zone (AEZ) model. The updated CMY varieties and AEZ model are validated using the historical planting area and production under observed climate conditions. After the successful validation, we use the updated AEZ model to simulate the potential yield of CMY and identify the suitable planting regions under future climate projections in China. This study shows that regions with high ecological similarity to the genuine and core producing areas of CMY mainly distribute in eastern Henan, southeastern Hebei, and western Shandong. The climate suitability of these areas will be improved due to global warming in the next 50 years, and therefore, they will continue to be the most suitable CMY planting regions.

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Impact to Coral Reef Populations at Hā‘ena and Pila‘a, Kaua‘i, Following a Record 2018 Freshwater Flood Event

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13020066 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 66 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ku’ulei S. Rodgers ◽

Matthew P. Stefanak ◽

Anita O. Tsang ◽

Justin J. Han ◽

Andrew T. Graham ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Northern Coast ◽

Storm Events ◽

Storm Effects ◽

Strategic Design ◽

Low Salinity ◽

Resource Managers ◽

Aquatic Resource ◽

Before And After

Many corals and reef-dwelling organisms are susceptible to the impacts of storm events, which are typically characterized by large inputs of freshwater, sediment, and nutrients. The majority of storm effects are focused on shallow, nearshore reef flats, as low salinity and sedimentation tend to dissipate with depth and distance from shore. In April 2018, record rainfall on the northern coast of Kaua‘i caused extensive flooding and landslides, introducing large amounts of freshwater and sediment into nearshore reefs. Using benthic and fish transects from 2016–2019 and temperature, sediment, and rainfall data gathered pre- and post-flood, this study aimed to quantify and explicate the effects of flooding on the various biotic populations of two reef habitats at Pila‘a and Hā‘ena, Kaua‘i. Results from the shallow Pila‘a reef suggest sediment and freshwater-associated declines in mean urchin abundance (−52.0%) and increases in mean coral bleaching (+54.5%) at the flood-prone eastern sector. Additionally, decreases in mean urchin (−65.7%) and fish (−42.3%) populations were observed at shallow Hā‘ena transects, but not deep sites, supporting the occurrence of depth-specific affliction. Multivariate community-level analyses affirmed much of these results, showing a significant shift in community structure before and after the flood at both Pila‘a and Hā‘ena. The outcomes of this study are pertinent to strategic design and solution development by local aquatic resource managers, especially as anthropogenic climate change continues to increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of storm events.

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Energy Consumption and Greening: Strategic Directionsfor Pakistan

THE LAHORE JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS ◽

10.35536/lje.2020.v25.i1.a3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 59-88

Author(s):

Rajah Rasiah ◽

Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

East Asian ◽

Gdp Per Capita ◽

Catching Up ◽

Catch Up ◽

Per Capita ◽

Carbon Dioxide Co2 ◽

East Asian Economies

WecomparePakistan's energy consumption structures toselected East Asian economies with a view towards ensuringan adequate supply ofpowerforeconomic catch-up and,at the same time,meeting the greening goalsenvisioned by the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change. The evidence shows that Pakistan relies significantly lesson non-renewable energy to meet its energy demandscompared to China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand,while itsdependence on fossil fuels has been rising rapidly.Usingdata forPakistan from 1960 to 2015, we deployed panel co-integration and Granger causality teststo analyse selected East and Southeast Asian countriesbefore exploring what it will takefor Pakistan to develop itsrenewable energy(RE)sector. The evidence showsthat catching up economically with these countriesthrough rapid GDP per capita growthwill exacerbate Pakistan’scurrent energy imbalance,thereby aggravating greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.We argue that Pakistan enjoys strong endowments to avert this problem, and hence, it should strategicallyfocus on the development of RE resources, especially solar and windenergy,but only after taking account the relevant costs.

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Socio-Economic Determinism and Climate Change

Applied Science and Innovative Research ◽

10.22158/asir.v1n2p131 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 131

Author(s):

Jan-Erik Lane

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Economic Growth ◽

Emerging Economies ◽

Policy Making ◽

The Us ◽

Socio Economic Development ◽

The Common ◽

Catch Up ◽

Set Up ◽

Rich Countries

The global warming problematic is in reality decided not by the UNFCCC or IPCC with its mastodon meetings. The decisive players are the states of the following BIG polluters of CO2: China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia Mexico, South Korea, Canada, Australia and the US, despite the fact that its present government already has defected from the common pool regime, set up in Paris 2017, These countries together with international shipping and aviation are putting out more than 50% of the CO2s. However, they are little interested, because they emphasize the policy-making of socio-economic development, either economic growth with rich countries or the “catch-up” strategy with poor or emerging economies. Resilience will decide which countries can support the consequences of climate change.

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