Introduction – Climate Change and Agroecosystems: Key Issues

Author(s):  
Daniel Hillel ◽  
Cynthia Rosenzweig
Keyword(s):  
2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
STEPHEN POLASKY

Paul Ehrlich has a clear message for the economics profession: humanity faces a number of serious environmental problems and economists have a central role to play if we are to successfully address them. The article lays out an important research agenda for economists, which includes climate change, loss of biodiversity, release of toxic substances, epidemiological concerns, population, and over-consumption. Even if one disagrees with some of the particulars, and my guess is that many economists who read the article will, the big ideas contained in this article and the main messages are worthy of close attention. Rather than being on the periphery of the economics profession, those of us in economics who focus on environmental issues, whether called ecological economists, environmental economists or resource economists, should be at the heart of an economics profession focused on the most important and relevant issues facing society.


Soundings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (78) ◽  
pp. 38-49
Author(s):  
Md Fahad Hossain ◽  
Saleemul Huq ◽  
Mizan R. Khan

The impacts of human-induced climate change are manifested through losses and damages incurred due to the increasing frequency and intensity of climatic disasters all over the world. Low-income countries who have contributed the least in causing climate change, and have low financial capability, are the worst victims of this. However, since the inception of the international climate regime under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), loss and damage has been a politically charged issue. It took about two decades of pushing by the vulnerable developing countries for the agenda to formally anchor in the climate negotiations text. This was further solidified through establishment of the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) and inclusion of stand-alone Article 8 on loss and damage in the Paris Agreement. Its institutionalisation has only done the groundwork of addressing loss and damage however - the key issue of finance for loss and damage and other matters has remained largely unresolved to date – particularly since Article 8 does not have any provision for finance. This has been due to the climate change-causing wealthy developed nations' utter disregard for their formal obligations in the climate regime as well as their moral obligation. In this article, we tease out the central controversies that underpin the intractability of this agenda at the negotiations of the UNFCCC. We begin by giving a walk-through of the concept and history of loss and damage in the climate regime. Then we present a brief account of losses and damages occurring in the face of rising temperature, and highlight the key issues of contention, focusing on the more recent developments. Finally, we conclude by suggesting some way forward for the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP26) taking place in Glasgow, UK in November 2021.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-81
Author(s):  
Brook M R Dambacher ◽  
Matthew T Stilwell ◽  
Jeffrey S McGee

Abstract Conflicts of interest (COIs) have the capacity to undermine the integrity and legitimacy of decision-making in international legal fora. The issue of COIs has recently become a contentious issue within the international negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Despite an emerging debate on COIs, key issues regarding engagement with certain non-state actors, and the reforms that could be implemented in response, remain to be systematically addressed. This article therefore examines best practice for addressing COIs in international fora to see how this might inform management of the issue within the UNFCCC. We find that protecting the integrity and legitimacy of the UNFCCC will likely require its Conference of the Parties to clearly define COIs and to adopt a process for their management. This reform will bring the UNFCCC into line with best practices in global governance and improve prospects for more effective international law on climate change.


What must we do to achieve a sustainable society? There is no one answer. The first steps towards sustainability cover a whole spectrum of economic, social and environmental issues. In this volume Australian leaders from a wide range of fields discuss the key issues we must address if we are to move towards a more just and sustainable future. They identify the major concerns and challenges for achieving sustainability in the areas of: human health, water resources, land use and natural ecosystems, energy, equity and peace, economic systems, climate change, labour forces and work, urban design and transport, and population. Achieving sustainability will require major changes in our current approaches. The thought-provoking chapters in this book provide a solid introduction to the issues in the search for a genuine path to sustainability.


Author(s):  
David Newbery

Concerns over future oil scarcity might not be so worrying but for the high carbon content of substitutes, and the limited capacity of the atmosphere to absorb additional CO 2 from burning fuel. The paper argues that the tools of economics are helpful in understanding some of the key issues in pricing fossil fuels, the extent to which pricing can be left to markets, the need for, and design of, international agreements on corrective carbon pricing, and the potential Prisoners’ Dilemma in reaching such agreements, partly mitigated in the case of oil by current taxes and the probable incidence of carbon taxes on the oil price. The ‘Green Paradox’, in which carbon pricing exacerbates climate change, is theoretically possible, but empirically unlikely.


Author(s):  
Maxwell Boykoff

Against a contrasting backdrop of consensus on key issues on climate science, a heterogeneous group dubbed climate «skeptics», «contrarians», «deniers» have significantly shaped contemporary discussions of climate science, politics and policy in the public sphere. This essay focuses on the USA context, and explores some of the intertwined social, political and economic factors, as well as cultural and psychological characteristics that have together influenced public attitudes, intentions, beliefs, perspective and behaviors in regards to climate change science and governance over time. This article makes the case that the USA example can inform developments elsewhere; as such it is important to consider these contextual elements to more capably appraise «contrarian», «skeptic», «denier» reverberations through the current public discussions on climate change. 


2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Atsamon Limsakul ◽  
Boonlue Kachenchart ◽  
Patama Singhruck ◽  
Suriyan Saramul ◽  
Jerasorn Santisirisomboon ◽  
...  

Recent evidence and key issues on climate change in Thailand have been presented in the first part of Thailand’s Second Assessment Report on Climate Change (2ndTRAC). The report highlights key findings including 1) a significant country-wide warming of 1.30 oC over the past 48 years (1970-2017); b) significant changes in rainfall patterns at smaller spatial and finer temporal scales; c) significant changes in temperature and rainfall extreme events over the last four-five decades; d) a significant decrease in frequency of tropical cyclones entering Thailand; e) significant rise in sea level in the seas around Thailand at higher rates than the global average; and f) significant projected increases in temperature and rainfall in Thailand by 2100. The first part of the 2nd TARC provides a comprehensive and updated analysis of climate change impacts in Thailand that can be used as an authoritative reference for building understanding and awareness, as well as for designing adaptation and mitigation strategies. Moreover, it can serve as a repository for scientific information to support further research related to impact, adaptation and vulnerability to climate change. Regular assessment of national climate change impacts is essential to informing national policy and to allow policymakers to assess priorities and set meaningful targets in line with the country’s international obligations under the Climate Change Agreement.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Schott ◽  
Andy Reisinger ◽  
Taciano Milfont

This chapter contextualizes the interrelationships between tourism and climate change and thus provides an introduction to this volume. It commences with a brief but comprehensive overview of the key issues identified by climate change research, including an update since the 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as well as a brief discussion of the latest rounds of climate change negotiations. The pursuing discussion is informed by these points and explores climate change’s indirect and induced impacts on tourism and possible ramifications. Both of these parts highlight behavioral change as a critical factor to both adaptation and mitigation thus motivating the psychological contribution in an effort to shed light on the obstacles to behavioral change. In the concluding section, the chapter synthesizes the discussion grounded in multiple disciplines into a set of research themes that the volume subsequently begins to address


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