| POP Papers Issue 6. October 2016 Message from Our Chief Mentor In October, 2016 the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) issued a press release which contained the alarming information that, "CO2 levels had previously reached the 400 ppm barrier for certain months of the year and in certain locations but never before on a global average basis for the entire year. The longest-established greenhouse gas monitoring station at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, predicts that CO2 concentrations will stay above 400 ppm for the whole of 2016 and not dip below that level for many generations." This occurrence has taken place on the back of a strong and fairly prolonged El Nino event, which triggered droughts in tropical regions and reduced the capacity of CO2 sinks like forests, vegetation and oceans to absorb this dominant greenhouse gas (GHG). These sinks currently absorb about half the CO2 which is emitted, but increased concentration levels could saturate them to a point where a larger fraction remains in the atmosphere, thereby enhancing the rate of increase of concentration levels. The WMO press release further states, "Between 1990 and 2015 there was a 37% increase in radiative forcing – the warming effect on our climate – because of long-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (N2O) from industrial, agricultural and domestic activities." It is therefore no surprise that 2015 was the warmest year on record, as we were informed by the WMO at the beginning of this year. Last year was significant on account of the Paris agreement, which was signed by almost all the countries of the world. It is expected that the agreement would come into force on November 4, 2016 consequent to ratification by the required number of countries which collectively account for 55% of global emissions. This would happen just before the next Conference of the Parties to be held in Marrakesh. While this meeting is not likely to come to any new decisions of consequence, it is hoped that there is at least a highlighting of the urgency of action by the global community to deal with climate change. Yet, while international action has its place, the current situation only reveals the importance of action by people across the planet, who should not merely wait for a top downwards set of initiatives resulting from global agreements. The youth of the world need to define the future they want. Climate change and its impacts would narrow their choices in terms of the timely initiatives that could reduce the risks associated with projections of climate change. The POP Movement acquires added relevance on account of the news that shows in a multitude of ways the failure of human action to deal with this challenge thus far. The GDP of the world is estimated to have grown by 3.09% in 2015 and reached a level of 73.5 trillion US dollars at current prices. This shows the staggering increase in the production of goods and services at the global level, which while accompanied by growing disparities of wealth and income, is a reflection of the causes of climate change, but which also carries the power and capacity of the global economy to address the damage that we are carrying out in the global commons. The altered composition of the earth's atmosphere in a relatively short period of time is leading to a rapid increase in climate change, which can only be contained by an even faster reversal of current trends and rapid mitigation of emissions of GHGs. This is well within the power and capacity of global society to deal with effectively. A people's movement is essential for such a reversal in a very short period of time. It is for the youth of the world to take the lead and ensure that the economic, technological and managerial strength of modern society is harnessed effectively to move quickly in the right direction. We need to keep in mind Gandhi's advice that "Speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction." We hope that the POP Movement will set the right direction and pursue it with determination and collective vigor. Dr. R. K. Pachauri Chief Mentor Speech at Expo Pymes 2016 , Mexico City The Mayor and Government of Mexico City organize and hold a major event in October each year, which highlights a specific theme selected annually. The theme this year was "Economy and Climate Change: Renewable Energy". Along with the forum convened annually there is also a major exhibition at which a number of international organizations participate and display their technologies and products. The Pymes Expo this year carried an impressive range of renewable energy technologies and their applications. The Government of Mexico City is targeting a transition to clean energy supply, and for that reason at the opening session of this event, apart from the Chief Mentor of the POP Movement as chief guest other speakers included the Minister of Energy for Mexico, the German Ambassador to Mexico and the Secretary for Economic Development for Mexico City. Talk at UNAM The National University of Mexico (UNAM) is an institution of higher learning not only distinguished for its size, with over a quarter million students in the Mexico City campus alone, but for its excellence in teaching and research. During the period October 17 to 19 UNAM was the host organization for the Sixth Congress on Research on Climate Change. At this event Dr. Pachauri delivered a special talk and presentation on climate change, the audience for which included those in other universities across Mexico, who participated through live streaming. The occasion was used to inform students and faculty in the audience about the POP Movement. Meetings with UNAM The presentation at UNAM was followed up with a breakfast meeting later with faculty and students who are part of the Science and Society program. The School of Chemistry, which manages this program and consists of five separate departments is observing its centenary this year. They are therefore eager to launch the POP Movement as part of their centenary initiatives. A dinner meeting was hosted by the Director of the School, Jorge Manuel Vázquez Ramos to discuss the details of how this could be done. Finally, the POP team held a meeting with the Rector of UNAM, Senor Enrique Graue Wiechers who was very enthusiastic about taking the POP Movement across campus. A meeting with the POP team has been scheduled for early December, where a plan would be worked out for launching the POP Movement on the UNAM campus of Mexico City in January, 2017. Talk with Students at Museo Papalote Mexico City possesses a unique museum specifically for children, the like of which perhaps exists nowhere else in the world. The POP team visited the Papalote Museum . and addressed a group of junior high school students. Efforts are in hand to explore whether an area in the museum can be designated and developed as a special section focusing on the POP Movement. This is intended to be designed as a facility where students will be able to exercise their imagination and work with their hands to come up with innovative solutions to the challenge of climate change and halting the damage and degradation in the earth's ecosystems. Talk at American School, Mexico City The POP team made a visit to the American School in Mexico City. Since this is an excellent institution with students who are from very well to do families, it was necessary to expose them to the issue of sustainability and responsible consumption, which are an essential part of the POP Movement. The students and staff of the school agreed to implement the POP Movement and its tenets in their school. MoU With CDMX At the end of the expo, the Government of Mexico City signed an agreement with the POP Movement, in which it is intended that the latter will work with the City in developing a road map for moving the City to a clean energy future. The POP Movement has proposed that the first version of the road map should be developed by a group of 20 young students, 16 selected from the universities of Mexico City and 4 from high schools. This will then be made public for comments and suggestions, on the basis of which the road map would be finalized and accepted as the City's future strategy for mitigating the emissions of GHGs and moving Mexico City to a clean energy future. MoU with Scouts, Mexico In an impressive though simple ceremony held in the open at Pushkin Park in Mexico City, an MoU was signed by the President of Scouts in Mexico and the POP team for working together and enabling the Scouts in the country to implement projects and bring about lifestyle changes to deal with climate change. With the high respect that society has for Scouts all over the world, including in Mexico, Scouts are expected to lead as agents of change in society as part of the aspiration behind this MoU. The ceremony had a special color and spirit with the presence of Scouts of all ages, including six- and seven-year olds and those in the age group of 17 to 21 years. New Member of the POP IAB We are pleased to announce that Ms. Patricia Castro has agreed to join the International Advisory Board of the POP Movement. Patricia has been an enormous help with our efforts in Mexico, and would be a great asset in expanding our activities across Latin America. It is particularly noteworthy that she, along with her family members, is now working with us to send messages about the POP Movement to 18 million people daily through leading supermarkets in Mexico, including brands like Walmart and Carrefour (now acquired by Chedraui and Soriana ). Their family enterprise is in the business of providing messages to this large number of supermarkets, and they will now add messages about protecting our planet, and direct interested shoppers to our website for getting involved. This would be a remarkable and very effective way of creating awareness on the POP Movement across the length and breadth of Mexico. They would |
POP Papers
Issue 6. October 2016
| |
|
|
|
Message from Our Chief Mentor
In October, 2016 the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) issued a press release which contained the alarming information that, "CO2 levels had previously reached the 400 ppm barrier for certain months of the year and in certain locations but never before on a global average basis for the entire year. The longest-established greenhouse gas monitoring station at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, predicts that CO2 concentrations will stay above 400 ppm for the whole of 2016 and not dip below that level for many generations." This occurrence has taken place on the back of a strong and fairly prolonged El Nino event, which triggered droughts in tropical regions and reduced the capacity of CO2 sinks like forests, vegetation and oceans to absorb this dominant greenhouse gas (GHG). These sinks currently absorb about half the CO2 which is emitted, but increased concentration levels could saturate them to a point where a larger fraction remains in the atmosphere, thereby enhancing the rate of increase of concentration levels.
The WMO press release further states, "Between 1990 and 2015 there was a 37% increase in radiative forcing – the warming effect on our climate – because of long-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (N2O) from industrial, agricultural and domestic activities." It is therefore no surprise that 2015 was the warmest year on record, as we were informed by the WMO at the beginning of this year. Last year was significant on account of the Paris agreement, which was signed by almost all the countries of the world. It is expected that the agreement would come into force on November 4, 2016 consequent to ratification by the required number of countries which collectively account for 55% of global emissions. This would happen just before the next Conference of the Parties to be held in Marrakesh. While this meeting is not likely to come to any new decisions of consequence, it is hoped that there is at least a highlighting of the urgency of action by the global community to deal with climate change.
Yet, while international action has its place, the current situation only reveals the importance of action by people across the planet, who should not merely wait for a top downwards set of initiatives resulting from global agreements. The youth of the world need to define the future they want. Climate change and its impacts would narrow their choices in terms of the timely initiatives that could reduce the risks associated with projections of climate change. The POP Movement acquires added relevance on account of the news that shows in a multitude of ways the failure of human action to deal with this challenge thus far. The GDP of the world is estimated to have grown by 3.09% in 2015 and reached a level of 73.5 trillion US dollars at current prices. This shows the staggering increase in the production of goods and services at the global level, which while accompanied by growing disparities of wealth and income, is a reflection of the causes of climate change, but which also carries the power and capacity of the global economy to address the damage that we are carrying out in the global commons. The altered composition of the earth's atmosphere in a relatively short period of time is leading to a rapid increase in climate change, which can only be contained by an even faster reversal of current trends and rapid mitigation of emissions of GHGs. This is well within the power and capacity of global society to deal with effectively. A people's movement is essential for such a reversal in a very short period of time. It is for the youth of the world to take the lead and ensure that the economic, technological and managerial strength of modern society is harnessed effectively to move quickly in the right direction. We need to keep in mind Gandhi's advice that "Speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction." We hope that the POP Movement will set the right direction and pursue it with determination and collective vigor.
Dr. R. K. Pachauri
Chief Mentor | |
| |
|
Speech at Expo Pymes 2016, Mexico City | |
The Mayor and Government of Mexico City organize and hold a major event in October each year, which highlights a specific theme selected annually. The theme this year was "Economy and Climate Change: Renewable Energy". Along with the forum convened annually there is also a major exhibition at which a number of international organizations participate and display their technologies and products. The Pymes Expo this year carried an impressive range of renewable energy technologies and their applications. The Government of Mexico City is targeting a transition to clean energy supply, and for that reason at the opening session of this event, apart from the Chief Mentor of the POP Movement as chief guest other speakers included the Minister of Energy for Mexico, the German Ambassador to Mexico and the Secretary for Economic Development for Mexico City. | |
The National University of Mexico (UNAM) is an institution of higher learning not only distinguished for its size, with over a quarter million students in the Mexico City campus alone, but for its excellence in teaching and research. During the period October 17 to 19 UNAM was the host organization for the Sixth Congress on Research on Climate Change. At this event Dr. Pachauri delivered a special talk and presentation on climate change, the audience for which included those in other universities across Mexico, who participated through live streaming. The occasion was used to inform students and faculty in the audience about the POP Movement. | |
The presentation at UNAM was followed up with a breakfast meeting later with faculty and students who are part of the Science and Society program. The School of Chemistry, which manages this program and consists of five separate departments is observing its centenary this year. They are therefore eager to launch the POP Movement as part of their centenary initiatives. A dinner meeting was hosted by the Director of the School, Jorge Manuel Vázquez Ramos to discuss the details of how this could be done. Finally, the POP team held a meeting with the Rector of UNAM, Senor Enrique Graue Wiechers who was very enthusiastic about taking the POP Movement across campus. A meeting with the POP team has been scheduled for early December, where a plan would be worked out for launching the POP Movement on the UNAM campus of Mexico City in January, 2017. | |
Talk with Students at Museo Papalote | |
Mexico City possesses a unique museum specifically for children, the like of which perhaps exists nowhere else in the world. The POP team visited the Papalote Museum. and addressed a group of junior high school students. Efforts are in hand to explore whether an area in the museum can be designated and developed as a special section focusing on the POP Movement. This is intended to be designed as a facility where students will be able to exercise their imagination and work with their hands to come up with innovative solutions to the challenge of climate change and halting the damage and degradation in the earth's ecosystems. | |
Talk at American School, Mexico City
The POP team made a visit to the American School in Mexico City. Since this is an excellent institution with students who are from very well to do families, it was necessary to expose them to the issue of sustainability and responsible consumption, which are an essential part of the POP Movement. The students and staff of the school agreed to implement the POP Movement and its tenets in their school.
| |
MoU With CDMX
At the end of the expo, the Government of Mexico City signed an agreement with the POP Movement, in which it is intended that the latter will work with the City in developing a road map for moving the City to a clean energy future. The POP Movement has proposed that the first version of the road map should be developed by a group of 20 young students, 16 selected from the universities of Mexico City and 4 from high schools. This will then be made public for comments and suggestions, on the basis of which the road map would be finalized and accepted as the City's future strategy for mitigating the emissions of GHGs and moving Mexico City to a clean energy future.
| |
MoU with Scouts, Mexico
In an impressive though simple ceremony held in the open at Pushkin Park in Mexico City, an MoU was signed by the President of Scouts in Mexico and the POP team for working together and enabling the Scouts in the country to implement projects and bring about lifestyle changes to deal with climate change. With the high respect that society has for Scouts all over the world, including in Mexico, Scouts are expected to lead as agents of change in society as part of the aspiration behind this MoU. The ceremony had a special color and spirit with the presence of Scouts of all ages, including six- and seven-year olds and those in the age group of 17 to 21 years.
| |
New Member of the POP IAB
| |
We are pleased to announce that Ms. Patricia Castro has agreed to join the International Advisory Board of the POP Movement. Patricia has been an enormous help with our efforts in Mexico, and would be a great asset in expanding our activities across Latin America.
It is particularly noteworthy that she, along with her family members, is now working with us to send messages about the POP Movement to 18 million people daily through leading supermarkets in Mexico, including brands like Walmart and Carrefour (now acquired by Chedraui and Soriana). Their family enterprise is in the business of providing messages to this large number of supermarkets, and they will now add messages about protecting our planet, and direct interested shoppers to our website for getting involved. This would be a remarkable and very effective way of creating awareness on the POP Movement across the length and breadth of Mexico. They would be helping us in a variety of other initiatives. | |
Press Conference with CDMX
A press conference was held on October 26 at which Secretary Salomon Chertorivski and Dr. R K Pachauri informed the media and the public of the launch of a competition for university as well as high school students respectively, the winners from which will receive monetary awards and more importantly, on the basis of which the 20 students who would work on the road map for the City would be selected.
| |
Visit to Universidad Panamericana
| |
A visit to this private University included a meeting at lunch with the President and senior leaders of the institution, followed by a presentation to the faculty and students. The University is in the process of establishing a new campus, which is intended to be a model of sustainability. There may be opportunities for collaboration in that project, apart from launching the POP Movement in the University.
| |
Meetings at Instituto Belisario Dominguez of the Senado de la Republica, Mexico City
The POP team met Ana Paola Migoya Velázquez, Executive Secretary of the Technical Advisory Council and Senators Sen. Miguel Barbosa Huerta, Presidente Instituto Belisario Dominguez of the Senado de la Republica and Sen. Zoé Alejandro Robledo Aburto representing the states of Puebla and Chiapas respectively. Both the Senators expressed great interest in having the POP Movement implemented in their respective states, and visits are planned to both locations by the POP team in the near future to follow up on these invitations. | |
Meetings at CESPEDES
On October 25 a presentation was made before a select group of business representatives at the Consejo Coordinator Empresarial, which is the Business Council for Sustainable Development - Mexico, and is affiliated with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. This opportunity was used to invite business organizations to become a part of the POP Movement and support the involvement and project activities of youth. A case was also made for businesses to focus on meeting the challenge of climate change and moving towards the goal of sustainability in their strategies and operations. Further efforts will be made by the POP team in this direction.
| |
Conference with Faculty & Students at UAM-C
| |
A presentation was made before the faculty and students of UAM-C, laying out details from the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC and making a case for the involvement of youth in the POP Movement. There was significant interest on the part of the faculty and students of the University in pursuing activities as part of the POP Movement. The current Rector of the University, the immediate past Rector and faculty member, Professor Adrian Fernandez will form a small group to formulate a plan of action for moving ahead. The University has as its core the philosophy of sustainable development, and the POP Movement may also provide inputs for strengthening this aspect of the academic program of UAM-C.
| |
Presentation at SENER
Through the initiative of Senor Leonardo Beltran, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, Government of Mexico, a presentation was held on October 19 at the Ministry, where a number of distinguished persons from the energy community in Mexico City participated. At the end of the presentation, Dr. Ernesto Rios Patron, Director General of the Instituto Mexicano Del Petroleo, made an offer of office space and other infrastructure for the POP Movement in four locations in Mexico. This was followed up with a meeting with Dr. Ernesto Rios, and further details will be worked out with the Ministry of Energy.
| |
Meeting with Mayor of Mexico City at Inauguration of Punto Polanco
| |
The POP team was invited to the inauguration of a new building, Punto Polanco which has been designed and constructed as a green commercial complex. Dr. R K Pachauri addressed the gathering on the occasion along with Mayor of Mexico City, Dr. Miguel Mancera. After the inaugural function, a separate meeting was organized between the POP team and the Mayor, in which plans were discussed for taking Mexico City to a clean energy future and making this metropolis resilient to climate change and a leader in the mitigation of GHGs.
| |
Universidad Panamericana | Oct 25, 2016
...Contrarrestar Efectos del Cambio Climatico
Enfoque Noticias | Oct 19, 2016
Las Soluciones Para Combatir al Cambio Climatico...
CDMX | Oct 17, 2016
Impulsara Expo-Pymes CDMX 2016...
Terra | Oct 15, 2016
...Dialoga en Mexico Sobre Cambio Climatico
El Economista | Oct 15, 2016
...dicta Conferencia Sobre Cambio Climatico...
CDMX | Sep, 2016
Rajendra K. Pachauri Aliado de la CDMX
SDPNoticias.com | Sep, 2016
...Transporte Publico
Pagina Ciudadana | Sep 30, 2016
CDMX Contra El Cambio Climatico
Listin Diario | Sep 22, 2016
Experto En Cambio Climatica Visita RD
Acento.com.do Dominican Republic | Sep 9, 2016
Muestra Cine Medioambiental Dominicana...
La ConexionUSA.com Dominican Republic | Sep 8, 2016
La VI Muestra De Cine Medioambiental Dominicana....
QuePasa Raleigh Durham | Sep 8, 2016
La VI Muestra De Cine Medioambiental Dominicana....
Noticias Terra Argentina | Sep 8, 2016
Muestra Cine Medioambiental Dominicana...
| |
|
|
| |
|
