[GWSG] UK: 68% by 2030; Denmark: 70%; but burn until 2050; Islands' summit; Biden's 2035 plan; Mulkey's Rules

[Tilley, Al]

1. The UK has vowed to cut emissions 68% by 2030, until Denmark’s announcement this Friday the most ambitious target among the world’s major economies. The UK is co-hosting a virtual world summit of leaders to talk about climate next week. In November 2021, the COP 26 UN climate talks is scheduled to be held in Glasgow.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/03/uk-vows-outdo-other-major-economies-emissions-cuts-by-2030

2. Denmark just upped the UK’s goal and now has the world’s most ambitious: a 70% emissions cut by 2030. They are cancelling the current (and, presumably, future) rounds of fossil fuel exploration licensing. Companies currently licensed will be able to continue to explore (and develop).  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/05/the-danish-climate-minister-closing-down-the-oil-industry-for-good

3. Fossil fuel extraction in Denmark has been scheduled to end in 2050. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/04/denmark-to-end-new-oil-and-gas-exploration-in-north-sea

4. 18 Pacific island nations will hold their own virtual summit next week with the intention of putting some torque on the summit of larger nations’ goals and ambitions. https://phys.org/news/2020-12-pacific-islands-forum-virtual-climate.html

5. The Biden administration’s goal of decarbonizing the national power supply by 2035 would only shorten the years of conventional power generation by 15%. The existing  and coal plants are ageing and many would be shuttered by the deadline in any case. The 14 years of transition should leave room for planning a minimally disruptive process which eases the fossil fuel work force into other jobs.  https://phys.org/news/2020-12-shuttering-fossil-fuel-power.html

6.  “Rules of engagement for the era of planetary transformation” is Stephen Mulkey’s final lecture to his current courses in climate change and global change ecology at the U of FL. If there is no news here for you, you deserve an A. In any case you are likely to value hearing his overview and conclusions on our current situation. 48 illustrated and inspiring minutes. https://environmentalcentury.net/2020/12/03/rules-of-engagement-for-the-environmental-century-2/

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.unf.edu/pipermail/gwsg/attachments/20201205/ad277bb0/attachment.html>