Energy, Environment, Everything, Life, Matter, Physics, Space, Time

COP21 – The Return Les “Entreprenieurs” in Paris

A mock cinemascope picture featuring a well-dressed male in control of green business practices in the background. The prominent white text on the foreground says: "Bronze Age: 3200 BC - 600 BC" and "The Oil Age: 1859 - 2015". Image: NaturPhilosophieCOP21  They’re Back!!!

Better than the A-Team, it’s COP21!  Never have so many World leaders been in the same place on the same day.  This time, they have just ten years to make a difference!  Could the problems be solved?  Will the World finally be saved? 

This is the start of crucial United Nations talks in an effort to stop climate change.

Let’s re-examine the issues…

 

The Issues

A collage showing some of the brandalism posters that found their way onto some of Paris' streets and bus stops advertising locations. Total: "Notre Philosophie: Vous n'avez pas besoin de savoir" $ ($Our Philosophy: You don't need to know!$ )$ Air France: "Tackling Climate Change? Of course not. We're an airline" Volkswagen: "We're sorry that we got caught." Mobil: "We knew about the impact of fossil fuels but publicly denied it."
Their Philosophy: You don’t need to know!

If you have been sleeping, you may be forgiven.  The culprits were caught red-handed.  Eco-friendly Volkswagen aka “Das Auto” were sorry they got caught.  Mobil and Total just did not need you to know.  Third runway?  Airlines…

 

The Consequences?

For more of the same, read the already popular IPCC 2013 Stockholm – Latest Findings on Climate Change.

A collage showing two brandalised Disney design posters. Snowman Olaf from "Frozen" has irremediably and tragically melted. The caption reads: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better." And Alice in Wonderland is getting high on a toxic gas canister.
Whatever happened next to Olaf and Alice…

What’s new?  See for yourself in the streets and bus stops of the French capital where more than 600 artworks critiquing corporate sponsors of the United Nations summit on climate change have been installed in advertising spaces across Paris.

The truth tells a grim tale.  Snowman Olaf succumbed to a violent defrosting.  Little Alice in Wonderland has been getting high on nitro.  ♫ Let It Go! ♫ Let It Go! ♫

 Of course, we also have…

 

The Usual Suspects

Another collage showing brandalism in situ. The targets this time centre on the head of states, including Shinzō Abe, François Hollande, petrol head George Osborne and boy racer David Cameron.
Crisis? What Crisis?

Voilà, Les “Entrepre-nieurs”!  The actors of COP21 are plastered all over the JC Decaux street advertising displays. They’re already major celebrities.  From petrol head George Osborne to our very own boy racer David Cameron…

 

The Wash?

Attempting to limit the extent of global warming by a miserly two degrees above the average temperature prior to Industrial Age.  But low-lying communities are already suffering irreversible effects.

At its highest point, Tuvalu is only 4.6 metres (15 feet) above sea level, and Tuvaluan leaders have been concerned about the effects of rising sea levels for a few years.  As low-lying islands lacking a surrounding shallow shelf, the communities of Tuvalu are especially susceptible to changes in sea level and undissipated storms.

A photograph of the very low lying coast at Funafuti beach in Tuvalu.
Funafuti Beach, Tuvalu

Tuvalu is affected by perigean spring tide events which raise the sea level higher than a normal high tide.  The highest peak tide recorded by the Tuvalu Meteorological Service was 3.4 metres (11 feet) on 24 February 2006 and again on 19 February 2015.

In March 2015, the winds and storm surge created by Cyclone Pam resulted in waves of 3 metres (9.8 feet) to 5 metres (16 ft) breaking over the reef of the outer islands caused damage to houses, crops and infrastructure.  On the atoll of Nui, the sources of fresh water were destroyed or contaminated, and 90% of the crops were lost.

As a result of historical sea level rise, the king tide events lead to flooding of low-lying areas, which is compounded when sea levels are further raised by La Niña effects or local storms and waves.  King tides at Tuvalu leave little fresh water for crops that are no longer growing.  It is estimated that a sea level rise of 20 – 40 centimetres (8 – 16 inches) in the next 100 years could make Tuvalu uninhabitable.

 

A drawing depicting a polar bear precariously balancing on scarcely remaining portions of floating ice, in the middle of the Arctic ocean. The ice has melted leaving the word: Hope.The Solution?

A lower threshold of 1.5 degrees might help preserve them.  But only just.

And if we continue to do nothing?  The Earth‘s average global temperature could be 5 degrees higher by the end of the century.  And there’s no reason why it should stop going up… and up…

 

COP21 – The World at a Turning Point?

Is it just more of the same…?  Well…  There is a lot of energy in the talks…  But we are positive.  And we really welcome a move towards renewable energy.

That’s nice.  Yes.  More of the same….

A fake cinema poster for the movie: "Les Nouveaux Entreprenieurs" $ ($The New Entrepre-deniers$ )$. The caption reads: "Avec Des Menteurs, Des Tricheurs, Des Pros du Lobbying et de l'Écoblanchiment! Très prochainement à Solutions COP21" $ ($Featuring Liars, Cheats, Pros of Eco-Lobbying Coming soon to Solutions COP21$ )$.
Les Nouveaux “Entreprenieurs” $ ($Entrepreneurial-deniers$ )$

Missed the beginning?  No problem, the show goes on for a whole two weeks.