The Science, Politics, Economics and Ideologies of climate change. COURSE FULL. YOU CAN JOIN THE WAITING LIST BY
E-MAILING US AT learningexperiences@bell.net
It’s almost trite to say that climate change is the defining challenge of our time, but most believe that it is. It is also the ultimate “wicked problem” - huge and complex; one that goes against our basic ideology of “progress” and consumption; and one that requires parties with vastly different interests, and different levels of responsibility
for the problem, to act together. For these reasons, international attempts to date, to address climate change, have been dismal failures.
Burning fossil fuels, the main source of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming still make up 80% of global energy supply, hardly changed from 25 years ago, despite huge amounts of “hot air” created talking about climate change.
Now we are coming up this December to the next “big meeting” on climate change in Paris. This time it’s supposed to be different. All nations are supposed to make hard, binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Is a meaningful deal likely to happen? What would it look like? Will developing countries agree to lower their economic growth in the interests of of reduced global warming? How might they be compensated? What are the politics, geopolitics and economics that will drive this complex negotiation? What are the ideologies underlying the political positions. Will the usual market ideology prevail or will “climate justice” prevail?
In this course we will prepare participants to be informed about the issues so that we can understand what is at stake in Paris and the machinations that will take place in the meetings. We will look at the science of climate change and what its effects are likely to be; the likely positions of the various countries based on geopolitics and their internal politics; and the economics - what this is going to cost and who is going to pay?
Come away optimistic or pessimistic, but certainly more aware.
Moderator: John Simke
Dates and Time: November 5 to December 10 (6 weeks)
Location: OISE, 252 Bloor Street West, Room TBD
Maximum Size of Class: 25
Booking: See Terms and Conditions. To book a course, you can register on-line below, or you can send us a cheque, payable to Learning Experiences at 102 Bloor Street West - PH9, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1M8.
for the problem, to act together. For these reasons, international attempts to date, to address climate change, have been dismal failures.
Burning fossil fuels, the main source of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming still make up 80% of global energy supply, hardly changed from 25 years ago, despite huge amounts of “hot air” created talking about climate change.
Now we are coming up this December to the next “big meeting” on climate change in Paris. This time it’s supposed to be different. All nations are supposed to make hard, binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Is a meaningful deal likely to happen? What would it look like? Will developing countries agree to lower their economic growth in the interests of of reduced global warming? How might they be compensated? What are the politics, geopolitics and economics that will drive this complex negotiation? What are the ideologies underlying the political positions. Will the usual market ideology prevail or will “climate justice” prevail?
In this course we will prepare participants to be informed about the issues so that we can understand what is at stake in Paris and the machinations that will take place in the meetings. We will look at the science of climate change and what its effects are likely to be; the likely positions of the various countries based on geopolitics and their internal politics; and the economics - what this is going to cost and who is going to pay?
Come away optimistic or pessimistic, but certainly more aware.
Moderator: John Simke
Dates and Time: November 5 to December 10 (6 weeks)
Location: OISE, 252 Bloor Street West, Room TBD
Maximum Size of Class: 25
Booking: See Terms and Conditions. To book a course, you can register on-line below, or you can send us a cheque, payable to Learning Experiences at 102 Bloor Street West - PH9, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1M8.