World Leaders cut up cheques in Barcelona (Oxfam Int’l)

Barcelona is the last official round of negotiations before a UN deal is signed in Copenhagen at the end of the year.

A widely accepted target for financial aid calls on the countries which created the climate crisis, to provide at least $150 billion per year to help poor countries reduce their emissions and adapt to a changing climate.  Poor countries fear that carbon-emitting countries will try to substitute funds required for Climate Change adaptation as part of the 0.7 per cent of national income already requested/committed to overseas aid.

The European Union announced an agreement to provide up to €100 billion a year to fund climate efforts in developing countries, but failed to commit the EU to any specific sums, delaying their decision until after December’s UN conference in Copenhagen.  In short, the EU is waiting to hear commitments from North America and other countries that will influence their final contribution to poor countries.

Millions of poor people around the world are already struggling to cope with the effects of climate change and delay in negotiating the financing of Climate Change is catching up to carbon emitting nations whose responsibility it will ultimately be to pay the financial cost of mitigation and adaptation to climate change conditions.

NIMBY

“It’s not that I’m against the technology, it’s good. Just put it in the hills or somewhere else far away.”

I explain that the wind turbines need to be built where the wind is and that large lakes produce daily temperature changes that result in on and off-shore breezes. . . that the lack of trees allows the wind to easily blow through the turbines.

“But they really are an eyesore. Traveling in Europe last year I saw too many of them. They are noisy too.”

Noisy? Really? I’ve been near many wind turbines and never really felt turbines compromised my experience of the landscape. In contrast, I wanted to get as close as I could, to marvel at the technology.  I get the message though, technology is good, as long as it is Not In My Back Yard.

Alternative Landscapes: Adaptation
OK, I guess we’ll have to go with the alternative to Green Power since we’ve committing to coal burning power plants if no one wants the turbines cluttering the landscape.  Let’s consider landscaping adaptation to deal with climate change in these places that we cherish – Beaches.

But beware, if you are a traveler, you’ll want to visit these places sooner rather than later because the landscape impacts are not going to be pleasant.

Beauty of Natural Shorelines at Risk from Climate Change

United States
America’s number one tourist attraction – beaches pump more than 300 Billion dollars into the U.S. Economy.  In the U.S., concern over beach erosion is prompting The American Beach and Shoreline Association to request hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to move more sand to the beaches, in an attempt to slow the erosion due to climate change.  Read more at Treehugger: Vanishing beach shorelines

Photo via Rutgers

Thailand

Workers build a sea wall defence in southern Thailand as climate negotiators discuss a replacement to the Kyoto protocol in Bangkok. Photograph: VINAI DITHAJOHN/EPA

Sept-Îles, Quebec

Some homeowners are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.  Shoreline erosion due to higher water levels and greater wave action show significant impacts along the coast of the city of Sept-Îles (population over 28 000), where 80% of the shoreline is very vulnerable to marine erosion.  Protective measures (such as rock protections) are in place as an emergency response. However, several of the structures have increased shoreline erosion rates in the adjacent areas.  New measures are required and many homes are at risk.

Coping with Shoreline erosion in Sept-Îles

Beach Adaptation vs. Wind Turbines

Perhaps with Climate Change impacting our most treasured vacation destinations more people will get the message: The only real adaptation solution is to fight climate change at the root with adaptation strategies reduce carbon emissions. In the face of alternative mitigation and adaptation measures, the wind turbine doesn’t look too bad.