Blogs

The first 2017 edition of Environmental Communication is now available, marking the inaugural issue of my term as Editor-in-Chief.

Featuring a new cover design and article layout, the issue is headlined by studies authored by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and collaborators at the Annenberg Public Policy Center; by Robert M. Perkowitz and colleagues at ecoAmerica; by James T. Spartz, Dominique Brossard and others at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; by Bruno Takahashi and colleagues at Michigan State University; and by Edna Einsiedel and collaborators at the University of Calgary. Go to the issue full line up of studies and articles. 

Over the past few months, we have added several top scholars and experts to our Associate Editor team including Shirley Ho (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore), Jonathon Schuldt (Cornell University), Declan Fahy (Dublin City University, Ireland), and Silje Kristiansen (University of Zurich / Northeastern University).

[This post is part of a series offered by IECA members attending COP22 in Marrakech.]

This is my 8th consecutive Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change.  As I have observed the UNFCCC negotiations for the past few years, I have experienced the turmoil of Copenhagen, the salvation at Cancun, the Goundhog Day pace in Doha, and the celebration in Paris.  I arrived in Marrakech from Philadelphia, after the US national election and the National Communication Association conference.  I wondered how the prospect of a Trump US Presidency would affect work at COP 22.

[This post is part of a series offered by IECA members attending COP22 in Marrakech.]

Today, Giles Dodson and I (along with 500 or so others) listened to US Secretary of State John Kerry talk about climate change at the UNFCCC.  Interestingly, we didn't know he was going to be speaking until this morning, but as soon as I saw that he would be talking, I knew I wanted to attend.  I never got to see him speak when he was running for president, so it was exciting to see him talk in person.

[This post is part of a series offered by IECA members attending COP22 in Marrakech.]

In addition to what Giles wrote about yesterday´s side event, it is worth mentioning the complex bureaucracy that continues to grow after each COP. It is hard work to navigate in the mist of acronyms. Dr. Saleemul Huq called for a more empathetic and human forms of meetings -beyond the acronyms- which can strengthen cooperation and exchange of knowledge and ideas. This side event was a vibrant example of the latter. I hope the discussion will go on.

[This post is part of a series offered by IECA members attending COP22 in Marrakech.]

Another focus of discussion at COP22 has been capacity building.  Capacity building is explicitly mentioned within several UNFCCC instruments, including several Articles of the Paris Agreement.  Article 11 has produced the formation of the Paris Committee on Capacity Building.

A stimulating side event yesterday focused on the role of universities within global capacity building.