Thursday, March 29, 2007

Contraction and Convergence: An Incontestable Truth


You've watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, now here is the sequel - An Incontestable Truth. I attended the launch of the DVD by Colin Challen MP of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change yesterday. The DVD and online video explains a simpler way forward for determining global use and limitation of carbon emissions. Don't be put off by the term, Contraction and Convergence - it sounds complicated, but it's not. At heart it is a beautifully simple and equitable concept.

Contraction and Convergence is supported by the likes of eminent environmentalists, such as Sir Oliver Tickell, writers such as Mark Lynas and the insurance industry (who clearly have a vested interest in making sure we get it right!). Hear the simple theory explained and various individuals talking as to why they believe the Contraction and Convergence is the just, equitable and necessary way forward for Post Kyoto Protocol negotiations. It's online now at: An Incontestable Truth.

Increasing our CO2 emissions is comparable to water pouring from the tap and filling a bath. The bath is like the atmosphere from where the emissions are accumulating - and without pulling the plug, the water will not drain away. That is what is happening now. The plug is firmly stuck - which normally allows the CO2 emissions to drain away. Thus, just as CO2 emission are threatening our environmental stability, so the flow of water is threatening to overwhelm. The only way to ensure that the bath does not overflow is to turn off the tap soon enough. Same with CO2 - we have to stop the increase of emissions. That's where Contraction and Convergence comes in.

The key focus of Contraction and Convergence is the stabilisation levels for CO2 emissions in the atmospheres - how high the bath water should be allowed to go. Once that's worked out then you can negotiate between countries as to how much each country should have on a per capita basis. In other words, one unit per person. Those countries that use less (developing nations at most risk of climate disaster) than their units allocated, can sell them to countries that use more, and can use the money to invest in zero carbon technologies.

That is what Contraction and Convergence is designed to achieve - an international agreement for that purpose. An equitable, just, simple and fair system.

Watch the video and as all MP's have been sent a DVD, ask your local MP to support it. And if they do not - demand to know why not.

C&C video: An Incontestable Truth

1 comment:

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