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Women and Climate ChangeUU-UNO Spring Seminar, 2011

Jan W. Dash, PhD

Director Climate Initiative, UU-UNO

UN Committee on Sustainable Development NY (CoNGO)

Visiting Research Scholar, Fordham U.

Adjunct Professor, Courant Institute, NYU

Head, Strategic Risk Research, Bloomberg LP.

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Outline! Climate Change Basics

" Science

"

Impacts"Risk Management

! Women and Climate Change

! Conclusions

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Global Temperature Data

There IS Global Warming

Data GISS/NASA. Last decade hottest in over 100 yrs

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Human Behavior Risk - Future

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Impacts - Progressively Severe

! Watershortages (glaciers/snow packs melting worldwide),

! Cropfailures (including the US),

! Fires (increasingly frequent huge wildfires),

! Droughts (during the summer),

! Disease (human and plant),! Flooding (huge precipitation increases when it rains)

! Species extermination (polar bear just most visible),

! Extreme weather(destabilized Jet Stream),

! Sea level rise (glaciers into ocean, US Navy scenarios),

! Heat waves (over 100 F days become common),! Acidified oceans (attacks base of food chain),

! Mass migrations (millions across US borders),

! Increased conflict (destabilizing wars - US Pentagon),

! Economic disruption (global financial/economic collapse)

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Disease Risk

Climate change is the

biggest global healththreat of the 21stcentury

Lancet : "Managing the health effects of climate change"

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US National Security Risk

Climate change: threat

to Americas nationalsecurity

Pentagon, Navy, senior US military

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Food Shortage Risk

! US crops - corn, soybeans, cotton -can decline 80% if temp up enough

! International too. Women = farmers

Schlenker and Roberts, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sciences

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Contrarian disinformation risk

! Contrarian / denier pseudoscience

" Supported by fossil fuel, think tanks

! Contrarian goals

" Stop climate legislation and regulation

" Stop mitigation of global warming

" Stop green energy, energy efficiency

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International Negotiation Risk -

Climate Conferences

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Main negotiation issue Risk:

Cumulative vs. Current Emissions

! Developed Countries (US, EU )" Responsible for most ofexisting CO2

! Developing Countries" Developing emissions will dominate in future

" China now #1 fortodays CO2 emissions

" Per-capita emissions lower than for developed

! Science => Already near limit ~ 400 ppm

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Millennium Development Goals

! MDGs apply to poorest countries" All 192 countries (including US) signed

" Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty, Hunger" Goal 3: Empowerwomen

" Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality Rate

" Goal 6: Combat malaria and otherdiseases

" Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

! Climate Change = threat to MDGs

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Women: Positive Role helping to

counter Climate Change! Women accept science more than men

! Women want to act more than men

! Powerful Motivations:" Survival

" Water and Food for Children

" Peace!

Vulnerability of Women and Children in War" Justice

" Intergenerational Equity = Grandchildren

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Increased U.S. Recognition of

Essential Role of Women

Promote participation of women all levels

Secy. Clinton Intl. Fund - Women, Girls:" Promote climate change solutions

" Example: Replace old cook stoves = bad forhealth, environment (black carbon)

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References

! Women and children vulnerability

" IPCC Report Volume II, Chapter 17

! UN Economic Social Council"Document - Women and climate

change, policies and strategies

! UN Committee Sustainable Develop.

"Climate Statement: Copenhagen,Cancun, Durban Conferences

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UU-UNO Climate Portalclimate.uu-uno.org

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Wrap-Up

!Recent global warming trend ofclimate change - Human caused." Impacts will be increasingly severe

"Mitigation - ameliorate impacts = justice /intergenerational equity / survival

!Women, Children most vulnerable

!Women have a central role to play

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Bottom Line

! We all have pictures of children. Wewant to say to them: We did our best

!

We can all help make a real difference! We CAN still mitigate global warming!

" We need to stay optimistic!

" We need to ACT!

"YOU can help!! Thank you

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You can helpChildren and Grandchildren will

thank you