International Court of Justice Proceedings in The Hague

Name: International Court of Justice Proceedings in The Hague
Start: 2024-12-09 14:30:00
End: 2024-12-09 15:35:20

Published

1 week ago

December 9, 2024

Creative Director

International Court of Justice Proceedings in The Hague

Later today, Monday, December 9, 2024, I will participate with three Dutch colleagues and my attorney, Dan Galpern, in a panel discussion in the Hague, Netherlands, related to the climate proceedings now underway before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The panel will begin at 07:30 GMT+1 (2:30 pm EST). Media and readers seeking to attend by zoom should pre-register for the event here or via https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87505005541 ID: 875 0500 5541

The International Court of Justice is hearing from scores of nations before it issues an advisory opinion on the “Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change.” The key issue is whether international law requires nations to phase out production, distribution and use of fossil fuels and otherwise pay damages to the most vulnerable and hardest-hit of nations.

The other panelists are:

Eelco Rohling, Professor of Ocean and Climate Change at the Earth Sciences Department at Utrecht University.
Appy Sluijs, Professor of Paleo-oceanography at the Earth Sciences Department at Utrecht University.
Ingrid Robeyns, Professor of Ethics of Institutions at the Ethics Institute of Utrecht University.
Dan Galpern, General Counsel of Climate Protection and Restoration Initiative, and my long-time legal and policy adviser. [Dan’s backgrounder on the proceedings is here.]

Climate Change at the International Court of Justice09 December 2024
James E. Hansen*

Human-caused climate change is poised to be the greatest injustice in history. The reach of climate change is global. The scope of climate change, within the lifetime of a young person today, will be monumental and tragic, if governments are allowed to persist on a path of pretense and denial. Climate change is intergenerational injustice, as innocent young people and their children will suffer the most severe consequences. Equally, it is international injustice, as nations that have done the least to cause climate change stand directly in the path of the gathering climate storm.

Climate change must be brought to the International Court of Justice because young people, developing nations, and indigenous people have nowhere else to turn. The nation states have failed the most vulnerable people, leaving them at the mercy of the most powerful members of the global community, who turn deaf ears and blind eyes to the well-being of the public.

Nations of the world meet at annual COP meetings (Conferences of the Parties), where they promise to reduce emissions to “net zero” at some distant date, an almost meaningless pledge. There is no plan to actually stabilize climate. Instead, there is dickering over potential payments to the most affected nations. Such illusory payments seem more immediate than long-term climate change, so they are dangled out front, like a carrot, as a bribe to continue business-as-usual. Meanwhile, real world emissions remain at a level driving climate inexorably toward conditions out of humanity’s control, leaving a global community increasingly unjust and ungovernable.

[Omit in oral presentation: Reality of the global situation is not lost on young people, developing nations, indigenous people, and the astute public; thus, many begin to despair of the world paying attention. Young people feel anxiety about climate change and their future. A survey of 10,000 16-to-25-year-olds in ten nations found that 60% were “very worried” or “extremely worried.” Two-thirds of them felt that governments are failing them, and, specifically, that governments are not acting according to science. They see growing wars, changing climate, suffering of innocent people, and governments that concoct only ineffectual responses.]

Young people recognize the fecklessness of the current business-as-usual treadmill. They have faith in science and they want to work toward a bright future, but they need help. A clear opinion of the Court just might provide a jolt to the consciousness and the conscience of global leaders.

But where is scientific advice? The UN is served by a huge scientific apparatus, but we hear little scientific objection to the farcical climate “strategy” at COP meetings. Voluminous IPCC[3] reports contain good data, but what good are data alone? Scientists are the physicians of the planet. We have a moral obligation for diagnosis and advice. My comments here are based on a paper[4] published a year ago in Oxford Open Climate Change and a paper[5] accepted for publication in Environment, which my coauthors and I expect to be in the January 2025 issue.

Global temperature (Fig. 1) took an unprecedented leap of half a degree Celsius in the past two years, which confounded the climate research community. The warming coincided with an El Nino, but the El Nino was weak and could cause warming of only a quarter of a degree, half of the observed warming. Another big factor had to be involved, which we suggested in the Oxford Open paper was the “Great Inadvertent Aerosol Experiment” caused by restrictions on the sulfur content of ship fuels (Fig. 2), imposed in coastal regions in 2015 and on the global ocean in 2020.

Emissions from ships include aerosols that produce a negative forcing, a cooling, by reflecting sunlight, mainly via increased cloud cover, as aerosols serve as condensation nuclei for clouds. Thus, conventional pollution control results in fewer aerosols, which causes a positive forcing, a warming, by reducing cloud cover and enabling more solar radiation to reach Earth’s surface. We evaluated the forcing stemming from controls on maritime emissions as 0.5 W/m² based on satellite observations of increased absorbed sunlight in the North Pacific and North Atlantic.[6] That forcing of half a watt is just what is needed to explain the anomalous warming, as shown in Fig. 3. After the El Nino contribution to global warming is removed, there is still anomalous warming of 0.3°C in 2023 and 2024 (the green curve in Fig. 3b). The ongoing solar maximum contributes 0.1°C warming and decreased aerosols contribute 0.2°C, both as follows from a simple forcing-response calculation,[7] so the entire warming is accounted for. Confirmation is provided by the geographic distribution of the warming (Fig. 4). Warming occurs, beginning especially in 2020, at the latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere where the aerosol forcing occurs. Temperature increase in the North Pacific and North Atlantic already contributes as much to global warming as does the El Nino in the tropics (Fig. 4), and the response to aerosol forcing is still growing.

Implications of the aerosol effect are staggering. Warming of the ocean surface will not go away. We are now living with an ocean that provides increased drive for strong storms and extreme flooding. Global temperature will decline a bit as the tropics goes into its La Nina phase, but we are now living in the +1.5°C world, averaged over the Nino cycle, and we are headed higher. An even more important implication is that climate sensitivity is not 3°C for doubled CO₂, which has been IPCC’s best estimate. When aerosol effects are accounted for, observed global warming implies a climate sensitivity of 4-5°C for doubled CO₂. This high climate sensitivity, combined with steady or declining aerosol cooling implies that global warming will accelerate more – unless the growth of greenhouse gas forcing declines rapidly. Thus, an honest assessment of the growth of greenhouse gas forcing is in order. Is the world making progress toward stabilizing climate?

Figure 5 shows the annual growth of greenhouse gas climate forcing. It is enormous, almost half a watt per decade. A decade ago, IPCC concluded that we needed to follow a path close to RCP2.6, if we wanted to keep global warming under 2°C. But we have not reduced emissions growth at all; it is still almost half a watt per decade. The huge gap between reality and the 2°C scenario could be closed by drawing CO₂ out of the air and sequestering it, but the annual cost of that has now reached $3.5-7 trillion.[10] It will not happen. We are headed to global warming greater than 2°C.

Why are we not focusing more on this situation at the COP meetings? Why do we pretend that we are still on a path to keep global warming under 2°C? Why do we not have realistic analysis of the situation? The reason greenhouse gas forcing continues to increase is that fossil fuels provide most of the world’s energy, as shown in Fig. 6a. Fossil fuels are an amazing, condensed, form of energy that has raised living standards in much of the world. There is little merit in painting the fossil fuel industry and nations that contain abundant fossil fuels as evil. Whether they are liable is a question before the World Court right now.

All nations give priority to the economic well-being of their citizens. Fossil fuels have been a great benefit to humanity, but fossil fuels emissions are also the main cause of climate change. We need to work together – all people, nations, and industries, on a realistic path to a bright future.

Development of cheap renewable energies is useful, but not a panacea – it will not cause fossil fuels to go away any more than fossil fuels caused wood burning to go away. We are still burning as much wood and biomass as at any time in history. At long last, in just the past couple of years, the United Nations[11] says, “oh, we need the help of nuclear power, we should triple nuclear power.” Well, alas, that is easier said than done. It takes time. Renewables had several decades of unlimited subsidy via renewable portfolio standards. Why did we not, instead, have clean energy portfolio standards? Here, we scientists should accept part of the blame. We were well aware that nuclear power has the smallest environmental footprint of the major energies and even old-technology nuclear power saved millions of lives.[12] Nuclear power also has the potential to be inexpensive. But we were too passive, perhaps because we knew that we would be criticized because of unfounded fear and disinformation about nuclear power spread by a gullible media.

That brings me to my final point, the most important point. We understand why things are going haywire, why climate is a threat, why we are not reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The science is clear, but the COP meetings don’t even talk about it. Economists agree that CO₂ emissions will not decline as long as the waste products of fossil fuels can be dumped in the air without charge.

It is straightforward for any nation to collect a fee from its small number of fossil fuel sources: domestic mines and ports of entry. The funds should be distributed uniformly to the nation’s citizens. This can be done readily via monthly or quarterly additions to debit cards. Most citizens will come out ahead. Wealthy people, with a large “carbon footprint.” would lose some money, but that would help address the universal problem of wealth disparity. The carbon fee can be set to rise at a rate that allows the fossil fuel industry time to invest in clean energies, carbon capture, or other alternatives. In this basic “carbon fee and dividend” system, no funds enter or leave a nation.

However, in addition, justice requires that payments be made to citizens of nations that suffer climate damage that they did little or nothing to bring about. Human-made climate change is caused not by today’s instantaneous emissions, but by cumulative historical emissions,[13],[14] as shown in Figures 7b and 8b. These facts must be considered in our search for justice.

* Coauthors of “Global Warming Acceleration” paper: Pushker Kharecha, Makiko Sato, George Tselioudis, Joseph Kelly, Susanne E. Bauer, Reto Ruedy, Eunbi Jeong, Qinjian Jin, Eric Rignot, Isabella Velicogna, Mark R. Schoeberl, Karina von Schuckmann, Joshua Amponsem, Junji Cao, Anton Keskinen, Jing Li, Anni Pokela
[1] C. Hickman, E. Marks, P. Pihkala et al., “Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey,” Lancet Planet Health 5 (2021): e863-73
[2] Temperature is from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies analysis described by N.J.L. Lenssen et al., “A NASA GISTEMPv4 Observational Uncertainty Ensemble,” J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 129, (2024) e2023JD040179, and J. Hansen et al., “Global surface temperature change,” Rev. Geophys. 48, (2010): RG4004
[3] The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
[4] J.E. Hansen et al., “Global warming in the pipeline,” Oxford Open Clim. Chan. 3 (1) (2023): doi.org/10.1093/oxfclm/kgad008
[5] J.E. Hansen, P. Kharecha, M. Sato, G. Tselioudis, J. Kelly, S.E. Bauer, R. Ruedy, E. Jeong, Q. Jin, E. Rignot, I. Velicogna, M.R. Schoeberl, K. von Schuckmann, J. Amponsem, J. Cao, A. Keskinen, J. Li, A. Pokela, “Global warming has accelerated: are the United Nations and the public well-informed? Environment, in press
[6] J. Hansen, M. Sato, P. Kharecha, “Global Warming Acceleration: Hope vs Hopium,” 29 March 2024
[7] The warmings are obtained by multiplying the forcing by the response function (Fig. 14 in our Environment paper or Fig. 4 in our Oxford Open Climate Change paper.)
[8] Nino3.4 temperature (equatorial Pacific temperature used to characterize El Nino status) is multiplied by 0.1 so that its variability about the zero line averages the same as the global temperature variability (Figure 19a)
[9] The light shaded region has less than 60 months of data and thus the result will change as additional data are added, as the graph is nominally based on 60-month running-mean data is inadequate in the most recent 30 months. We are indebted to NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory for continually updating and making available the greenhouse gas data, e.g., Lan, X., K.W. Thoning, and E.J. Dlugokencky: Trends in globally-averaged CH4, N2O, and SF6 determined from NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory measurements. Version 2024-11, https://doi.org/10.15138/P8XG-AA10 The forcings are calculated with formulae of Table 1 in reference 1.
[10] Hansen J, Kharecha P: Cost of carbon capture: Can young people bear the burden?. Joule 2018;2,:1405-7
[11] The same organization that denied nuclear power the benefits of classification as a clean development mechanism.
[12] P.A. Kharecha, J.E. Hansen, “Prevented mortality and greenhouse gas emissions from historical and projected nuclear power,” Environ. Sci. Technol. 47, (2013): 4889-95, doi:10.1021/es3051197
[13] J. Hansen, M. Sato, R. Ruedy et al., “Dangerous human-made interference with climate: A GISS modelE study.,” Atmos Chem Phys 7, (2007): 2287-312
[14] H.D. Matthews, N.P. Gillett, P.A. Stott et al., “The proportionality of global warming to cumulative carbon emissions,” Nature 459 (2009): 829-32

To register for this event please visit the following URL: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87505005541 →

Date And Time

09-12-24 @ 14:30 to
09-12-24

Location

Online event

Event Types

Live Stream Webinar

Event Category

Justice

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Transformed

Published

21 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Creative Director

“Transformed” Documentary Unveils Solutions for a Healthier, More Prosperous Peaceful Future Through System design

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With a commitment to transparency and truth, Transformed aims to make vital information freely accessible to people everywhere, translated into over 100 languages to ensure clarity and understanding across cultures.

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Get Involved
If you have innovative, ecologically responsible solutions for your community or beyond, Mobilized News invites you to share your wisdom through their dedicated platform, NEWswire, and related reports.

About Mobilized News
Mobilized News is a pioneering platform focused on forward-thinking, solutions-driven media. Their documentaries and programming explore the root causes of global crises and offer alternative paths to a healthier, more sustainable world.

For press inquiries or additional information, please contact:
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catalyst@mobilizednews.com

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catalyst@mobilizednews.com

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We the People, We the Power

Published

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Creative Director

We The People, We The Power: (System Change Now!)

See the Documentary here:

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See the Documentary here:

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Creatrix

Connected for Life: A Vision for an Interconnected Future

Published

2 days ago

December 16, 2024

Creative Director

Connected for Life: A Vision for an Interconnected Future”

. Introduction: The Dream of an Interconnected Web of Life

Time Period: Present Day
Theme: Set the stage with a bold question: What could humanity and the planet accomplish if all life were connected in a global web of support, sustainability, and mutual growth?

Narrative: “Across the world, we are bound together in ways we’re only beginning to understand. From ecosystems to economies, every action we take has an effect on something else. What if we could harness this interconnection—between people, nature, technology, and ideas—without compromise? What if a global web of life existed for all, ensuring the survival, well-being, and prosperity of every living thing on Earth?”

The Web of Life: How Everything is Interconnected

Time Period: The Past (Pre-Modern Era)
Key Event: Indigenous wisdom and early human connection to nature
Technology: Natural cycles, agriculture, ecological balance

Narrative: – Indigenous Knowledge: For thousands of years, indigenous cultures have recognized the interconnectedness of all life. From the Native American concept of the “circle of life” to the Maori understanding of the “Whakapapa,” humans were deeply aware of their place within a larger ecosystem.

Agriculture and the Earth: Ancient civilizations understood the cycles of nature—planting, harvest, rain, and seasons. These early societies often lived sustainably, with a clear understanding of their dependence on and responsibility to the land, air, and water.
Interview: Indigenous Elder discusses the traditional knowledge of interconnectedness and sustainability.
Visuals: Footage of agricultural communities, native rituals, and sustainable land practices.

The Industrial Revolution: The Disconnect Begins

Time Period: 18th – 19th Century
Key Event: The rise of industrialization and environmental degradation
Technology: Steam engines, mass production, urbanization

Narrative: As industrialization accelerated, human societies began to disconnect from nature. Urbanization, deforestation, and the rise of consumerism led to a fragmented relationship with the environment.

This period marked a significant turning point, where the focus shifted from community and ecological balance to profit-driven growth, often at the expense of the planet and future generations.

Interview: Environmental Historian explains how the Industrial Revolution reshaped the relationship between humans and the environment.

Visuals: Smoky factories, crowded cities, deforested lands.

4. The Age of Technology: Reconnecting Through Innovation

Time Period: 20th – 21st Century
Key Event: Technological advancements and the rise of the internet
Technology: The internet, social media, AI, IoT

Narrative: – The digital revolution has enabled unprecedented global connectivity, creating an interconnected world where people, ideas, and information are shared instantaneously. The rise of the internet has allowed for global collaboration, sharing knowledge, and innovating faster than ever before.

However, this technological progress comes with its own challenges—climate change, wealth inequality, and data privacy concerns—forcing society to reevaluate its role in the ecosystem.

Interview: Tech Innovator and Environmental Scientist discuss how technology can be a force for good in connecting the global web of life but also pose new risks.
Visuals: Footage of people working remotely, environmental monitoring technologies, urban farms connected by IoT.

The Global Environmental Crisis: A Wake-Up Call

Time Period: 21st Century
Key Event: Climate change, loss of biodiversity, and the need for global cooperation
Technology: Renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, climate action technologies

Narrative: – The environmental crises we face today—rising temperatures, deforestation, ocean pollution, and species extinction—are a direct result of our disconnection from the natural world. However, they also provide an opportunity to reevaluate how we operate as a global community.

The urgency of these crises is pushing individuals, businesses, and governments to rethink their priorities and to act with greater awareness and responsibility toward the planet.

Interview: Climate Activist and Policy Expert discuss the impact of the environmental crisis and the global movement toward sustainable solutions.

Visuals: Melting glaciers, forest fires, protests for climate action, sustainable technologies like solar panels and wind turbines.

6. The Power of Collective Action: What Communities Are Already Achieving

Time Period: 2010s – Present
Key Event: Local and global initiatives promoting sustainability, equality, and environmental justice
Technology: Community-based renewable energy, regenerative farming, decentralized technology
Narrative: -Around the world, communities are already building a new vision for the future—one where people, ecosystems, and economies are in harmony. Cities and towns are embracing community-run renewable energy projects, reducing dependency on fossil fuels and providing sustainable power. Farmers are moving beyond industrial monocropping to regenerative farming techniques that restore soil health, increase biodiversity, and mitigate climate change.

Actionable Solutions: Many grassroots movements are showing how decentralized solutions—such as local food networks, eco-villages, and blockchain for transparency—are powerful tools for creating an interconnected world.

Interview: Social Entrepreneur and Community Organizer share examples of successful projects, like “Transition Towns” or community-led solar cooperatives.

Visuals: Local energy grids, eco-villages, people engaging in regenerative farming, sustainable food systems.

The Role of Technology: Empowering Humanity for Collective Success

Time Period: 2020s – Beyond
Key Event: New technological advancements that promote sustainability, health, and equity
Technology: AI, blockchain, sustainable architecture, clean tech

Narrative: Emerging technologies offer exciting possibilities for accelerating the vision of an interconnected world. AI can help optimize resources, predict climate patterns, and improve agricultural yields, while blockchain can increase transparency in global supply chains and ensure fair distribution of resources.

The next wave of urban development focuses on creating cities that are not just “smart” but also sustainable, with green roofs, energy-efficient buildings, and zero-emission transportation networks.

Advances in clean tech, water purification, and alternative energy solutions are critical to reducing humanity’s impact on the planet and empowering communities to thrive without harming the environment.

Interview: Tech Innovator and Sustainability Expert discuss how technology is helping create sustainable cities and how we can use data to ensure resources are shared equitably.

Visuals: AI-controlled energy grids, green cities, solar panels on skyscrapers, high-tech recycling plants.

8. Building the Global Web: Connecting Humans, Nature, and Technology

Time Period: 2025 and Beyond
Key Event: Efforts to create a truly global interconnected web of life
Technology: Global data platforms, open-source technologies, 5G/6G networks

Narrative: The future holds immense promise if we can continue to integrate technology with environmental and social needs. By creating an interconnected web of life—where the flow of resources, data, and knowledge is designed to sustain all forms of life—we can work toward eliminating hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation.

Projects like the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are platforms that allow people, organizations, and governments to share data and solutions.

As the world moves toward open-source software and collaborative projects, communities can create local solutions to global problems without needing to rely on large corporations or governments.

Global Network Leader and Visionary Entrepreneur discuss how we can build an interconnected web of life, sharing resources, knowledge, and energy freely for the benefit of all.

Visuals: A visual metaphor of a global network coming together—people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds working alongside nature, technology, and animals.

9. The Action Plan: Steps Toward an Interconnected World

– Time Period: 2025 and Beyond
– Key Event: Action steps toward creating a web of life for all
– Technology: Education platforms, policy change, community action

Action Steps:

Focus on education that teaches the value of interconnectedness and sustainability, from schools to universities and online platforms.
Support policies that promote sustainability, renewable energy, and social equity at local, national, and global levels.
Strengthen local communities and their resilience by investing in cooperative businesses, community farms, and decentralized energy grids.
Encourage the development of open-source, sustainable, and ethical technologies that promote human flourishing and ecological health.
Build international cooperation to ensure global issues like climate change, inequality, and biodiversity loss are tackled collaboratively.

Visuals: People planting trees, attending policy rallies, teaching sustainability, building local infrastructure, and working in collaborative tech hubs.

10. Conclusion: A World of Possibility

Time Period: 2030s and Beyond

Narrative: – “The interconnected future is not just a dream—it’s a necessity. A world where life flourishes, where resources are shared equitably, and where humanity thrives in harmony with the planet. The path forward requires action, but the possibilities are boundless. What we do today will create the world of tomorrow. It’s time to connect—for all life.”

This documentary will highlight both the opportunities and challenges of building an interconnected world that prioritizes the well-being of all life. Through inspiring stories, expert interviews, and actionable steps, it will show how humanity can create a future without compromise.