ClimateGenn hosted by Nick Breeze

Episode contents: 1. Comparisons between methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 2. Working out the methane budget. 3. Atmosphere getting richer in Carbon 13 isotope from fossil fuel industry. 4. Something happened in 2006 as Carbon 12 started to rise. 5. Rising methane from biological sources. 6. Regional increases are spiking. 7. Different types of biological sources. 8. Feedbacks switching on. 9. Wetlands are “turning on”. 10. Historic precedent: “huge rapid change” 11. Events known as a “Terminations” 12. A rapidly changing planet. 13. Should we use geoengineering?

In part 3 with Joe, we discuss how dodgy offsets and double accounting feed into COP28 and ask the question - is the COP process set-up to fail? A link to Joe’s in-depth paper on all of this is in the notes.To get full episodes much earlier, join via Youtube or Patreon: https://patreon.com/genncc Link to Joe's paper on offsets: https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/web.sas.upenn.edu/dist/0/896/files/2023/06/OffsetPaper7.0-6-27-23-FINAL2.pdf Part 3 Content Guide 1. With so many nations trying to defraud the Paris Agreement carbon accounting mechanism, will we ever achieve our goals?
 2. Denmark, the oil company and Microsoft - blending the real with the fake offsets for cash.3. UNFCCC Jargon: Authorised offsets, corresponding adjustments… agreed but not compulsory. 3. Where are the positives in all this?
 4. Is the COP set-up to fail?

In Part 2,  with Dr Joe Romm, we discuss how offsetting impacts the NDC accounting systems that underpin the Paris Agreement and expose much less well off countries to yet another form of what Joe calls Climate Imperialism Become a member to get full episodes early: ⁠https://patreon.com/genncc⁠ Or on Youtube for video versions: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@NickBreeze/videos⁠ Link to Joe Romm's paper on offsets: https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/web.sas.upenn.edu/dist/0/896/files/2023/06/OffsetPaper7.0-6-27-23-FINAL2.pdf In part 3 with Joe, we discuss how dodgy offsets and double accounting feed into COP28 and ask the question - is the COP process set-up to fail? A link to Joe’s in-depth paper on all of this is in the notes. Content guide: 1. Switching from the voluntary market to the “compliance market”. 2. Defining emissions double accounting. 3. Who gets to count the emissions reduction and why. 4. Paris Agreement did not solve this issue. 5. Two solutions (aside from banning offsets): ‘Mitigation contributions’ and ‘corresponding adjustment’ (an authorised offset). 6. How authorised offsets backfire on developing nations. 7. COP26 made is easier for developed countries to skim off cheap emissions from developing nations who will have to pay later. 8. Climate colonialism or imperialism if the phoney (unregulated)  offset price is used. 9. The price of offsets will rise.  10. Don’t believe the lies of abundant cheap emissions reduction. 11. They are cheap because they are meaningless. 12. Switzerland buying up cheap carbon offsets to pretend they are making an effort. 13. Don’t be a bad faith actor in good faith market. 14. It doesn’t cut $2 a tonne to go to zero!

Dr Joe Romm, a climate expert and author, discusses dodgy offsets, double accounting, and the problems with carbon neutrality claims. He highlights the lack of regulation in the offset market and the ineffectiveness of many offsets. The podcast also explores greenwashing, the true cost of removing carbon, and the issue of false claims in the voluntary market.

All the main points from this interview with prof. Jason Box from the Geological Survey of Greenland. To get the full episode and also support this channel, you can join on https://youtu.be/9Ddb9pRqcDw or at https://patreon.com/genncc Content points - What are atmospheric river rapids? - what do these teach us about extreme deluge events around the world that we are seeing now? - What is driving it? - Why next year will be worse - What do we have to do?

A fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty is exactly what is needed to switch off the fossil fuel pipelines that are driving crazily hot temperatures, flash flooding, and droughts that directly threaten the global food production system. [Join now to get full episodes early: https://genn.cc or https://patreon.com/genncc ] In this ClimateGenn episode I speak with the Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, Tzepora Berman. Tzepora and her colleagues are designing the framework by which we can begin to switch off the fossil fuel supply that is the root cause of what is a real-time climate emergency.

Fossil fuel companies hinder climate change solutions, but collective agency is powerful. The fossil fuel industry's tactics and a need for exposing unethical practices are discussed. The podcast explores political failures and the role of personal agency in climate action. The impact of the Energy Charter Treaty on climate action is highlighted, emphasizing the need for transparency and countries to leave the treaty.

Full 25 min version: [members link: https://youtu.be/NSdk6BwsSQA or https://genn.cc/dr-alice-hill-insurance/ ] Welcome to the ClimateGenn podcast. This summary version is edited from the full interview. Included are the key points from the discussion and the full version can be accessed by all Youtube and Patreon members. Overview of topics covered: US politicians debate the causes of extreme weather, stymying effective longterm policy. “California is the 4th largest insurance market in the world… so to pull out of that is big news!” State run back-up plan - but back-up plans are ballooning as concentrated risk discourages insurers. Extensive wildfires in 2017 and 2018 wiped out quarter of a century (25yrs) of profits in California. Insurers in California are not allowed to use models that account for the growing risk of climate change. Insurance policies evaluate 1 year of risk but climate is a long-term issue. AXA: At some point the world becomes uninsurable with climate change. Can the risk be spread across the nation? How do we build national resilience (fortresses?)? Too much infrastructure already at great risk. Post Covid, many Americans moved into areas “destined to burn”. East coast of America is subsiding and has one of the worst rates of sea-level rise in the world - “A bad combination!” “A profound risk to the stability of our real estate markets. We are watching the problem but there is a reluctance to address the problem… because it is so large!” What do we need to do? We will see large movements of people and devaluation of assets over time.

Full versions on: https://genn.cc - https://patreon.com/genncc - https://www.youtube.com/@NickBreeze/membership Full 26 min members version Contents: Antarctica Sea Ice Decline Antarctic versus Arctic differences Greenland can change the global map Arctic methane release and potential warming Have we crossed a global threshold? Can we repair climate? Interventions - climate repair? Climate is only one of our challenges We need new economic models UN COPs and broken promises Climate is a today problem from Bangladesh to Vietnam Loss & Damage is the insurance of the future Can we save Antarctic Ice Sheets? COP28 nightmare

(Full Episode 27 mins - members: https://youtu.be/xZ7i5_m7udE or https://genn.cc/dr-chad-briggs-risk/) Contents: Military lens - military objectives requires enemies. A hammer in search of a nail. US Air Force - largest user of fuel in the world. Mitigation inevitably leads to less flight hours. Not an option. All military, governmental and even social responses have a technology bias. “Reducing emissions” is unpalatable. In Washington, Trump era impacts on EPA, hangover into Biden Administration. EPA not responding to disinformation, which has a negative impact on policymaking. Biden has already approved more oil and gas projects than the entire Trump presidency. Willow Project and LNG projects with 1200km pipelines across thawing permafrost. Huge cost - what benefit? Persistent belief that magical techno-fixes will remove pollution from the atmosphere. SRM - Can’t be controlled once aerosols are up in the stratosphere. Issues with deployment - companies attached to smaller countries sidestepping regulation. Conspiracies kill rational discussion. The Pentagon won’t even discuss it. New paradigm of disaster era present need for integrating disaster risk with climate policy. Companies still seeking to profit off climate destruction with business models projecting out 10-20 years into the future.