In thi's commentary, Rolf Nordstrom, executive director of the Great Plains Institute, shares his position on how the Midwest connects with the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP, in this case COP15):
"The Midwest has a political significance disproportionate to its population size. North Dakota, for example, has roughly 640,000 people, but its two Democratic senators are likely essential to passing any sort of climate policy at the national level. States with large agricultural and coal industries are pivotal 'swing states' for U.S. climate policy.
As the U.S. goes, so goes the world. So what happens in Copenhagen will shape the future of the Midwest; and what we do here in the Midwest will influence what happens for the rest of the world."
Does the Midwest have that much influence? Will you be watching COP15?
This is an open discussion, so you're welcome to link to your related Gather articles or other online resources. Your comments & articles may be quoted on American Public Media or Minnesota Public Radio web sites.
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Julia Schrenkler
Interactive Producer
American Public Media
Minnesota Public Radio
Objects in Mirror
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* Full commentary: A climate of change in Copenhagen
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Comments: 9
However we folks here on Earth don’t do much of that. The fuel that is hidden underground that we burn and turn into CO2 is the only a problem because it makes ‘Greenhouse’ gas that traps the heat when it goes into the atmosphere. So don’t do that is the answer.
That we know.
When is too much, is the question at hand. The ability to capture the CO2 in the atmosphere and stuff it back in the ground is a tough technology to develop and to implement.
However, to stop burning the fuel that lets off CO2 is really a better method in my opinion and I would like that arena to expand if for no other reason than to have cleaner air.
However, as most of that problem is caused by burning coal, let’s just stop there. That alone ‘stop burning coal’ I feel needs to be addressed.
Burning fuel in autos and trucks is also causing the release of CO2, so let’s stop doing that also. However, when is the question?
I feel that we folks here on this Earth should move forward in both those arenas. First find a way to stuff the CO2 back in the ground, and second to stop burning fuel like coal and in autos and trucks.
I feel that because we are entering a cooling timeframe that will last a hundred to almost two hundred years that we can accomplish both technologies.
Yet this "cap and trade thing" would hurt us.
OOPS! THey lost the climate change data! How convenient!
Is this because Obama is going to Copenhagen soon?
Is this because the mainstream media believes in the religion of global warming?
Do they have too much invested in global warming to report on this?