Today was our first day at the actual COP21 negotiations, and, fittingly for the project-based learning around clean energy that I'm leading in my classroom, the theme was Energy Day. The day started off with a picture taken with the President of Mozambique. I then went to the Green Zone, also called the Climate Generations area, and was immersed in information. I focused my day on alternative energy solutions.
To start off, I went to listen to four U.S. states discuss the key actions they are taking to address climate change and their boost for clean energy markets. The four states, which are leading the U.S. transition to clean energy, were California, Washington, New York and Vermont. There were several speakers featured at the event, including three of the governors from these states.
I was encouraged to hear that Vermont is now powered by 30% renewable energy while also boasting one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. 5% of the state's jobs are tied to renewable energy. California, meanwhile, has set an ambitious goal of sourcing 30-40% of its energy from solar alone, and is now working to figure out storage technology. Washington, for its part, has only one more coal plant to retire before being entirely coal-free. Due to the climate impacts they are already are experiencing - in the form of wildfires, lack of snow cover, and ocean acidification - state leaders are working to end their dependence on fossil fuels and transition completely to renewable energy. Lastly, New York is promoting a competitive market for renewables, partly by getting rid of some protections for utility companies in the energy market. The session ended with the governors signing a bilateral agreement with France to work together on the energy transition.
Next, I went to listen to what will be happening with the airline industry. Industry leaders have laid out three goals:
1. Improve fuel efficiency
2. Stabilize emissions of CO2 by 2020
3. Halve aviation's net CO2 by 2050
The airline industry has plans in the works to redesign aircraft, introduce new ideas on air traffic, and incorporate the use biofuels. Europe is way ahead of the U.S. in making some of these changes. I am hopeful that our airline companies will get on board after Paris.
Energy Day was exhilarating, with so much information to take in. The best quote I got from the day? "Don't trust anyone whose goal isn't under 2 degrees." Being in the space where the COP21 negotiations are taking place gave me hope that we can make significant changes quickly.
Minneapolis-based nonprofit, Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy, is leading a delegation of 10 Education Ambassadors to COP21 through their Window Into Paris program, December 5-11. These 10 teachers - representing diverse subject areas, grade levels, and school communities from Denver, Atlanta, upstate New York, western North Carolina and Minnesota - are connecting their students to climate policy in action, helping to build both climate literacy and the relevance of this issue in their students' lives. Follow their stories via their blogs and daily digests.