By Kathleen Brosemer*
What’s COP26? It’s the 26th annual Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The United Nations has been brokering a climate change agreement among the nations of the world for over 26 years. It’s not controversial -- it’s settled science that humans are altering the climate of the only planet we know of that can support human life. It’s not a smart thing to do; but so far it’s been profitable, so it’s tough to get it stopped.
At COP21 in Paris in 2015, the big news was the agreement of the parties to this convention, to work to limit human-caused global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. That was a big deal, because there's good science that predicts if we let the warming exceed 1.5 degrees across the entire surface of the earth, not only would that be catastrophic regarding hurricanes, wildfires, and coastal inundation, but it might not be possible to prevent a runaway warming of the surface that would wipe out all life. So the Paris Agreement was cause for celebration. But as with everything at an international level, the devil is in the details. How would we make this come about? COP26 was significant because the parties agree to review all the details and make new commitments every five years.
The intervening six years have seen little progress. Although some nations have made great strides in reducing emissions, the global emissions keep going up. Even during the pandemic, when planes stopped flying and people stayed home, emissions kept going up. The pandemic meant the postponement of COP26 from November 2020 to 2021, which was a good thing, because in November 2020 the US representatives would have been from an administration hostile to progress in this area. The former administration had in fact withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, which the incoming administration in January 2021 immediately rectified. So there was at least a chance at some progress.
I was attending COP26 in two roles: as an observer because I'm a PhD student in Energy and Environmental Policy at Michigan Tech, and as a presenter -- to give a talk about energy justice for the Anishinaabeg, in my role as Environmental Director for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
At the COP, I spent most of my time with the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus, helping draft language for inclusion in Article 6 of the Paris Rulebook, which provides the details for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement. Article 6 contains rules about market and non-market measures and international cooperation. What worries Indigenous peoples around the world is the possibility that states could put rules on how people are living within healthy forests, turning them into "protected areas" that exclude the people who have lived there since time immemorial. So-called "forest offsets" are false solutions for mitigating climate change -- they’re just calculators that let states pretend they’re taking action while they continue to subsidize fossil fuels.
We were able to get some good language inserted into Article 6, as well as into the final COP26 decision, recognizing Indigenous peoples’ rights and providing for a grievance mechanism when states take actions that harm Indigenous peoples. However, a grave disappointment was the failure of the parties to promise to phase out coal. Instead they used the more wishy-washy "phasing down" in the final consensus document. They also only committed to "cut back" on state subsidies to non-sustainable energy production, not to eliminate those subsidies.
At Paris in 2015, our Anishinaabeg knowledge keeper Frank Ettawageshik was there for the exciting moment when the governments of the world promised to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The former chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians has been active worldwide in protecting Aki (Mother Earth) through work on the Great Lakes Commission and many other collaborative efforts.
Since 2015, he has turned his voice toward climate change. Ettawageshik understands the drastic and terrible consequences that all of humanity faces, but that will come first and worst to Indigenous peoples if we let this get away from us. If we are to keep our Paris commitment, we must reduce emissions by 45 percent (below 2010 levels) by 2030. This is the best science we have and has been accepted by the signatories to the UNFCCC.
That’s only eight years away.
There is frankly no way to do this while governments still subsidize fossil fuels, using our tax dollars at cross purposes.
We are at a turning point.
What can you do to reduce carbon emissions? There is a long list of things to try. Some of it will save you money. Other things won’t work in your life or require too much of an investment you can’t afford right now, but no matter your circumstances there is something you can do. After Glasgow, it looks as though it’s going to be up to us.
Checklist of things you might incorporate into your life to reduce carbon emissions:
- Grow some of your own food in your garden. Food from far away increases vehicle emissions.
- Hunt, fish, and gather locally.
- Buy food from local farmers.
- If you buy any new appliances, look for the EnergyStar logo.
- Switch from natural gas or propane to electric appliances.
- Start and use a backyard composter for kitchen and garden waste.
- Recycle as much as you can. Landfills emit methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. The less we throw in, the less methane.
- Buy less stuff. Buy used items if they’ll do the job, or share with others. Manufacturing and transporting new goods emits carbon.
- Air seal your home. Clear caulk is cheap, and it will reduce drafts and save money.
- Add insulation to your home, especially the top (attic) and bottom (basement). Insulating and air sealing the top and bottom means stopping the chimney stack effect that steals your heat.
- If you do any renovations (even for just one wall or one room), plan for energy efficiency at the same time. Any extra costs will pay for themselves in energy savings.
- If a furnace upgrade is in your future, plan for ground source heat pump** and/or wood or pellet stove heat.
- When it’s time to replace a car, look into a hybrid or all electric vehicle. Prices are coming down!
- Use the car less. Combine trips, carpool, and walk or bike if that’s possible for you for some trips.
- If travelling, see if you can avoid a car rental and use public transit.
- Look into solar net metering for your home.
Next year’s COP will be in Egypt. I hope I am able to attend and be part of the Indigenous Peoples' demands for change once again. It’s incredibly important if we are to have a future on this planet.***
Editor's Notes:
* Guest author Kathleen Brosemer has been the Environmental Director for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians for 11 years and is presently a Michigan Tech Ph.D. student in Energy and Environmental Policy. She is a member of the Echota Cherokee, from her father, who grew up in Alabama. She is also known as Azhede-kwe (White Pelican Woman), a name given to her by an elder after Brosemer's return from Standing Rock.
** According to a recent Michigan Tech News article, "Solar-powered Heat Pumps Warm Upper Peninsula Homes for Less," heat pumps are defined thus: "A heat pump is an air conditioner running in reverse. Working at temperatures as low as minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, the pump takes cold air from outside and produces warm air inside. It runs on electricity but is three times more efficient than the space heater under your desk. That efficiency is vital for dealing with the U.P.’s high electricity prices -- but the real savings come from using solar PV (photovoltaic). MTU studies have previously shown that solar PV is cheaper than grid electricity. The latest studies explore whether enough solar energy can be generated and used by the heat pump to keep an average U.P. home warm -- and what it will cost."
*** This is the second in Keweenaw Now's series of articles by guest authors who attended COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. See also: "Guest article: COP26 Reflection," by Alexis Pascaris, posted Jan. 1, 2022.
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