Durban diary: a visual journal

Climate change action protest at COP17 Durban Photograph by: Arnab Pratim Dutta Read also: Time-out

Durban diary: a visual journal

Climate change action protest at COP17 Durban Photograph by: Arnab Pratim Dutta Read also: Time-out

Durban diary: a visual journal

Climate change action protest at COP17 Durban Photograph by: Arnab Pratim Dutta Read also: Time-out

Durban diary: a visual journal

Climate change action protest at COP17 Durban Photograph by: Arnab Pratim Dutta Read also: Time-out

Durban diary: a visual journal

Climate change action protest at COP17 Durban Photograph by: Arnab Pratim Dutta Read also: Time-out

Durban diary: a visual journal

Chandra Bhushan, CSE speaks at the CSE side event at COP17 Durban Photograph by: Arnab Pratim Dutta Read also: Time-out

Durban diary: a visual journal

A Brazilian negotiator checks his phone at the last minute before the begining of the high level negotiations of the COP17 Durban Photograph by: Arnab Pratim Dutta Read also: Time-out

Equity: the next frontier in climate talks

In 1992, when the world met to discuss an agreement on climate change, equity was a simple concept: sharing the global commons—the atmosphere in this case—equally among all. It did not provoke much anxiety, for there were no real claimants. However, this does not mean the concept was readily accepted. A small group of industrialised countries had burnt fossil fuels for 100 years and built up enormous wealth. This club had to decide what to do to cut emissions, and it claimed all countries were equally responsible for the problem. In 1991, just as the climate convention was being finalised, a report, released by an influential Washington think tank, broke the news that its analysis showed India, China and other developing countries were equally responsible for greenhouse gases. Anil Agarwal and I rebutted this and brought in the issue of equitable access to the global commons. We also showed, beyond doubt, that the industrialised countries were singularly responsible for the increased greenhouse gases.

‘Don’t push tar sands’

EIGHT Nobel peace laureates have urged Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper to stop the extraction of oil from tar sands in the country. Oil thus extracted is 25 per cent more polluting than ordinary crude oil, according to the European Commission. Canada is home to the largest reserves of the sands.

Changing basic nature

ON A pleasant morning when fifty-four-year-old Australian marine diver David Hannan was gearing to plunge into the deep sea, a bunch of American scientists were ready to set sail for the Arctic Ocean. In another corner of the world at Dona Paula in Goa oceanographers were contemplating plans to measure coastal pH along the entire Indian coastline.