Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

This is excellent remarks by Tom Burke former adviser to a number of UK Conservative Secretary of States for the Environment on the challenge for climate change made to the UK All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group There are a number of ways in which climate change is unusual among the problems we face. We know exactly what we need to do to solve it. And we know exactly when we need to do it by. We need to keep the rise in global temperature below 2°C. To do this we need to achieve a carbon neutral global energy system by about the middle of the century. This is not a technology problem. We have all the technology we need to solve the problem now and we will have a lot more low carbon technologies as the century advances. Nor is it an economic problem. We will not wreck the global economy by making our energy system net zero carbon emissions. The additional costs of getting there will be primarily met by what we do not spend on fossil fuels. We do, however, have ...

The last twenty plus years since the original Rio Earth Summit governments have tried to address interlinkage issue without a huge level of success. In the meantime we have an increase in food insecurity, water insecurity and energy provision. These have become increasingly linked as the pressures of population growth; urbanization and increased prosperity in the emerging economies have and are requiring more of each.   The 2008 economic crisis put into clear focus the link between energy and food as energy costs went up so did food costs. Any new set of goals must take a Nexus approach and ensure they reflect each other under the goals. We use 70% of water for agriculture any goal on water must reflect reducing this as a target and this needs to also be reflected in the agriculture goal as a target. The need for integrated thinking is critical. The work on planetary boundaries which acted as a backdrop to Rio+20 shows we now have some clear limits and so  achieving uni...

How to be a Liberal Minister  Liberal Democrat ministers must now consider life after 2015 and cannot be hidebound by conventional thinking, say Felix Dodds and Simon Titley Labour MP Gerald Kaufman wrote a book based on his experiences in government, called  How to be a Minister . It is a book that all potential ministers should read. Lately it seems that some of our Liberal Democrat ministers might benefit from reading it. With the next general election only eighteen months away – and ‘business as usual’ with the Tories an unlikely outcome – these ministers also need a crib sheet on a set of policy areas that define who we are as Liberals. Coalition partners  – In 2010, the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition not with the party of choice but with the only one that could create a stable government. The political space we as Liberals have sought is not as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg defined our position in his recent conference speech, when he said: “Now...

It was mid-afternoon when the tired gang arrived at the Far Island. As they approached, a number of guards on blue dragons came to meet them with their lances drawn. The dragons were dressed in battle suits which glistened in the sun and made it difficult to focus on the guards. It was a sight sure to put discomfort in any adversary. Robin led the way and quickly the guards recognized him and opened a path to the castle. The Far Island had long been a secret military base for Alexander’s former friend, confident and lover Ms. Susan. She was pleased to see Robin and quickly was brought up to date. The Doctor got off his dragon he approached Ms. Susan. “I am so sorry to hear about Alexander, Susan, it is I the Doctor. My face may have changed but my feelings for you and Alexander are the same and if you will have me,” he said as he gestured towards his companions with a wave, “my gang will help you overcome those who have taken over the planet. We are at your service.” M...

I think like everyone else I didn't think that Steven Moffat was going to use any of the old Doctors just David and Matt and of course John Hurt. He surprises us again and in this prelude to the 50th anniversary show  we see Paul McGann transformed into John Hurt. What it shows us is what an amazing Doctor McGann would have made if he had done more than the film in 1996  So if you haven't watched the special then enjoy it now - Paul McGann take a bow. Maybe there should be like Torchwood a seperate series with Paul in it --- or a couple of specials.

Dear Friends,  Now is a great time to start thinking of ideas for Xmas presents for yourself, your partner, your children, your friends and your workmates. Over the past twenty years I have had the chance to write or edit a number of books. I have selected a few which I think are the best and would make great Xmas presents.  Wishing you a wonderful Xmas,  Felix Dodds From Rio+20 to a New Development Agenda by Felix Dodds, Jorge Laguna Celis and Elizabeth Thompson due out Feb 1 st 2014 Twenty years after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, "The Earth Summit", the Rio+20 conference in 2012 brought life back to sustainable development by putting it at the center of a new global development partnership, one in which sustainable development is the basis for eradicating poverty, upholding human development and transforming economies. Written by practitioners and participants involved in the multilateral process of negotiations, this...