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S2015 E168 The green city experience
本集简介

There's a lot of scepticism going around about what will come out of the climate summit in Paris (COP 21). After 21 COPs and countless calls to action over the past two decades, the international community has yet to come up with a viable agreement on climate protection. However, despite the lack of progress at the state level over the years, a number of cities around the world have been leading the way and making significant strides when it comes to the implementation of eco-friendly policies.

The Green City Index, which measures the environmental performance of over 120 cities across the globe, lists San Francisco (USA) as the top performer in North America, Curitiba (Brazil) in Latin America, Copenhagen (Denmark) in Europe, the city-state of Singapore in Asia, and Cape Town (South Africa) as one of the "above average" performers in Africa.

So how did these cities do it? And what can we learn from their experience? Join our conversation at 1930GMT.

上一集
2015/12/02 S2015 E167
Drowning nations

For many Pacific island nations climate change is not a problem of the future, it's current reality. Kiribati has become famous for buying land in nearby countries preparing to resettle its population facing submergence in a policy they call "migration with dignity." Fiji is dealing with climate-influenced diseases such as typhoid and dengue fever. King tides in the Marshall Islands destroy crops and submerge land on a regular basis. These nations may be small, but they the threat they are under is immense. Their leaders are heading to the UN climate talks with demands for change from the rest of the world.

Scientists who contributed to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimate that global sea levels have risen by about 19 centimetres (7.5 inches) since 1900. They say the levels are rising faster than average in the Western Pacific; ocean currents, winds and the gravity are all contributing to the uneven rise in this part of the world.

A major goal of the UN talks is to limit global warming in air temps to below 2 degrees Celsius. But Pacific island leaders say are pushing for a lower target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. They're also raising questions about international responsibility and justice. The Pacific region is only responsible for a tiny fraction of greenhouse emissions, but is directly impacted by the effects of larger industrialized nations' development and population growth.

Are these talks enough to save drowning Pacific island nations, or is the region as we know it doomed?