Adaption and Mitigation to Climate Change

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an organization that monitors countries from around the world and how they are actively mitigating climate change. For Norway, the country seems to be on the right track. The most interesting things I saw, however, were Norway's contributions to the developing countries of Laos and Nepal. 

In Lao, Norway has been helping with waste management and proper legislation for electricity. Through their efforts, Norad has brought electricity to over 50,000 households in rural provinces (UNFCCC). This helps reduce emissions set forth by the citizens of Laos mainly because they no longer are burning tires, dung, and other dangerous sources of heat. Instead, they are simply using clean energy technology. 

In Nepal, Norway and Denmark are working together to provide all sorts of research and educational opportunities. Starting in 2007, the Alternative Energy Promotion Center has been providing Nepalese citizens with solar home systems, micro-hydro and more efficient cooking methods (UNFCCC). They are also providing great amounts of education to help with mitigation of improper burning techniques. 

While Norway has been helping countries in need, attention still needs to be paid to their own country. In the IPCC's "Climate Change 2007: Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability" there are studies that indicate changes (or shutting down of) in the thermohaline circulation (THC), a naturally occurring current in the North Atlantic, would effect the current sea levels and temperatures mostly on the western coast of Europe. This could have potentially devastating socio-economic impacts mainly because Norway has so much coastline which is densely populated. 

Photo Taken From: http://9wows.com/tag/norway/

Norway also was an early signer of the Kyoto Protocol (April 29th, 1998) and ratification took place for Norway on May 30th 2002. Despite being an early signer, in 2005 Norway was still required to reduce emissions, but only by about 0.3%. 

The country of Norway seems to be making all the right steps towards improving their efforts in helping to mitigate climate change. According to the UNFCC, The Government of Norway's International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI), is the biggest investment the country has made towards climate change mitigation. This initiative is aimed towards reducing greenhouse gases and rates of deforestation in developing countries (such as the ones mentioned above). If America can be thought of as the "global police", Norway can be thought of as the "green happy helper". Norway's government seems to be very keen in understanding that developing countries play just as important of a role in alleviating greenhouse gas emissions as developed countries do. 

As far as Norway itself goes, I think climate adaption is unfortunately going to have to be an avenue that is highly pursued. If you look back at my graph for Total Emissions in a prior post, Norway hasn't done too much to harm the environment compare to the giants of America, India and China. Their government has made the right steps in moving towards clean energy, with the exception of the oil drilling that is taking place off the coast. Mitigation and awareness is very important, but the people of Norway need to understand that their coastlines and livelihoods lie in the hands of citizens of the world and not just themselves. One of the biggest threats for Norway is an increase in Sea Level, and citizens need to be prepared for that. 

Photo of the Glacier Waterfall in Svalbard, Norway, Taken From: http://www.vyperlook.com/awesome-cool/12-natural-ice-wonders

*Information for this post was taken from

http://unfccc.int/national_reports/annex_i_natcom/submitted_natcom/items/4903.php

http://unfccc.int/files/national_reports/annex_i_natcom/submitted_natcom/application/pdf/technology_transfer_nor.pdf