Tag: Ronald Mitchell

An Environmental Anthropology: The Effects of the Yacyretá Dam on Communities in Misiones, Argentina in Comparison to the Economic and Environmental Well-being of the Pilcomayo River Basin

Presenter: Megan Brogan

Mentor: Ronald Mitchell

AM Poster Presentation

Poster 5

Do large dam projects create a “sustainable improvement of human welfare” for those directly affected by a dam (WCD 2000, 2)? Scholars have failed to address whether a community suffering from economic hardship would benefit from the construction of a dam, or if there are better means of human welfare development. To determine whether a dam should be built, one must consider the counterfactual: what the community would be like in terms of economic stability, social equality, and environmental sustainability without a dam. This thesis argues that although there may be benefits of leaving a river to run its natural course, the economic gains associated with the implementation of a large hydropower dam bring a greater “sustainable improvement of human welfare” to the community in question (WCD 2000, 2). Despite environmental changes and economic obstacles associated with the Yacyretá Dam, over time, the people that depend on the Paraná River have experienced sustainable development. The initial benefits of allowing a river to run its natural course are the forgone opportunity costs that would be associated with the construction of a dam, such as dam-related downstream and upstream flooding, environmental changes due to the impoundment of the river, construction-induced human displacement, and the overall financial burden of constructing a large dam and funding its operation. However, economic ben- efits such as job growth and and access to electricity have the potential to outweigh these environmental costs.

The Mekong River Commission: Indicators of Successful Regime Strengthening

Presenter: Lauren Boucher

Mentor: Ronald Mitchell

PM Session Oral Presentation

Panel Name: A5 Perceptions of Cultural Change

Location: Oak Room

Time: 1:15pm – 2:15pm

International environmental regimes seek to create a sense of interdependence and community in order to solve transboundary issues of resource use and pollution. Regimes are a natural fit for transboundary water management and development. Water is a classic example of how states are forced to cooperate with each other. Shlomi Dinar argues, “When rivers and other bodies of water traverse or divide countries, transboundary externalities often produce conflict” (Dinar, 2008 1). Waterbodies respect no political boundaries and international water law and policy has emerged over hundreds of years to address the issues of water governance and transboundary conflict (Hildering, 2004 44). This conflict provides a medium for cooperation, a cooperation that almost always takes form in a treaty or regime (Dinar, 2008 1). The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is an international environmental regime that promotes regional cooperation and sustainable development in the Mekong River Basin (MRB) of Southeast Asia. My research asks what have been the effects of the organization over its 17-year history and analyzes the political and environmental impacts of those effects. My analysis uses the logic model, created by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to track the growth and development of the MRC over time. Using the framework of the logic model, my research argues that though effects of the MRC appear marginal and information-based, the organization is following a positive trajectory toward ultimate goal realization.

An Unwelcome Legacy: Investigating the Relationship between Colonialism and Climate Change Vulnerability

Presenter: Chloe Talbert

Mentor: Ronald Mitchell, Political Science

Oral Presentation

Majors: Computer Science and Political Science

This research examines the relationship between climate change vulnerability and colonialism, in an attempt to identify and explain any correlation between a country’s colonial history, and its level of risk to climate change. Adaptation
to climate change is becoming a more essential part of climate change policy. To determine adaption policies, we must first determine what climate changes we will have to adapt to. This means determining how vulnerable we are to climate change, and in what areas. Using the DARA Vulnerability Monitor, I have identified a pattern, by which countries with colonial histories have the highest vulnerabilities to climate change, where non-colonial countries have the lowest. This relationship is investigated in two different case studies, China and Mongolia, and Japan and Indonesia. This research compares these countries’ socio-economic indicators of vulnerability, and consults the literature surrounding said indicators to determine how they affect a country’s vulnerability. These same factors are then examined in relation to colonialism, using literature surrounding colonialism and its affects, to determine how colonialism influences these factors. Combined, these findings suggest that having a colonial history increases a country’s vulnerability to climate change. However, this research focuses on a single aspect of vulnerability, economic loss, and the next step in research would be to assess the same issue with different kinds of vulnerability, to see if these results are consistent.

Unilateral Climate Change Action: A Comparison of Three South African Cities through the Lens of the Tragedy of the Commons

Presenter: Miles Gordon

Mentor: Ronald Mitchell, Political Science

Oral Presentation

Majors: Political Science and Philosophy

This paper seeks to examine unilateral action taken by individual cities on climate change. I do this through the lens of the Tragedy of the Commons, which is an excellent description of the problem of climate change. I test the following hypotheses as to the cause of this action: local and formalized knowledge of the problem, a strong civil society that can apply pressure, transmunicipal network ties that help disseminate effective ideas, and the realization of co- benefits to action on the part of the local government. The cities I compare are in South Africa, a nation in the Global South that has relatively meager resources and is hence subject to the economic logic of a developing country. I compare Durban (a city that has taken substantive action) to Khara Hais and George (two cities that have not taken substantive action). Information on these cities and their respective actions was culled from case studies, policy briefs from the respective municipalities, and reports of NGOs on the ground. Using this information, I find that motivation for climate change action is based in part on all four of these, but that ultimately the most effective motivator is the realization of co-benefits. This is because when confronted with issues of incapacity, environmental protection alone is often not strong enough a factor to provoke action. These results, while not wholly generalizable due to the fact that they were obtained within a single nation, are significant to the issue of climate change action because they provide a rough blueprint for how best to pressure local governments (particularly those in the third world) to take their own action, thus creating an opening for a movement on climate change that is truly “from the ground up”.

Why Certain Counties that Are Part of the Environmental Integrity Group (Switzerland, Mexico, and South Korea).

Presenter(s): Alexander Winkler − Political Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell

Poster 193

Research Area: Climate Change

My research question is ‘Why certain counties that are part of the Environmental Integrity Group (Switzerland, Mexico, and South Korea), although spread across different parts of the world, are together and disagree with the other negotiation groups, specifically compared to more, developed countries that surround them.’ This question is important to research because the countries in the Environmental Integrity Group make up for many different kinds of ecosystems, and are not the biggest producers of emissions on their continents. It is important to compare their beliefs to others to find common ground. I will research articles online to help bring me to a conclusion. I will examine individual CO2 emissions per country and related data that is relevant. I expect to come to a conclusion that the countries associated with the Environmental Integrity Group believe what they do because their countries are factors of more industrialized countries emitting greater amounts of CO2, and are trying to find ways to sustain their environments from their emissions and from neighboring countries.

Placing the Burden: Obligations of Fast-Developing States to Adopt Climate Mitigation Policies

Presenter(s): Lauren Scott − Political Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell, Sarah Crown

Poster 183

Research Area: Social Science

As demonstrated by the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, one of the most adversarial issues in international climate change politics is whether developed countries have the responsibility to assume the global burden of mitigating climate impacts. Without an authoritative body to enforce international law, negotiations have devolved into developing states demanding that developed states reduce their emissions first, whilst refusing to set limits on their own emissions. However, quickly developing states, like China, India, and Brazil, now diverge substantially from their developing peers in their emissions levels and their increasing capacity to lower them. Therefore, the international community must question when a developing country should assume responsibility for its emissions. A dissonance exists between prioritizing fast development and making an effort to mitigate driving factors of climate change. By temporally examining the policies and stances of these quickly developing states versus other developing and developed states involved in climate talks, it becomes increasingly clear that the international community lacks a consensus on a clear responsibility that these states should assume.

Does A Country’s Level of Development Affect or Determine Their Commitment to Climate Change Mitigation Efforts?

Presenter(s): Valeska Ramirez − General Social Science: Globalization, Environment And Policy

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell, Sarah Crown

Poster 178

Research Area: Social Science

It is known that climate change is an ever pressing issue, and that countries around the world face different levels of vulnerability associated with their abilities to mitigate climate change issues. The research will analyze if a country’s level of development affects or determines their commitment to climate change mitigation. I will be researching this question by analyzing theory in relevant literature that allows us to quantify level of development of different countries being researched. The theory in turn will allow us to categorize a country as developed or developing. There will be control for variation by researching four countries, two developing and two developed, that are a part of the Cartagena Dialogue, a negotiating group of alliances that were formed at the Paris climate conference. Countries within the Cartagena Dialogue are working towards an ambitious, legally binding agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention. Mitigation levels will be researched and measured for each country, with the Cartagena Dialogue serving as a baseline year for each of the four countries researched. Levels of mitigation will be looked at before and after to conclude if the countries joining the dialogue have taken initiative in climate change mitigation efforts. People should have the opportunity to mitigate and adapt to climate change regardless of where in the world it is happening. There are interests to investigate how environmental impacts vary across a country’s level of development and who bares the cost of climate change. Possible implications or conclusions I hope to find based on analysis is whether or not a country’s level of development motivates climate change mitigation efforts through policy.

Individualistic countries lack of commitment to Climate Change Mitigation

Presenter(s): Emma Palen − Earth Sciences – Environmental Geoscience Track

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell, Sarah Crown

Poster 176

Research Area: Social and Natural Science

Climate Change mitigation is discussed globally by groups of countries that have chosen to bond together. Preliminary research was conducted to identify which countries were considered individualistic and which were considered to be more community-based. For the purposes of this research, the Geert Hofstede model was used to categorize these countries into one or the other. The question that is addressed in this paper is are countries with individualistic culture less committed to climate change mitigation efforts? Policy makers are interested in this question because Climate change is an imperative issue that should be taken seriously and one of the first steps is identifying why certain countries have less commitment. The methods used to analyze this question included looking at the countries CO2 emissions 10 years before and 10 years after the Kyoto climate change agreement. It is expected that those countries who are identified as individualistic will be less committed to mitigating Climate change and this will be shown with no change or an increase in their CO2 after the Kyoto agreement. Those who demonstrate a more community-centered culture will have lower CO2 emissions after the agreement displaying their commitment to mitigating the issue. The primary results indicate that individualistic countries are less committed to climate change mitigation.

An examination into the Success or Failure of the EU Negotiating Group’s Climate Policy on Lowering Emissions

Presenter(s): Marie Moore − Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Crown, Ronald Mitchell

Poster 172

Research Area: Political Science

For my poster project I have chosen to research the climate policy of the European Union (EU) negotiating group. The EU negotiating group consists of 28 countries that have collaborated on one official climate policy. For my research I am investigated what carbon dioxide emission reduction commitments the EU negotiating group have established. I am exploring which European countries have met their goals or if they were unsuccessful in lowering emissions and why that is. I am researching variables, such as clean energy sources, that have led to countries successfully lowering emissions. By gaining a deeper understanding of what has worked for other countries in combating climate change, we as a country would have an effective template on how to successfully lower our emissions.

The Environmental Integrity Group: Each Country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution Commitments

Presenter(s): Barbara Lombardi − Business

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell

Poster 166

Research Area: Policy

This research will explore the Environmental Integrity negotiating Group’s position on climate change and how that aligns with the five individual country’s stances. The primary research question is: despite the fact that Mexico, South Korea, Lichtenstein, Monaco, and Switzerland belong to the same negotiating group, did each country make the same Intended Nationally Determined Contribution commitments? The position of the Environmental Integrity Group will be examined and compared to each individual country’s previous activities, Greenhouse Gas emissions, and policy implementations. Primary research suggests that these countries have different emission patterns and mitigation targets. These five country’s all agreed to be apart of a common group adopting the same values, but do they individually all end up making the same individual contributions? Each country’s vulnerability to climate change may play a vital role in their decision to form a group. These questions are important to answer because if these vastly different country’s are able to agree on solutions to global warming, then possibly all country’s can reach an agreement to make a significant impact on reversing climate change.