Nitin Raikar's Top 25 Climate Change Websites
Back in July, our CEO Melissa and I went to Melbourne for The Climate Project Asia Pacific Summit. For alumni like Melissa, it was a chance to catch up with fellow presenters and get up to date on the current climate change science. For newbies like me, it was our opportunity to learn -- from the scientists, from the presentation experts, and from Al Gore himself -- completing the weekend prepared to deliver the Inconvenient Truth presentations within our own communities.
One of the folks at the summit was Nitin Raikar, a TCP Ambassador for India. This week, Nitin put together his top 25 climate change websites; we thought the list was too good not to share! So without further ado, here you go:
Australian Conservation Foundation
The Australian Conservation Foundation were the hosts of the TCP Asia-Pacific Summit. The website gives a national, Australian focus to key environmental issues; it's got news, research, and action tools with a focus on promoting solutions.
Climate Analysis Indicators Tool
The Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) is an information and analysis tool on global climate change developed by the World Resources Institute. CAIT provides a comprehensive and comparable database of greenhouse gas emissions data (including all major sources and sinks) and other climate-relevant indicators. CAIT can be used to analyze a wide range of climate-related data questions and to help support future policy decisions.
Climate Change Resource material from BBC
The BBC has put together an awesome list of Q&As covering science, politics and economics.
RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. They aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion is restricted to scientific topics and doesn't get involved in any political or economic implications of the science. All posts are signed by the author(s), except ‘group’ posts which are collective efforts from the whole team.
Links directly to the Greenpeace environmental campaign, including news, reports, and information about what you can do to get involved.
Environmental Protection Agency USA
Everything you've ever wanted to know about climate change: science, health, regulations, policy, what you can do... even an area on Climate Change for Kids!
The climate change area of the European Commission website, including policies, integration, funding, news and resources.
350.org is the global movement to get carbon parts per million in the atmosphere back down to 350 or below -- the optimum level for humanity. On October 24th of this year, more than 5,200 events took place all around the world, including one in Christchurch (pictured) that I emceed!
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change is the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences. It reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. It does not conduct any research nor does it monitor climate related data or parameters.
The IEA provides analyses on the energy dimension of climate change and the energy implications of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. The Agency’s areas of expertise include emissions trading and the CDM (from international architecture to domestic implementation issues), the links between energy security and climate policy goals and, the effects of policy uncertainty on investment, and sectoral approaches to emission reductions.
Ministry of Environment & Forests (Govt of India)
Land re-purposing (turning forests into farms) is one of the single biggest contributors to carbon emissions globally. Get the info here about how the government of India is tackling the issue.
National Aeronautics & Space Administration
This site is awesome! Great interactive features, including vital signsof the Earch like Arctic sea ice, CO2, sea level, and global temperature. Also the most GORGEOUS background image (which loads before the rest of the content).
All of the climate change news from this venerable magazine. Policy, society, discussion of anthropogenic change, and more.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change brings together business leaders, policy makers, scientists, and other experts to bring a new approach to a complex and often controversial issue. Their approach is based on sound science, straight talk, and a belief that we can work together to protect the climate while sustaining economic growth.
Report released last month synthesizing the most policy-relevant climate science published since the close-off of material for the last IPCC report. The entire report is available for download, with the executive summary available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
The International Scientific Congress, organised by the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) and entitled "Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions", has already been held, but the long road to the Congress is still of interest and these pages can help you in your efforts on creating a comprehensive overview on the process. You'll also be able to find some general information about the Congress and the output.
TCPI is a chapter of an international non-profit org consisting of 2,500 dedicated volunteers across the globe. All personally trained by Al Gore, they give clear and concise presentations on the impacts and solutions to Climate Change. In India we aim to inspire our country to take a leading role in solving this crisis by spreading awareness on the critical urgency of action.
These are the folks who started Al Gore's TCP movement, training Melissa, me, and nearly 3,000 people around the world to be able to raise awareness and engage in informed discussion in our communities.
The Energy Research Institute (TERI)
Headquartered in New Delhi, TERI is an institute for the development of solutions to global problems in the fields of energy, environment and current patterns of development, which are largely unsustainable. The central element of TERI’s philosophy has been its reliance on entrepreneurial skills to create benefits for society through the development and dissemination of intellectual property. The strength of the Institute lies in not only identifying and articulating intellectual challenges straddling a number of disciplines of knowledge but also in mounting research, training and demonstration projects leading to development of specific problem-based advanced technologies that help carry benefits to society at large.
United Nations Environment Program
The UNEP's mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The UNFCCC was the original treaty of nations to begin to consider what can be done to reduce global warming and to cope with whatever temperature increases are inevitable. The Kyoto Protocol was actually an addition to the UNFCCC.
Needs no introduction.
Solutions to climate change have economics at their very core. In 2005, the Group of Eight asked the World Bank to develop a plan for more investments in clean energy in the developing world, in cooperation with other international financial institutions. Follow the link to find out what they're up to.
Links to the climate change area of the World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) website. WWF has lots going on -- they're working with large business, have produced a Vision for 2050, have instigated a massive policy drive, and more.
The Worldwatch Institute is an independent research organization recognized by opinion leaders around the world for its accessible, fact-based analysis of critical global issues. Worldwatch focuses on the 21st-century challenges of climate change, resource degradation, population growth, and poverty by developing and disseminating solid data and innovative strategies for achieving a sustainable society.
good information
Posted by: Pawan Joshi | December 07, 2009 at 04:13 AM
Thanks! We thought Nitin did a GREAT job with this.
Posted by: Kaila Colbin | December 07, 2009 at 11:11 AM
The collection is carefully handpicked and extremely useful for the one and all, who is on the earth.
Posted by: Ashok Jain SISL Naliya | December 10, 2009 at 09:20 PM
:D :D :D :D
Posted by: ouiskiki | January 30, 2010 at 11:08 AM