Climate change in Bronxville, New York

14th Sep 2008

UN Expert on climate change

September 14, Bronxville, New York.

On a beautiful summer afternoon, at the home of Erica and Bruce Forester, both FRSAs, 22 of us gathered in the garden to hear Nikhil Chandavarkar, a UN expert, talk about climate change.

The meeting had been inspired by an article in The New Yorker magazine describing how Samso, a small Danish island with a population of 4,000, is one of the first communities on the planet to become carbon neutral. 

The good news is the scientific case is now accepted even by President Bush that fossil fuels and CO2 in particular is one of the main causes of global warming.  The bad news is that new coal-fired power plants are being constructed at an alarming rate, particularly in China and India, driven by the growth of an urban middle class that seeks the same quality of living as that achieved in the US and EU. 

Discussion centered on how to reverse current trends and follow the example set by Samso.  After the meeting, Nikhil and his son calculated the current CO2 production in Bronxville and the kind of CO2 reduction targets required in the next few years to become carbon neutral.  We are hoping to organize a follow-up gathering to take the conversation a stage further. 

As a bonus, the Foresters showed us their fine collection of Hudson River School paintings and offered us wine and other good things that encouraged discussion.

Event Gallery