Kyoto's Climate Battle: Doubt, Heroes, and Enduring Lessons - Episode Hero Image

Kyoto's Climate Battle: Doubt, Heroes, and Enduring Lessons

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford · · Listen to Original Episode →
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Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Books

  • "The Data Detective" by Tim Harford - This book explores misinformation and disinformation, drawing parallels between the tactics used by the tobacco industry and those employed in climate change discussions.
  • "Merchants of Doubt" - This book provided significant research and information for the play "Kyoto," particularly regarding the tactics used by lobbyists.

Plays

  • "Kyoto" by Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy - A play about the 1997 Kyoto climate conference, currently on stage at the Lincoln Center in New York after sellout runs in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. It dramatizes the negotiations and the role of figures like Don Pearlman.

People Mentioned

  • Don Pearlman (American oil lobbyist, worked in Reagan administration's Department of Energy) - A central figure in the play "Kyoto," he was a brilliant strategist and lawyer who effectively worked to obfuscate and stall climate negotiations.
  • Stephen Kunken (Actor) - Plays Don Pearlman in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "Kyoto."
  • Raul Estrada Oyuela (Argentinian diplomat, chair of COP 3) - Mentioned for his role in chairing the Kyoto conference and his dedication during the fraught final negotiations.
  • Ben Santer (Climate Scientist) - A real character represented in the play "Kyoto" who, with his colleagues, discovered a "fingerprint" of man-made emissions on global climate.
  • Tim Lattimer (US climate negotiator) - Mentioned as a former US climate negotiator who now teaches negotiation and attended the play "Kyoto."
  • John Prescott (Deputy Prime Minister of the UK) - Played a crucial, if unexpected, role as the lead negotiator for the European Union during the Kyoto talks, known for his resilience and negotiation skills.
  • Dr. Shu Kong Jong (Head of the Chinese delegation for much of the 1990s) - Mentioned for his statement, "China will not remain poor so that the world can breathe," which encapsulates a central tension in climate negotiations.
  • Richard Garfield (Inventor of Magic: The Gathering and King of Tokyo) - Invited to join a special episode of "Cautionary Questions" to discuss game design.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - A UN body formed in 1988 tasked with bringing together available science on climate change and advising governments.
  • Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) - Formed in 1992, this block of small island nations became a significant moral compass in climate negotiations due to their immediate vulnerability to rising sea levels.

Other Resources

  • COP 3 (Kyoto International Conference Center, December 1997) - The third Conference of the Parties where the world's first legally binding climate agreement was attempted.
  • COP 30 (Belém, Brazil) - The contemporary climate conference where delegates are meeting to reinforce global cooperation and speed up UN climate agreements.

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