Conference Conundrums

Baxter Krug

Chemistry and Communication - Angelo State University

It’s been a strange week. One day, I was enjoying my morning tea when I heard that Chile will no longer host COP25 and realizing that I, literally, don’t know where on Earth I need to be in a few weeks. On top of being a weird way to start the morning, this poses a new set of logistical challenges for the organizers of the UNFCCC and the thousands of delegates that are set to discuss the hottest news in climate science. Let’s take a brief dive into what’s going on and over the next couple of weeks, you’ll see some articles put out by my colleagues that go deeper into specific subjects.

Chile has 2,700 miles of coastline (4,300 km) and is one of the most vulnerable countries on Earth to the rising sea levels associated with climate change. Naturally, they have a stake in the state of environmental affairs and offered to host COP25. Until a few weeks ago, they were on track to do so, and I even visited their embassy, along with my fellow students on climate change, to better understand the culture of Chile before our arrival. However, there has been massive damage to the capital and growing unrest among the Chilean people after a string of protests which make hosting the upcoming COP25 unsustainable.

This is the first time in the history of the UNFCCC that a country has withdrawn its offer to host a conference on short notice. For reference, planning a COP generally takes a year and there is only one month until COP25. I do not envy the people who are reorganizing the conference and commend them for their dedication to saving the world. Climate change is the largest threat to mankind and without a unified action by the world governments, we may pass the point of no return.

Luckily, we’ve received word from the UN that Spain has arranged to host the conference in Madrid. Problem solved, right? Sort of, there are numerous unique challenges associated with hosting a massive international conference. The estimated 25,000 attendees converging on a city’s infrastructure not the least among them. To curtail these issues the Spanish government is dedicating resources to support delegations during the conference by fast-tracking visas and alerting local businesses. Madrid itself is also no stranger to massive crowds suddenly descending on it, with the Copa de Libertadores providing ample practice.

A lot has happened in a very brief time, but it looks like things will get worked out. There’s a lot to talk about moving forward and a bunch of questions to ask. Hopefully you’ll join us as we explore some of those topics and share our stories of the COP25 experience.
Now, I’ve got some questions for you.

1. What are some of the lasting effects of Chile no longer hosting COP25?
2. How does this impact the conversations about climate change?
   

We’ll keep our blog/social media updated with the latest news and awesome stories about how climate impacts daily life! Naturally, we’re happy to answer any of questions in the comments below.

Further Reading:

• https://unfccc.int/COP25
• https://www.unscn.org/en/topics/climate-change-and-nutrition?idnews=1909
  

• https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/11/01/inenglish/1572600094_630306.html
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ci.html

Acronyms:
UNFCCC = United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
COP25 = Twenty-fifth Conference of the Parties on climate change, sponsored by UNFCCC