WHAT IS THE COP21 & WHY IS IDEAL ENERGY ATTENDING?

On Monday, climate talks began in Paris that will continue for two weeks. Officially, the event is called the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the organizing body that puts on the climate change negotiations.

The conference is bringing and estimated 50,000 heads of state, delegates, scientists, NGOs, and businesses leaders committed together to creating a climate positive future. During the historic conference, world leaders are expected to develop the first ever universal climate change agreement- an attempt to slow down climate change by reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions being emitted into the atmosphere.

Ideal Energy is attending COP21 alongside Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC), and the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) to share the success story of an American heartland business that is reducing carbon emissions. Ideal Energy is helping to grow an economy that directly fulfills the goals of the COP21 climate talks, creates jobs and reduces carbon emissions. We would like to see a world where everyone lives with dignity and opportunity. For this we are asking our political leaders to take strong actions in Paris that will set the necessary global restrictions on carbon emissions before we’ve reached the point of no return.
An in-depth look at the COP21 on the Huffington post>

OPENING REMARKS

President Obama’s opening remarks gave a message of both urgency and hope, indicating that the COP21 could be a turning point in human history if delegates can come together to draft a strong climate agreement.

“Over the last seven years, we’ve made ambitious investments in clean energy, and ambitious reductions in our carbon emissions,” said President Obama during his opening remarks, “We’ve multiplied wind power threefold, and solar power more than twentyfold, helping create parts of America where these clean power sources are finally cheaper than dirtier, conventional power.” The French president, François Hollande, echoes Obama’s comments, calling coal, oil and gas the energies of the past.

Obama continues that innovation and creativity is the way forward. “Let’s show businesses and investors that the global economy is on a firm path towards a low-carbon future. If we put the right rules and incentives in place, we’ll unleash the creative power of our best scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs to deploy clean energy technologies and the new jobs and new opportunities that they create all around the world.”
For complete remarks, read the White House press release here >

PACIFIC LEADERS URGENT CALL FOR HELP

Pacific Communities made an urgent plea that action is taken before it’s too late. Island nations like Tuvalu face disappearing altogether if rising sea levels continue.

“Just imagine you are in my shoes,” said Tuvalu’s Prime Minister, Enele Sosene Sopoaga to leaders at the UN in Paris on Monday. “I believe no leader in this room carries such a level of worry and responsibility. No leader … can say the total of his territory and all citizens will disappear if we allow temperature increase of 1.5 degrees.”
A closer look at Leaders of Island Nations at COP21 here >

CLIMATE CHANGE & INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT

Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President of Iran, wisely stated that the negotiations should address the relationship between conflict and climate change.

“I wish to urge the UN system to initiate an assessment on the carbon footprints of war, conflicts, security and terrorism,” Ebtekar said. “Those perpetuating conflicts are in fact accomplices of the global warming process.”

In response to Ebtekar, Ideal Energy founder and former US Navy SEAL Troy Van Beek comments that, “War can almost always be traced to a situation of lack. It is the inequality of representation in ideas or resources that leads to violent action. War is an expensive endeavor that cost incalculable amounts of human and environmental resources in it’s efforts to find “peace”. I propose we instead look to eliminate war through technology that has the potential of creating abundance like renewable energy. As a former United States Navy SEAL it has become clear to me that an investment into solar and wind technology is an investment into peace and prosperity for our planetary culture.”

BILL GATES LAUNCHES BREAKTHROUGH ENERGY COALITION

Bill Gates announced at the launch of the COP21 of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition – with a purpose to advance the production of clean energy. The group’s investors include hedge fund billionaires who will also work to boost research and development into new technologies to deliver clean energy. The Coalition includes Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma, Richard Branson and George Soros.
More on the Breakthrough Energy Coalition website >

I’m excited to announce the Breakthrough Energy Coalition: https://t.co/C7pz3oKPNb pic.twitter.com/OE2InTVf62

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) November 30, 2015