The Commons and the Climate: Dynamising the One to Stabilise the Other

Abstract

"The challenges of responding in an effective and timely way to the challenge posed by global climate change are manifold, multidimensional, complex and utterly unprecedented in human history. The issue to be briefly raised here is whether the 'commons movement' can be further energized and focused to play useful roles in the response, and how such and efforts might be most effectively be approached. Climate stabilization and sustainable development will require halting the rise in atmospheric concentration of CO2-equiv(ppmv) before warming of the Earth's surface by the greenhouse effect not only imposes great damages to human welfare and well-being, but becomes uncontrollably self-reinforcing with catastrophic ecological and societal consequences. Putting to one side the many frustratingly difficult problems of achieving timely international political commitments to action in this sphere, this presentation will highlight key technological and resource mobilization challenges, and the correlative institutional and organizational challenges -- some that will be addressed by papers in the parallel sessions and other keynote speakers. I will emphasize the continuing need for the commons movement to offer concrete solutions that help meet the demanding informational requirements for reliable, timely and effectively coordinated action in both the technological and institutional domains. My presentation will point out several opportunities to pursue specific novel fields for 'bottom up' initiatives in commons creation and governance that could make important contributions to extending and improving the effectiveness of the 'knowledge commons'."