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karynnj

(59,944 posts)
Tue Jun 7, 2016, 10:46 AM Jun 2016

Kerry announced that Boston will host a 2017 climate change summit

BEIJING – Secretary of State John F. Kerry announced Tuesday at a climate change summit that Boston will host the conference in 2017 — an event that is expected to draw some 2,000 business officials and urban leaders from across the United States and China.

Declaring that cities like Boston were “in the eye of the climate change storm,” Kerry warned mayors and civic leaders that the effects of greenhouse gases were “moving faster than anyone anticipated,” citing all-time high global temperatures and record-breaking rain in Paris and Houston. In announcing the selection of Boston as the location of next year’s summit, Kerry recognized Mayor Martin J. Walsh in the audience, saying the conference will give Massachusetts’s capital the opportunity to emerge as a global leader in the battle against climate change.


“Boston is a coastal city that understands the threat of rising sea levels and extreme weather,” Kerry said. “It has already taken extreme steps in order to reduce emissions and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change.”

Kerry’s speech served as a capstone to a climate summit that brought together mayors and other urban leaders from more than 60 cities in the United States and China. In hosting the third conference in 2017, Boston will follow Los Angeles and Beijing as cities from the world’s two largest economies cooperating in the struggle to curb emissions.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/06/07/boston-host-major-climate-summit/UvMXXRV3Q5w7OIm4Cc2ZqJ/story.html

Given that this is next year, I can only assume that Kerry is operating under the assumption that Trump does not become President! However, if he does the State Department efforts to engage cities around the world directly will be ever more important.

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Kerry announced that Boston will host a 2017 climate change summit (Original Post) karynnj Jun 2016 OP
This is good news. Even... YvonneCa Jun 2016 #1
I agree and there is a lot that can be done by cities, states and regions if the federal gov't is karynnj Jun 2016 #2
the Boston location just has to feel satisfying. MBS Jun 2016 #3

YvonneCa

(10,117 posts)
1. This is good news. Even...
Tue Jun 7, 2016, 04:09 PM
Jun 2016

...if we had a Republican president 😳 it would take time to undo such an action. Probably impossible to defund or change what the city of Boston has committed to do.
Maybe putting these kinds of projects into place is the best inoculation against a GOP administration's agenda?

karynnj

(59,944 posts)
2. I agree and there is a lot that can be done by cities, states and regions if the federal gov't is
Tue Jun 7, 2016, 04:33 PM
Jun 2016

not working. Remember all the things Kerry spoke of as happening when he did the book tour in 2007.

Last fall, Bloomberg who was working with the State Department (and the UN and his own philanthropy) on something similar spoke of how the cities could help each other by sharing what worked and what didn't. http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/10/248043.htm

It would be hard to believe that Kerry himself would not be involved -- no matter who is President.

MBS

(9,688 posts)
3. the Boston location just has to feel satisfying.
Wed Jun 8, 2016, 04:23 AM
Jun 2016

So appropriate for so many reasons.

Also, it is (or was) the home base for Holdren, Obama's science advisor (who also held an endowed professorship in John Heinz' name, if I'm remembering right)- Holdren also has been a strong consistent voice on climate change, even before joining the administration.

Sec. Kerry has been doing a magnificent job as SoS

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