Winter 2010 Climate Alert
Mexico: Inspiring Climate Solutions [ PDF ]
In this Newsletter:
A Message from the President: Mexico Lights the Way to Climate Stabilization
John C. Topping Jr., President and CEO, Climate Institute
In September 2006, on its 20th anniversary, the Climate Institute convened a Washington Summit on Climate Stabilization that explored collaborative strategies to ensure the climate did not pass crucial tipping points. This resulted in a compelling book, Sudden and Disruptive Climate Change: Exploring the Real Risks and How We Can Avoid Them. The most significant development, however, was a message to the Climate Institute from the Director of Mexico’s National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) inviting the Climate Institute to locate its high altitude climate observatory atop Sierra Negra near a powerful radio telescope operated by INAOE and University of Massachusetts.
The Pedro and Elena Hernández Foundation stepped forward with funds to design and begin construction of the observatory, and NASA, NOAA and the Meteorological Service of Mexico agreed to provide instruments for this observatory that would soon be a vital part of the Global Change Observing System run by the World Meteorological Organization. The planned Observatory was named for Sir Crispin Tickell, Chairman Emeritus of the Climate Institute, an environmental folk hero in Mexico, and an individual who has rallied the world to confront climate change. All this helped to shift public thinking on climate change and move Mexico to the lead in North America in both climate awareness and climate action with all three major national parties supporting strong action on emissions.
The State of Puebla, site of the Tickell Observatory, collaborated with the Climate Institute to build an observatory outreach center in Flor del Bosque, an environmental education park. About 90,000 visitors have received climate change briefings in its climate theater over the past year. In February 2010 similar theaters will open at Mexico City’s Museum of Natural History and the Environment and in San Miguel Acapantzingo Ecological Park in Cuernavaca. By 2012 there are likely to be a dozen climate theaters in Mexico, and other theaters in Central America, the Philippines, the US and the UK will connect to the Tickell Network. 
The goal of this Interactive Network is ultimately to bring millions of minds to environmental problem solving. Already Mexico has indicated a commitment to reduce CO2 emissions 50% below 2002 levels by 2050. Several Mexican States appear willing to move ahead to control greenhouse gases and black carbon even before an international agreement. As host of COP 16 and as a pioneer in mobilizing the public to constructive action, Mexico may have created a path to climate stabilization past anything possible by negotiations alone.
The Tickell High Altitude Observatory and the resulting Tickell Interactive Network on Climate Awareness and Response are the realization of the dream of Luis Roberto Acosta, the Climate Institute's remarkable Director of Mexico and Latin America Regional Programs. 
With the generous and imaginative support of other key leaders of the Climate Institute's Mexico program, especially Carlos Diaz Leal, Dra. Aurora Elena Ramos, Barbara Hernández, and Margie Simon de Ortiz, Luis Roberto Acosta has moved Mexico to the forefront in climate protection. Aided by Sir Crispin Tickell and the Climate Institute's Chief Scientist for Climate Change Programs, Dr. Michael MacCracken, our Mexico team has catalyzed interest among news media, including Discovery Channel Latin America and Televisa, in Mexico's bid to become a world leader in climate protection. Meanwhile, using the pioneering Science On a Sphere projection technology developed by Dr. Alexander MacDonald, Director of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, the Tickell Network has already begun to attract the interest and enthusiastic involvement of thousands of young Mexican climate problem solvers. By bringing many more minds to climate problem solving, our ingenious colleagues in Mexico may be lighting the way to climate stabilization.
Other Articles in this Newsletter:
Pride In Having World’s Highest Observatory Sparks Growth of Interactive Network
Primer Centro Nacional de Observación Climática Global de Gran Altitud Sir Crispin Tickell
Tickell High Altitude Climate Observatory Fills Crucial Gap in Greenhouse Gas Analysis
Sir Crispin Tickell: un pionero ambiental
Sir Crispin Tickell: Environmental Pioneer
El primer enlace estadounidense con la Red de Educación y Vigilancia Climática GlobalTickell está programado para el día de la tierra del 2010 en New Hampshire
Heherson Alvarez Appointed Climate Change Commissioner
Heherson Álvarez nombrado Comisario del cambio climático