query: 195 countries signed the 2015 Paris Agreement, agreeing to limit global warming and adapt to climate change, partly by protecting nature.

positive: 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference , COP 21 or CMP 11 was held in Paris , France , from 30 November to 12 December 2015 . It was the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties ( COP ) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) and the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties ( CMP ) to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol .   The conference negotiated the Paris Agreement , a global agreement on the reduction of climate change , the text of which represented a consensus of the representatives of the 196 parties attending it . The agreement will enter into force when joined by at least 55 countries which together represent at least 55 percent of global greenhouse emissions . On 22 April 2016 ( Earth Day ) , 174 countries signed the agreement in New York ,  and began adopting it within their own legal systems ( through ratification , acceptance , approval , or accession ) .   According to the organizing committee at the outset of the talks , the expected key result was an agreement to set a goal of limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius ( ° C ) compared to pre-industrial levels . The agreement calls for zero net anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to be reached during the second half of the 21st century . In the adopted version of the Paris Agreement , the parties will also `` pursue efforts to '' limit the temperature increase to 1.5 ° C . The 1.5 ° C goal will require zero emissions sometime between 2030 and 2050 , according to some scientists .   Prior to the conference , 146 national climate panels publicly presented draft national climate contributions ( called `` Intended Nationally Determined Contributions '' , INDCs ) . These suggested commitments were estimated to limit global warming to 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100 . For example , the EU suggested INDC is a commitment to a 40 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 . The agreement establishes a `` global stocktake '' which revisits the national goals to `` update and enhance '' them every five years beginning 2023 . However , no detailed timetable or country-specific goals for emissions were incorporated into the Paris Agreement -- as opposed to the previous Kyoto Protocol .   A number of meetings took place in preparation for COP21 , including the Bonn Climate Change Conference , 19 to 23 October 2015 , which produced a draft agreement .

positive: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) is an international environmental treaty adopted on May 9 , 1992 and opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992 . It then entered into force on 21 March 1994 , after a sufficient number of countries had ratified it . The UNFCCC objective is to `` stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system '' . The framework sets no binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and contains no enforcement mechanisms . Instead , the framework outlines how specific international treaties ( called `` protocols '' or `` Agreements '' ) may be negotiated to specify further action towards the objective of the UNFCCC .   Initially an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee ( INC ) produced the text of the Framework Convention during its meeting in New York from 30 April to 9 May 1992 . The UNFCCC was adopted on 9 May 1992 , and opened for signature on 4 June 1992 . The UNFCCC has 197 parties as of December 2015 . The convention enjoys broad legitimacy , largely due to its nearly universal membership .   The parties to the convention have met annually from 1995 in Conferences of the Parties ( COP ) to assess progress in dealing with climate change . In 1997 , the Kyoto Protocol was concluded and established legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the period 2008-2012 . The 2010 Cancún agreements state that future global warming should be limited to below 2.0 ° C ( 3.6 ° F ) relative to the pre-industrial level . The Protocol was amended in 2012 to encompass the period 2013-2020 in the Doha Amendment , which - as of December 2015 - had not entered into force . In 2015 the Paris Agreement was adopted , governing emission reductions from 2020 on through commitments of countries in ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions . The Paris Agreement entered into force on November 4th , 2016 .   One of the first tasks set by the UNFCCC was for signatory nations to establish national greenhouse gas inventories of greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions and removals , which were used to create the 1990 benchmark levels for accession of Annex I countries to the Kyoto Protocol and for the commitment of those countries to GHG reductions . Updated inventories must be submitted annually by Annex I countries .   The UNFCCC is also the name of the United Nations Secretariat charged with supporting the operation of the Convention , with offices in Haus Carstanjen , and the UN Campus ( known as Langer Eugen ) Bonn , Germany . From 2010 to 2016 the head of the secretariat was Christiana Figueres . In July 2016 , Patricia Espinosa from Mexico succeeded Figueres . The Secretariat , augmented through the parallel efforts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) , aims to gain consensus through meetings and the discussion of various strategies .

positive: Global warming Global warming , also referred to as climate change , is the observed century-scale rise in the average temperature of the Earth 's climate system and its related effects . Multiple lines of scientific evidence show that the climate system is warming . Many of the observed changes since the 1950s are unprecedented in the instrumental temperature record which extends back to the mid 19th century , and in paleoclimate proxy records over thousands of years .   In 2013 , the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) Fifth Assessment Report concluded that `` It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century . '' The largest human influence has been emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide , methane and nitrous oxide . Climate model projections summarized in the report indicated that during the 21st century the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 0.3 to for their lowest emissions scenario and 2.6 to for the highest emissions scenario . These findings have been recognized by the national science academies of the major industrialized nations and are not disputed by any scientific body of national or international standing .   Future climate change and associated impacts will differ from region to region around the globe . Anticipated effects include warming global temperature , rising sea levels , changing precipitation , and expansion of deserts in the subtropics . Warming is expected to be greater over land than over the oceans and greatest in the Arctic , with the continuing retreat of glaciers , permafrost and sea ice . Other likely changes include more frequent extreme weather events including heat waves , droughts , heavy rainfall with floods and heavy snowfall ; ocean acidification ; and species extinctions due to shifting temperature regimes . Effects significant to humans include the threat to food security from decreasing crop yields and the abandonment of populated areas due to rising sea levels . Because the climate system has a large `` inertia '' and greenhouse gases will stay in the atmosphere for a long time , many of these effects will not only exist for decades or centuries , but will persist for tens of thousands of years .   Possible societal responses to global warming include mitigation by emissions reduction , adaptation to its effects , building systems resilient to its effects , and possible future climate engineering . Most countries are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) ,  whose ultimate objective is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic climate change . Parties to the UNFCCC have agreed that deep cuts in emissions are required and that global warming should be limited to well below 2.0 C-change relative to pre-industrial levels , with efforts made to limit warming to 1.5 C-change .   Public reactions to global warming and concern about its effects are also increasing . A global 2015 Pew Research Center report showed a median of 54 % consider it `` a very serious problem '' . There are significant regional differences , with Americans and Chinese ( whose economies are responsible for the greatest annual CO2 emissions ) among the least concerned .

negative: 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference ( COP17 ) was held in Durban , South Africa , from 28 November to 11 December 2011 to establish a new treaty to limit carbon emissions .   A treaty was not established , but the conference agreed to establish a legally binding deal comprising all countries by 2015 , which was to take effect in 2020 . There was also progress regarding the creation of a Green Climate Fund for which a management framework was adopted . The fund is to distribute US$ 100 billion per year to help poor countries adapt to climate impacts .   While the president of the conference , Maite Nkoana-Mashabane , declared it a success , scientists and environmental groups warned that the deal was not sufficient to avoid global warming beyond 2 ° C as more urgent action is needed .

negative: Earth Day Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 . Worldwide , various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection . First celebrated in 1970 , Earth Day events in more than 193 countries are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network .   On Earth Day 2016 , the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States , China , and some 120 other countries . This signing satisfied a key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris .   In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco , peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace , to first be celebrated on March 21 , 1970 , the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere . This day of nature 's equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations . A month later a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22 , 1970 . Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in recognition of his work . While this April 22 Earth Day was focused on the United States , an organization launched by Denis Hayes , who was the original national coordinator in 1970 , took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations .   Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week , an entire week of activities focused on the environmental issues that the world faces . In 2017 , the March for Science occurred on Earth day ( April 22 , 2017 ) and will be followed by the People 's Climate Mobilization ( April 29 , 2017 ) .

negative: Intended Nationally Determined Contributions Intended Nationally Determined Contributions ( INDCs ) is a term used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that all countries that signed the UNFCCC were asked to publish in the lead up to the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Paris , France in December 2015 . These intended contributions were determined without prejudice to the legal nature of the contributions . The term was intended as a compromise between `` quantified emissions limitation and reduction objective '' ( QUELROs ) and `` nationally appropriate mitigation actions '' ( NAMAs ) that the Kyoto Protocol used to describe the different legal obligations of developed and developing countries . Under the Paris Agreement , adopted in December 2015 , the INDC will become the first Nationally Determined Contribution when a country ratifies the agreement , unless they decide to submit a new NDC at the same time . Once the Paris Agreement is ratified , the NDC will become the first greenhouse gas targets under the UNFCCC that applied equally to both developed and developing countries . On 3 August 2016 China and US ratified 2015 agreement on INDC . Together they both constitute 38 % of total global emission , with China 's alone emitting total of 20 % . India that has a Global share of GHGs emission at 4.1 % of that of world ratified Paris climate agreement on October 2 , 2016 by depositing the Instrument of ratification with the United nations .

negative: Action/2015 action/2015 was a global coalition of more than 2200 organisations and networks from over 150 countries , united by the belief that 2015 was a critical year for progress in the fight against climate change , poverty and inequality .   Throughout the year , this coalition engaged and mobilised the public at critical decision-making points to call on leaders to commit to strong goals and agreements at two crucial UN summits in 2015 - the UN General Assembly and the UN Climate Change Conference . Throughout the year millions of activists came together through action/2015 to ensure world leaders would feel the pressure to seize the opportunity to tackle poverty , inequality and climate change .   With 31 million campaign actions taken in 157 countries , action/2015 was a massive global movement for change -- the biggest-ever of its kind .

negative: Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change (2005 conference) In 2005, an international conference titled Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change: A Scientific Symposium on Stabilisation of Greenhouse Gases examined the link between atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration and global warming and its effects. The conference name was derived from Article 2 of the charter for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The conference explored the possible impacts at different levels of greenhouse gas emissions and how the climate might be stabilized at a desired level. The conference took place under the United Kingdom's presidency of the G8, with the participation of around 200 "internationally renowned" scientists from 30 countries. It was chaired by Dennis Tirpak and hosted by the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research in Exeter, from 1 February to 3 February. The conference was one of many meetings leading up to the 2015 Paris Agreement, at which the international community agreed to limit global warming to no more than 2C in order to have a 50-50 chance of avoiding dangerous climate change. However, a 2018 published study points at a threshold at which temperatures could rise to 4 or 5 degrees through self-reinforcing feedbacks in the climate system, suggesting it is below the 2 degree temperature target.

negative: Climate change adaptation Climate change adaptation is a response to global warming and climate change , that seeks to reduce the vulnerability of social and biological systems to relatively sudden change and thus offset the effects of global warming . Even if emissions are stabilized relatively soon , global warming and its effects will last many years , and adaptation will be necessary to the resulting changes in climate . Adaptation is especially important in developing countries since those countries are predicted to bear the brunt of the effects of global warming . That is , the capacity and potential for humans to adapt ( called adaptive capacity ) is unevenly distributed across different regions and populations , and developing countries generally have less capacity to adapt ( Schneider et al. , 2007 ) . Furthermore , the degree of adaptation correlates to the situational focus on environmental issues . Therefore , adaptation requires the situational assessment of sensitivity and vulnerability to environmental impacts . Adaptive capacity is closely linked to social and economic development ( IPCC , 2007 ) . The economic costs of adaptation to climate change are likely to cost billions of dollars annually for the next several decades , though the amount of money needed is unknown . Donor countries promised an annual $ 100 billion by 2020 through the Green Climate Fund for developing countries to adapt to climate change . However , while the fund was set up during COP16 in Cancún , concrete pledges by developed countries have not been forthcoming . The adaptation challenge grows with the magnitude and the rate of climate change .   Another response to climate change , known as climate change mitigation ( Verbruggen , 2007 ) is to reduce greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions and/or enhance the removal of these gases from the atmosphere ( through carbon sinks ) . Even the most effective reductions in emissions , however , would not prevent further climate change impacts , making the need for adaptation unavoidable ( Klein et al. , 2007 ) . In a literature assessment , Klein et al. ( 2007 ) assessed options for adaptation . They concluded , with very high confidence , that in the absence of mitigation efforts , the effects of climate change would reach such a magnitude as to make adaptation impossible for some natural ecosystems . Others are concerned that climate adaptation programs might interfere with the existing development programs and thus lead to unintended consequences for vulnerable groups . For human systems , the economic and social costs of unmitigated climate change would be very high .

negative: Climate change mitigation scenarios Climate change mitigation scenarios are possible futures in which global warming is reduced by deliberate actions , such as a comprehensive switch to energy sources other than fossil fuels . A typical mitigation scenario is constructed by selecting a long-range target , such as a desired atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) , and then fitting the actions to the target , for example by placing a cap on net global and national emissions of greenhouse gases .   An increase of global temperature by more than 2 ° C has come to be the majority definition of what would constitute intolerably dangerous climate change with efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 ° C above pre-industrial levels per the Paris Agreement . Some climate scientists are increasingly of the opinion that the goal should be a complete restoration of the atmosphere 's preindustrial condition , on the grounds that too protracted a deviation from those conditions will produce irreversible changes .

negative: Effects of global warming The effects of global warming are the environmental and social changes caused ( directly or indirectly ) by human emissions of greenhouse gases . There is a scientific consensus that climate change is occurring , and that human activities are the primary driver . Many impacts of climate change have already been observed , including glacier retreat , changes in the timing of seasonal events ( e.g. , earlier flowering of plants ) , and changes in agricultural productivity .   Future effects of climate change will vary depending on climate change policies and social development . The two main policies to address climate change are reducing human greenhouse gas emissions ( climate change mitigation ) and adapting to the impacts of climate change . Geoengineering is another policy option .   Near-term climate change policies could significantly affect long-term climate change impacts . Stringent mitigation policies might be able to limit global warming ( in 2100 ) to around 2 ° C or below , relative to pre-industrial levels . Without mitigation , increased energy demand and extensive use of fossil fuels might lead to global warming of around 4 ° C. Higher magnitudes of global warming would be more difficult to adapt to , and would increase the risk of negative impacts .

negative: 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference was an international meeting of political leaders and activists to discuss environmental issues . It was held in Marrakech , Morocco from November 7 to 18 . The conference incorporated the twenty-second Conference of the Parties ( COP22 ) , the twelfth meeting of the parties for the Kyoto Protocol ( CMP12 ) , and the first meeting of the parties for the Paris Agreement ( CMA1 ) . The purpose of the conference was to discuss and implement plans about combatting climate change and to '' -LSB- demonstrate -RSB- to the world that the implementation of the Paris Agreement is underway '' . Participants work together to come up with global solutions to climate change .   The conference was presided over by Salaheddine Mezouar , the Moroccan Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation . Approximately 20,000 participants were expected to attend .   On 2 May 2016 , events firm GL Events signed the service contract . The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations also lent its support to the preparation for COP 22 '' .

negative: Climate change mitigation Climate change mitigation consists of actions to limit the magnitude or rate of long-term climate change . Climate change mitigation generally involves reductions in human ( anthropogenic ) emissions of greenhouse gases ( GHGs ) . Mitigation may also be achieved by increasing the capacity of carbon sinks , e.g. , through reforestation . Mitigation policies can substantially reduce the risks associated with human-induced global warming .   According to the IPCC 's 2014 assessment report , `` Mitigation is a public good ; climate change is a case of the ` tragedy of the commons . Effective climate change mitigation will not be achieved if each agent ( individual , institution or country ) acts independently in its own selfish interest ( see international cooperation and emissions trading ) , suggesting the need for collective action . Some adaptation actions , on the other hand , have characteristics of a private good as benefits of actions may accrue more directly to the individuals , regions , or countries that undertake them , at least in the short term . Nevertheless , financing such adaptive activities remains an issue , particularly for poor individuals and countries . ''   Examples of mitigation include phasing out fossil fuels by switching to low-carbon energy sources , such as renewable and nuclear energy , and expanding forests and other `` sinks '' to remove greater amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere . Energy efficiency may also play a role , for example , through improving the insulation of buildings . Another approach to climate change mitigation is climate engineering .   Most countries are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) . The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC is to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of GHGs at a level that would prevent dangerous human interference of the climate system . Scientific analysis can provide information on the impacts of climate change , but deciding which impacts are dangerous requires value judgments .   In 2010 , Parties to the UNFCCC agreed that future global warming should be limited to below 2.0 ° C ( 3.6 ° F ) relative to the pre-industrial level . With the Paris Agreement of 2015 this was confirmed , but was revised with a new target laying down `` parties will do the best '' to achieve warming below 1.5 ° C . The current trajectory of global greenhouse gas emissions does not appear to be consistent with limiting global warming to below 1.5 or 2 ° C . Other mitigation policies have been proposed , some of which are more stringent or modest than the 2 ° C limit .

negative: Climate Vulnerable Forum The Climate Vulnerable Forum ( CVF ) is a global partnership of countries that are disproportionately affected by the consequences of global warming . The forum addresses the negative effects of global warming as a result of heightened socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities . These countries actively seek a firm and urgent resolution to the current intensification of climate change , domestically and internationally .   The CVF was formed to increase the accountability of industrialized nations for the consequences of global climate change . It also aims to exert additional pressure for action to tackle the challenge , which includes local action by countries considered susceptible . Political leaders involved in this partnership are `` using their status as those most vulnerable to climate change to punch far above their weight at the negotiating table '' . The governments which founded the CVF agree to national commitments to pursue low-carbon development and carbon neutrality .   Ethiopia became the first African Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum during the CVF High-Level Climate Policy Forum held in the Senate of the Philippines on 15 August 2016 .   The Philippines was the Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris ( COP21 ) and oversaw the adoption of the body 's Manila-Paris Declaration at the Third High-Level Meeting of the Forum on 30 November 2015 . The Manila-Paris Declaration articulated the common concerns and commitments of vulnerable countries and urged the strengthening of the UNFCCC goal of limiting warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels . During this meeting the membership of the Climate Vulnerable Forum expanded to include 23 new members .   In 2015 , the twenty member countries in a forum chaired by the Philippines launched the official bloc of the forum , the ` V20 ' or ` Vulnerable Twenty ' , consisting of the top 20 nations from all over the world that are most affected by the catastrophes rooted from climate change . The members of the bloc are Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Barbados , Bhutan , Costa Rica , Ethiopia , Ghana , Kenya , Kiribati , Madagascar , Maldives , Nepal , Philippines , Rwanda , Saint Lucia , Tanzania , Timor-Leste , Tuvalu , Vanuatu and Vietnam . During the 2nd V20 Ministerial Dialogue in April 2016 in Washington DC , the V20 recognized the 23 new members that joined the CVF in 2015 as incoming members in the V20 initiative . These countries are currently and diversely affected by various climate change problems such as super storms , storm surges , tsunamis , droughts , famine due to climate factors , food shortage as by-product of climate change , power cutting , flash floods , mud slides , desertification , heatwaves , reduction of fresh water sources , and other effects of climate change . Climate change is globally believed and scientifically proven to have incurred from the economic activities of developed and developing nations and regions such as China , the United States , and Europe .

negative: Climate debt Climate debt is a theoretical concept which has been submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by over fifty countries including Bolivia , Bhutan , Malaysia , Micronesia , Sri Lanka , Paraguay , Venezuela and the Group of Least Developed countries , representing 49 of the world 's poorest and most vulnerable countries .

negative: Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and Their Habitats The Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and Their Habitats , also known as the Gorilla Agreement , is a Multilateral Environmental Agreement that binds the Parties to conserve gorillas in their territories . It was concluded 2007 under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals ( CMS ) , also known as the `` Bonn Convention '' , with scientific support from the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences and GRASP . The Gorilla Agreement covers 10 range States ( Angola , Cameroon , Central African Republic , Congo Republic , Democratic Republic of Congo , Equatorial Guinea , Gabon , Nigeria , Rwanda and Uganda ) and entered into force in June 2008 .

negative: Nature Climate Change Nature Climate Change is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Nature Publishing Group covering all aspects of research on global warming , especially its effects . It was established in 2011 . Its first editor-in-chief was Olive Heffernan and the journal 's current editor-in-chief is Bronwyn Wake . According to the Journal Citation Reports , the journal had a 2015 impact factor of 17.184 .

negative: Effects of climate change on island nations Climate change is producing drastic changes to Earth processes and changing Earth 's environmental status quo . Especially pertinent to human development is the threat of climate change on island nations . As sea levels continue to rise , island peoples and cultures are being threatened . As the former President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands , Christopher Loeak , noted `` In the last year alone , my country has suffered through unprecedented droughts in the north , and the biggest ever king tides in the south ; and we have watched the most devastating typhoons in history leave a trail of death and destruction across the region . '' Efforts to combat theses environmental changes are ongoing and multinational . Particularly notable is the adoption of the Paris agreement at the UN Climate Summit in Paris in 2015 , which by no means an unqualified success , is certainly a step in the right direction in regards to fighting the effects of climate by aiming to slow the pace of global warming .

negative: Effects of global warming on Australia Predictions measuring the effects of global warming on Australia assert that global warming will negatively impact the continent 's environment , economy , and communities . Australia has been designated as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change , according to the Stern Review and others , due partially to the importance of its agricultural sector and the prominence of its coast .   Australia is vulnerable to the effects of global warming projected for the next 50 to 100 years because of its extensive arid and semi-arid areas , an already warm climate , high annual rainfall variability , and existing pressures on water supply . The continent 's high fire risk increases this susceptibility to change in temperature and climate . Additionally , Australia 's population is highly concentrated in coastal areas , and its important tourism industry depends on the health of the Great Barrier Reef and other fragile ecosystems . The impacts of climate change in Australia will be complex and to some degree uncertain , but increased foresight may enable the country to safeguard its future through planned mitigation and adaptation . Mitigation may reduce the ultimate extent of climate change and its impacts , but requires global solutions and cooperation , while adaptation can be performed at national and local levels .

negative: Global Climate March The Global Climate March took place in various cities around the world on 29 November 2015 , the day before the opening of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference . The march was organized by a huge coalition of climate groups and global activists ( such as Avaaz and the international environmental organization 350 . org ) , and involved more than 2,000 events around the globe , in 175 different countries . An estimated number of 785,000 people took part at the marches .   Follow-on marches scheduled in 2017 include the March for Science on 22 April 2017 ) and the People 's Climate Mobilization scheduled 29 April 2017 .

negative: Global climate regime A global climate regime is a global framework that aims at regulating the interaction of human activity with the global climate system , to mitigate global climate change .

negative: Climate change in Germany Climate change in Europe describes the climate change related issues in Europe . This includes the climate politics , contribution in the global warming and the influence of the global warming in Europe .

negative: Paris Peace Conference Paris Peace Conference may refer to :   Congress of Paris ( 1856 ) , negotiations ending the Crimean War  Paris Peace Conference , 1919 , negotiations ending World War I  Paris Peace Treaties , 1947 , which ended World War II for most nations  Paris Peace Accords , 1973 treaty ending American involvement in the Vietnam War  The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference which took place in Paris and led to the Paris Agreement to fight global warming

negative: Marrakech Accords The Marrakech Accords is a set of agreements reached at the 7th Conference of the Parties ( COP7 ) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , held in 2001 , on the rules of meeting the targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol .  The separate Marrakech Declaration of 15 April 1994 , manifesting the Uruguay Round trade agreements and establishing the World Trade Organization , was also concluded and signed in Marrakech , Morocco .

negative: Human Rights and Climate Change Human Rights and Climate Change is a conceptual and legal framework under which international human rights and their relationship to global warming are studied , analyzed , and addressed . The framework has been employed by governments , United Nations organs , intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations , human rights and environmental advocates , and academics to guide national and international policy on climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) and the core international human rights instruments .   Human rights and climate change analysis focuses on the anticipated consequences to humans associated with global environmental phenomena including sea level rise , desertification , temperature increases , extreme weather events , and changes in precipitation , as well as adaptation and mitigation measures taken by governments in response to those phenomena that may involve human rights or related legal protections .

negative: Effects of climate change The effects of climate change may refer to :  Effects of global warming , the effects of current climate change  Historical impacts of climate change , during the early evolution and history of humans , prior to current global warming

negative: Climate change denial Climate change denial , or global warming denial , is part of the global warming controversy . It involves denial , dismissal , unwarranted doubt or contrarian views which strongly depart from the scientific opinion on climate change , including the extent to which it is caused by humans , its impacts on nature and human society , or the potential of adaptation to global warming by human actions . Some deniers do endorse the term , but others often prefer the term climate change skepticism , although this is a misnomer for those who deny anthropogenic global warming . In effect , the two terms form a continuous , overlapping range of views , and generally have the same characteristics : both reject , to a greater or lesser extent , mainstream scientific opinion on climate change . Climate change denial can also be implicit , when individuals or social groups accept the science but fail to come to terms with it or to translate their acceptance into action . Several social science studies have analyzed these positions as forms of denialism .   Campaigning to undermine public trust in climate science has been described as a `` denial machine '' of industrial , political and ideological interests , supported by conservative media and skeptical bloggers in manufacturing uncertainty about global warming . In the public debate , phrases such as climate skepticism have frequently been used with the same meaning as climate denialism . The labels are contested : those actively challenging climate science commonly describe themselves as `` skeptics '' , but many do not comply with common standards of scientific skepticism and , regardless of evidence , persistently deny the validity of human caused global warming .   Although scientific opinion on climate change is that human activity is extremely likely to be the primary driver of climate change , the politics of global warming have been affected by climate change denial , hindering efforts to prevent climate change and adapt to the warming climate . Those promoting denial commonly use rhetorical tactics to give the appearance of a scientific controversy where there is none .   Of the world 's countries , the climate change denial industry is most powerful in the United States . Since January 2015 , the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has been chaired by oil lobbyist and climate change denier Jim Inhofe . Inhofe is notorious for having called climate change `` the greatest hoax ever perpetrated against the American people '' and for having claimed to have debunked the alleged hoax in February 2015 when he brought a snowball with him in the Senate chamber and tossed it across the floor . Organised campaigning to undermine public trust in climate science is associated with conservative economic policies and backed by industrial interests opposed to the regulation of emissions . Climate change denial has been associated with the fossil fuels lobby , the Koch brothers , industry advocates and libertarian think tanks , often in the United States . More than 90 % of papers sceptical on climate change originate from right-wing think tanks .  The total annual income of these climate change counter-movement-organizations is roughly $ 900 million . Between 2002 and 2010 , nearly $ 120 million ( # 77 million ) was anonymously donated via the Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund to more than 100 organisations seeking to undermine the public perception of the science on climate change . In 2013 the Center for Media and Democracy reported that the State Policy Network ( SPN ) , an umbrella group of 64 U.S. think tanks , had been lobbying on behalf of major corporations and conservative donors to oppose climate change regulation .   Since the late 1970s , oil companies have published research broadly in line with the standard views on global warming . Despite this , oil companies organized a climate change denial campaign to disseminate public disinformation for several decades , a strategy that has been compared to the organized denial of the hazards of tobacco smoking by tobacco companies .

negative: Attribution of recent climate change Attribution of recent climate change is the effort to scientifically ascertain mechanisms responsible for recent climate changes on Earth , commonly known as ` global warming ' . The effort has focused on changes observed during the period of instrumental temperature record , when records are most reliable ; particularly in the last 50 years , when human activity has grown fastest and observations of the troposphere have become available . The dominant mechanisms are anthropogenic , i.e. , the result of human activity . They are :  increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases  global changes to land surface , such as deforestation  increasing atmospheric concentrations of aerosols .   There are also natural mechanisms for variation including climate oscillations , changes in solar activity , and volcanic activity .   According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) , it is `` extremely likely '' that human influence was the dominant cause of global warming between 1951 and 2010 . The IPCC defines `` extremely likely '' as indicating a probability of 95 to 100 % , based on an expert assessment of all the available evidence .   Multiple lines of evidence support attribution of recent climate change to human activities :  A basic physical understanding of the climate system : greenhouse gas concentrations have increased and their warming properties are well-established .  Historical estimates of past climate changes suggest that the recent changes in global surface temperature are unusual .  Computer-based climate models are unable to replicate the observed warming unless human greenhouse gas emissions are included .  Natural forces alone ( such as solar and volcanic activity ) can not explain the observed warming .   The IPCC 's attribution of recent global warming to human activities is a view shared by the scientific community , and is also supported by 196 other scientific organizations worldwide ( see also : scientific opinion on climate change ) .

negative: The Adaptation Fund The Adaptation Fund is an international fund that finances projects and programs aimed at helping developing countries to adapt to the harmful effects of climate change . It is set up under the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) .

negative: Climate change and gender Climate change and gender is concerned with gender differences in the context of climate change and the complex and intersecting power relations arising from it . By altering the ecosystems of the planet , climate change , and more specifically global warming , directly impacts the human race . These effects vary for different segments of the population , specifically for people of different genders . In many cases , women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change because of their lower social status in most countries . Many impoverished women , especially those in the developing world , are farmers and depend on the natural environment for subsistence and income . By further limiting their already constrained access to physical , social , political , and fiscal resources , climate change often burdens women more than men .   Locally and globally , both governments and non-governmental organizations respond to climate change . Some of these efforts focus on mitigating the effects of climate change while others aid societies in adapting their lifestyles to changes in their environment . Most policy responses in the late 20th and early 21st century either did not focus on the social effects of climate change or did not consider gender in these efforts .   Analysis of gender in climate change , however , not only means applying a binary male/female system of analysis on sets of quantitative data but also scrutinizing discursive constructions that shapes power relations connected to climate change .

negative: Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years Unstoppable Global Warming : Every 1,500 Years is a book about climate change , written by Siegfried Fred Singer and Dennis T. Avery , which asserts that natural changes , and not CO2 emissions , are the cause of Global Warming . Published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2006 , the book sold well and was reprinted in an updated edition in 2007 .   The title refers to the hypothesis of 1,500-year climate cycles in the Holocene first postulated by Gerard C. Bond , mainly based on petrologic tracers of drift ice in the North Atlantic .

negative: Climate change in Argentina According to scientists , global warming is predicted to have significant effects on the climate of Argentina . Though temperatures have increased at a slower rate than the global average , nonetheless these impacts have occurred in many areas . If these trends continue , it is predicted that climate change will exacerbate existing natural disasters such as increasing the intensity and frequency of floods or create new ones .

negative: United Nations Climate Change conference The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) . They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties ( Conference of the Parties , COP ) to assess progress in dealing with climate change , and beginning in the mid-1990s , to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions . From 2005 the Conferences have also served as the `` Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol '' ( CMP ) ; also parties to the Convention that are not parties to the Protocol can participate in Protocol-related meetings as observers . From 2011 the meetings have also been used to negotiate the Paris Agreement as part of the Durban platform activities until its conclusion in 2015 , which created a general path towards climate action .   The first UN Climate Change Conference was held in 1995 in Berlin .

negative: Climate change and potatoes Global warming is predicted to have significant effects on global potato production . Like many crops , potatoes are likely to be affected by changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide , temperature and precipitation , as well as interactions between these factors . As well as affecting potatoes directly , climate change will also affect the distributions and populations of many potato diseases and pests .  Potato is one of the world 's most important food crops . Potato production must be adapted to climate change to avoid reductions in crop yields .


query: Mr. Singer is a professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Virginia.

positive: The Great Global Warming Swindle The Great Global Warming Swindle is a polemical documentary film that suggests that the scientific opinion on climate change is influenced by funding and political factors , and questions whether scientific consensus on global warming exists . The program was formally criticised by Ofcom , the UK broadcasting regulatory agency , which upheld complaints of misrepresentation made by David King .   The film , made by British television producer Martin Durkin , presents scientists , economists , politicians , writers , and others who dispute the scientific consensus regarding anthropogenic global warming . The programme 's publicity materials assert that man-made global warming is `` a lie '' and `` the biggest scam of modern times . '' Its original working title was `` Apocalypse my arse '' , but the title The Great Global Warming Swindle was later adopted as an allusion to the 1980 mockumentary The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle about British punk band the Sex Pistols .   The UK 's Channel 4 premiered the documentary on 8 March 2007 . The channel described the film as `` a polemic that drew together the well-documented views of a number of respected scientists to reach the same conclusions . This is a controversial film but we feel that it is important that all sides of the debate are aired . '' According to Hamish Mykura , Channel 4 's head of documentaries , the film was commissioned `` to present the viewpoint of the small minority of scientists who do not believe global warming is caused by anthropogenic production of carbon dioxide . ''   Although the documentary was welcomed by global warming sceptics , it was criticised by scientific organisations and individual scientists ( including one of the scientists interviewed in the film and one whose research was used to support the film 's claims ) . The film 's critics argued that it had misused and fabricated data , relied on out-of-date research , employed misleading arguments , and misrepresented the position of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . Later broadcasts corrected three errors in the original film .

positive: Fred Singer Siegfried Fred Singer ( born September 27 , 1924 ) is an Austrian-born American physicist and emeritus professor of environmental science at the University of Virginia . Singer trained as an atmospheric physicist and is known for his work in space research , atmospheric pollution , rocket and satellite technology , his questioning of the link between UV-B and melanoma rates , and that between CFCs and stratospheric ozone loss , his public downplaying of the health risks of passive smoking , and as an advocate for climate change denial . He is the author or editor of several books including Global Effects of Environmental Pollution ( 1970 ) , The Ocean in Human Affairs ( 1989 ) , Global Climate Change ( 1989 ) , The Greenhouse Debate Continued ( 1992 ) , and Hot Talk , Cold Science ( 1997 ) . He has also co-authored Unstoppable Global Warming : Every 1,500 Years ( 2007 ) with Dennis Avery , and Climate Change Reconsidered ( 2009 ) with Craig Idso .   Singer has had a varied career , serving in the armed forces , government , and academia . He designed mines for the U.S. Navy during World War II , before obtaining his Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University in 1948 and working as a scientific liaison officer in the U.S. Embassy in London . He became a leading figure in early space research , was involved in the development of earth observation satellites , and in 1962 established the National Weather Bureau 's Satellite Service Center . He was the founding dean of the University of Miami School of Environmental and Planetary Sciences in 1964 , and held several government positions , including deputy assistant administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency , and chief scientist for the Department of Transportation . He held a professorship with the University of Virginia from 1971 until 1994 , and with George Mason University until 2000 .   In 1990 Singer founded the Science & Environmental Policy Project , and in 2006 was named by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as one of a minority of scientists said to be creating a stand-off on a consensus on climate change . Singer argues there is no evidence that global warming is attributable to human-caused increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide , and that humanity would benefit if temperatures do rise .  He is an opponent of the Kyoto Protocol , and has claimed that climate models are neither based on reality nor evidence . Singer has been accused of rejecting peer-reviewed and independently confirmed scientific evidence in his claims concerning public health and environmental issues .

negative: Science & Environmental Policy Project The Science & Environmental Policy Project ( SEPP ) is a research and advocacy group financed by private contributions based in Arlington , Virginia in the United States . It was founded in 1990 by atmospheric physicist S. Fred Singer . SEPP disputes the prevailing scientific views of climate change and ozone depletion . SEPP also questioned the science used to establish the dangers of secondhand smoke , arguing the risks are overstated .   SEPP 's former Chairman of the Board of Directors is listed as Rockefeller University president emeritus Frederick Seitz , a former president of the National Academy of Sciences , now deceased .

negative: Edwardo Rhodes Edwardo Lao Rhodes ( born 1946 ) is an American management science scholar and author . An Emeritus Professor at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs , Rhodes is best known for his seminal work in data envelopment analysis , as well as his applications of management science to policy analysis and environmental policy .

negative: Peter Richerson Peter James Richerson ( born October 11 , 1943 ) is an American biologist . He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California , Davis .

negative: Seymour Jonathan Singer Seymour Jonathan Singer ( May 23 , 1924 -- February 2 , 2017 ) was an American cell biologist and professor of biology , emeritus , at the University of California , San Diego .

negative: Tim O'Riordan Tim O'Riordan OBE DL FBA ( born ) is a British geographer who is Emeritus Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia ( UEA ) and a prominent British environmental writer and thinker .

negative: Edgar A. Singer, Jr. Edgar Arthur Singer , Jr. ( November 13 , 1873 -- April 4 , 1954 ) was an American philosopher , professor at the University of Pennsylvania , and proponent of experimentalism .

negative: Michael Laughton Professor Michael Arthur Laughton FREng ( born 18 December 1934 ) is Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering at Queen Mary , University of London , and currently Visiting Professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at Imperial College .

negative: Shigeaki Uno is a political scientist ; Professor Emeritus of Seikei University ; Honorary President and Professor Emeritus of University of Shimane . Majored in International Relations ( Modern Chinese History , Study on Northeast Asian Region ) .   Shigeaki Uno was born in Kanazawa City , Ishikawa Prefecture ; His wife , Mieko Uno is Educator and Professor Emeritus of Ferris University . Shigeki Uno , Political Scientist and Professor of Research Institute for Social Science , University of Tokyo is a son of Mr. & Mrs. Uno .

negative: Valerius Geist Valerius ( Val ) Geist is Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science , Faculty of Environmental Design , University of Calgary . He is a specialist on the biology , behavior , and social dynamics of North American large mammals ( elk , moose , bighorn sheep and other wild ungulates ) .

negative: Colin A. Russell Colin Archibald Russell was Emeritus Professor of History of Science and Technology at the Open University and was a research scholar affiliated to the History and Philosophy of Science Department , Cambridge University . His chief research interests were in the fields of the history of chemistry , environmental history and history of science and religion .

negative: Joseph W. Singer Joseph William Singer is an American legal theorist , specializing in property law . He received his legal degree and master 's degree in Political Science from Harvard . He is the Bussey Professor of Law at Harvard University , where he has been teaching since 1992 . Previously , he taught at Boston University School of Law and practiced law in Boston . He also served as a law clerk in the Supreme Court of New Jersey .   Singer has authored an extensive body of work , including Entitlement : The Paradoxes of Property ( Yale University Press , 2000 ) , The Edges of the Field : Lessons on the Obligations of Ownership ( Beacon Press , 2000 ) , and No Freedom without Regulation : The Hidden Lesson of the Subprime Crisis ( Yale University Press , 2015 ) . In addition to his books on property law and federal Native American law , he as written more than 70 law review articles . In 2015 , Singer was awarded the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize from the College of William and Mary School of Law for his contributions to the advancement of private property rights .

negative: Kent Monroe Kent Monroe is an American economist , focusing in information value of price to consumers , currently the John M. Jones Distinguished Professor of Marketing Emeritus at University of Illinois and previously the Robert O. Goodykoontz Professor at Virginia Tech and Virginia State University , and is an Elected Fellow of Decision Sciences Institute .

negative: Peter Singer Peter Albert David Singer , AC ( born 6 July 1946 ) is an Australian moral philosopher . He is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University , and a Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne . He specializes in applied ethics and approaches ethical issues from a secular , utilitarian perspective . He is known in particular for his book Animal Liberation ( 1975 ) , in which he argues in favor of vegetarianism , and his essay `` Famine , Affluence , and Morality , '' in which he argues in favor of donating to help the global poor . For most of his career , he was a preference utilitarian , but he announced in The Point of View of the Universe ( 2014 ) that he had become a hedonistic utilitarian .   On two occasions , Singer served as chair of the philosophy department at Monash University , where he founded its Centre for Human Bioethics . In 1996 he stood unsuccessfully as a Greens candidate for the Australian Senate . In 2004 Singer was recognized as the Australian Humanist of the Year by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies , and in 2006 he was voted one of Australia 's ten most influential public intellectuals . Singer is a cofounder of Animals Australia and the founder of The Life You Can Save .

negative: Robert C. Paehlke Robert C. Paehlke ( born 1941 ) is an American/Canadian political scientist , environmentalist , Emeritus Professor of Environmental and Resource Studies and Political Science at the Trent University , Canada , and author , best known for his work on environmentalism and progressive politics .

negative: Jerome E. Singer Jerome Everett Singer ( 1934 -- 2010 ) was the founding chair of the Medical and Clinical Psychology Department at Uniformed Services University . He is best known for his contributions to the two-factor theory of emotion . He also served as one of the fourteen members on the National Research Council ( NRC ) committee on human performance in 1985 . Singer played a role in the cognitive revival of modern psychology . His main area of expertise was the psychological and physiological effects of various types of stress .

negative: Merrill Singer Merrill Singer ( b. October 6 , 1950 McKeesport , PA , USA ) is a medical anthropologist and professor in Anthropology at The University of Connecticut and in Community Medicine at The University of Connecticut Health Center . He is a prolific writer and best known for his research on substance abuse , HIV/AIDS , syndemics , health disparities , and minority health .

negative: Alfred Singer Alfred Singer ( born December 10 , 1946 ) is an American immunologist who works at the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) , where he is the Chief of the Experimental Immunology Branch of the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) Center for Cancer Research . He is best known for his work regarding lymphocyte development , particularly the differentiation of immature CD4 +8 + ( double positive ) thymocytes into mature T cells . Singer 's work is foundational in the understanding of T cells and MHC-restricted antigen recognition .   Singer 's work explores the mechanisms with which a body identifies what is self and what is not self . At a time when many researchers understood that T cells recognize self through identification of the major histocompatibility complex ( MHC ) it was not understood how T cells acquire that capability . Using a unique approach to thymus transplantation , Singer showed that it is the thymus that educates self-recognition specificity in T cells . A series of later studies in Singer 's lab demonstrated that the property of self-recognition in T cells is acquired during development in the thymus rather than predetermined prior to development or genetically encoded in the genome .

negative: Rolf Singer Rolf Singer ( June 23 , 1906 -- January 18 , 1994 ) was a German-born mycologist and one of the most important taxonomists of gilled mushrooms ( agarics ) in the 20th century .   After receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Vienna in 1931 he worked in Munich . By 1933 , however , Singer was forced to flee Nazi Germany to Vienna . There he met his wife , Martha Singer . From Vienna , Singer and his wife went to Barcelona , Spain , where Singer was appointed Assistant Professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona . Persecution by the Spanish authorities on behalf of the German government forced Singer to leave Spain for France in 1934 . After a fellowship at the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris , Singer again moved , this time to Leningrad , where he was Senior Scientific Expert at the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR . During his time at the Academy , Singer made many expeditions to Siberia , the Altai Mountains , and Karelia . In 1941 , Singer emigrated to the United States . He was offered a position at the Farlow Herbarium as a research associate , then as Assistant Curator , then as acting Curator following the death of Dr. David Linder . He spent a total of seven years at the Farlow . During this time , Singer also received a Guggenheim Fellowship for studies in Florida , and taught at the Mountain Lake Biological Station of the University of Virginia .   In 1948 , Singer left Harvard to become professor at the Universidad Nacional de Tucuman in Argentina . Later , in 1961 , Singer became professor at the Universidad de Buenos Aires . During his time in South America , Singer , his wife , and his daughter Heidi collected extensively . Singer 's last faculty appointment was at the University of Illinois at Chicago , from 1968 to 1977 .   Singer was a prolific writer , with more than 400 publications to his name . He was also known for his eagerness to aid other botanists , whether they were professionals or amateurs .   He wrote major books like `` The Agaricales in Modern Taxonomy '' . He fled to various countries during the Nazi period , pursuing mycology in far-flung places like the Soviet Union , Argentina , and finally the United States , as mycologist at the Field Museum in Chicago .

negative: Arun G. Phadke Arun Phadke is a University Distinguished Professor emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech .

negative: Brian Lees (geographer) Brian Lees ( born Scotland , 1944 ; Educated Royal High School , Edinburgh ) is an Australian geographer and was the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Geographical Information Science .  Lees started off as Regional Editor for the Western Pacific in 1997 and took over as Editor-in-Chief in 2007 . He handed over to Professor May Yuan in January 2017 . He is an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales , School of Physical , Environmental & Mathematical Sciences , where he was appointed professor of geography in February 2006 .

negative: Mark Singer Dr. Mark Singer MD , is an American doctor who is best known for inventing , with speech pathologist Eric Blom , while working at Methodist Hospital , Indianapolis , a type of voice prosthesis that allows victims of laryngeal cancer ( cancer of the larynx ) to talk .

negative: William Moomaw William R. Moomaw is the Professor Emeritus of International Environmental Policy at the Fletcher School , Tufts University . Moomaw has worked at the intersection of science and policy , advocating for international sustainable development . His activities have included being a long-time contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change .

negative: University of Virginia School of Architecture The University of Virginia School of Architecture is the university 's architecture school . The school confers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in architecture , landscape architecture , architectural history , and urban and environmental planning . Additionally , the school offers a certificate in historic preservation .   The Ph.D program in architectural history was once maintained at the School of Architecture but has since been transferred to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences .   The School 's current dean is Ila Berman .

negative: Isadore Singer Isadore Manuel Singer ( born May 3 , 1924 ) is an Institute Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . He is noted for his work with Michael Atiyah proving the Atiyah -- Singer index theorem in 1962 , which paved the way for new interactions between pure mathematics and theoretical physics .

negative: Herman Daly Herman Edward Daly ( born July 21 , 1938 ) is an American ecological and Georgist economist and emeritus professor at the School of Public Policy of University of Maryland , College Park in the United States .

negative: Vamık Volkan Vamık D. Volkan ( born 1932 in Lefkoşa , Cyprus ) is a Turkish Cypriot Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia , Charlottesville , Virginia , the Senior Erik Erikson Scholar at the Erikson Institute of Education and Research of the Austen Riggs Center , Stockbridge , Massachusetts , and an Emeritus Training and Supervising Analyst at the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute , Washington , D.C. . He is the President Emeritus of International Dialogue Initiative ( IDI ) .

negative: Tony McDonnell (space scientist) Tony McDonnell is a Professor ( Emeritus ) of Planetary and Space Sciences .  Specialising in space science and a recognised authority in cosmic dust , he was  Professor of Space Sciences at the University of Kent and Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University .

negative: Dennis C. Pirages Dennis Clark Pirages ( born July 30 , 1942 ) is an American political scientist , environmentalist and former Harrison Professor of International Environmental Politics at the University of Maryland , College Park , known for his work on the environment and sustainability questions .

negative: Victor Adenuga Oyenuga Victor Adenuga Oyenuga , CFR ( April 9 , 1917 - April 10 , 2010 ) was a Nigerian Professor Emeritus of Agricultural science and pioneer President of the Nigerian Academy of Science .  He was the first Emeritus Professor of the University of Ibadan and the first African Professor of Agricultural science .

negative: Vijaya Melnick Vijaya Lakshmi Melnick ( born November 19 , 1937 ) is an India-born American academic specializing in biological and environmental sciences and immunology . She is Professor Emeritus of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia . She was the First Vice President and then Co-President of the International Health Awareness Network , an affiliate of the United Nations . She holds memberships on the boards and executive committees of national and international organizations related to either health and education or both . She has written several research papers and books .

negative: André Vítor Singer André Vítor Singer ( born 1958 ) is a political sciences professor at the University of São Paulo and the former press secretary of the Lula administration . He is known for his description of lulism as a political phenomenon and as one of the theorists of the Brasília Consensus .   Born in São Paulo , Singer graduated in social sciences in 1980 and in journalism 1986 , both by the Universidade of São Paulo . He earned his Master 's ( 1993 ) , Doctoral ( 1998 ) and docent ( 2011 ) degrees in social sciences all by the same university .   He was press secretary of the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo ( 1987 -- 88 ) , Secretary of Media of the Palácio do Planalto ( 2005 -- 2007 ) and spokesperson of the president of Brazil in the first term of Lula 's government ( 2003 -- 2007 ) .

negative: Irving Singer Irving Singer ( December 24 , 1925 -- February 1 , 2015 ) was an American professor of philosophy who was on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 55 years and wrote over 20 books . He was the author of books on various topics , including cinema , love , sexuality , and the philosophy of George Santayana . He also wrote on the subject of film , including writings about the work of film directors Ingmar Bergman , Alfred Hitchcock ,