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Renewable Energy on the Rise in Developing Countries

Please take the time to watch this 15-minute Ted Talk by Monica Araya, my comments and questions will relate this video: https://www.ted.com/talks/monica_araya_a_small_country_with_big_ideas_to_get_rid_of_fossil_fuels#t-940038 From the previous Ted Talk, we learn that the speaker shares a deep connection to renewable sources. Being from Costa Rica, Monica advocates for a completely fossil-fuel-free world. But how is this a possibility in a world facing tremendous effects due to climate change? This is not just a possibility, as Monica explains, but a necessity. Considering the fact that we have utilized 50 percent of the Earth’s biomass already in the last 2,000 years, Monica explains the need for the international community to take action now. Monica points to Costa Rica which was successfully able to utilize renewable sources for 100% of their electricity for nearly 300 days in 2015. How is it so that a developing nation could make such advancements in renewable energies
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Updates for Position Paper Submission

Hi delegates!  Yesterday, Februrary 5th, was the deadline for position paper submissions that qualify for research awards. The next deadline to submit papers is on February 12th if your delegation would like to be considered for a Committee Award during our conference. As delegations have been turning in papers, we've run into some questions/issues with Huxley (BMUN's new paper submission platform).  If you have not yet set up an account with Huxley, please check your emails to see if you received an email to set up your account on Huxley. If you did not receive any email to set up an account with Huxley, please email me at syan@bmun.org. If you cannot set up an account and want to turn in papers, feel free to email me the papers and your papers will be counted for.  When submitting papers on Huxley, please submit both papers together as one document  because Huxley will only allow you to submit one document. I have had numerous delegations only submit one topic pap
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Leapfrogging

In environmental terms “leapfrogging” is the idea that a nation or region can undergo an industrial revolution without the levels of pollution that were emitted during the Industrial Revolutions of Western Europe and the United States by exploring sustainable energy practices. This idea particularly applies to many countries in Africa who seem to have the world’s “best untapped resources” particularly spaces where renewable energy can be harnessed such as rivers and deserts. The Economist’s article “The leapfrog continent” also seems to believe that renewable energy is the way to boost African economies. https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21653618-falling-cost-renewable-energy-may-allow-africa-bypass Has your country experienced leapfrogging in the past? If so, what were the effects on your country’s economy? Where did the technology needed for leapfrogging originate from? Is leapfrogging a viable method for your nation to increase the usage of renewabl
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Introduction to UNEP blog!

Hi delegates, in this post you'll find some brief bios about all your lovely chairs and learn what the purpose of this blog is! Chair Bios To start off, my name is Emily Yan and I will be your head chair for UNEP at BMUN 66! I am a third year at UC Berkeley studying Environmental Science and Environmental Economics and Policy. I'm from a small town called Palos Verdes in sunny Southern California. My favorite trees are ginkgo trees (you'll be able to find some scattered throughout Berkeley) and I am absolutely obsessed with corgis (those cute little dogs that have gone viral). My three vice chairs are Sarah Xu, Michael Eliot, and Dylan Alcantara.  Sarah is a freshman studying Environmental Economics and Policy from Albany, CA. She enjoys reading bad poetry, over-caffeinating, and exploring the San Francisco Bay Area. She is committed to learning about new ideas and expanding her worldview everyday!  Michael is a third year Computer Science major at Berkeley,
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