COP15: Reflections on Copenhagen Negotiations
The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of impressions for anyone who cares about the global climate. As we post this blog, we still do not know the outcomes of the Copenhagen negotiations. Will countries come to agreement on anything that can move forward? Will that agreement be fair, ambitious, and binding? Will the agreement help keep us within 350 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere?
I am impressed by all the people who traveled to Copenhagen to have their voices heard. Indigenous peoples, environmental activists, and others are doing what they can to speak up. Kudos to Faith Gemmill from REDOIL, who confronted Secretary Salazar about his decision to allow offshore drilling in the Arctic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N49WoIecsLU. And kudos to Brendan Cummings of Center for Biological Diversity, who as a polar bear challenged Obama’s leadership: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/polar-bear-warns-obama-about-climate-failure/. Most of all, kudos to the youth who made their voices heard during the climate talks. Check out this inspiring video documenting a youth sit-in at the Bella Center: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re11HDMdf_E
In the end, these are the people who give me hope for the future. I am not going to wait for our leaders to try to figure out an agreement that is convenient. I am going to work with our partners around the world to figure out how we reduce our emissions now without waiting for our leaders to act. Regardless of the final outcome, it will take all of our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to acceptable levels.
We need to use every instrument at our disposal. That’s why we are working to reduce agricultural fires in Russia that contribute to black carbon emissions. That’s why we are fighting unnecessary fossil fuel LNG projects on the West Coast of the United States. That’s why we are trying to stop offshore oil drilling in the Arctic. That’s why we’re working to slow down ships and why we’re working to build a grassroots movement in China to fight climate change. And that’s why, everywhere we work, we are advocating for renewable energy.
The fight against climate change will require everyone’s efforts, and we can’t afford to wait for our leaders to act. That’s why, when I watch the impressive activists from around the world advocating together against climate change, I am hopeful for the future.
Tags: Climate Talks, COP15, Copenhagen, Obama
