10:08 AM |
Day 8 Pt. 1 – COP 15 UNFCCC
Climate Pacific Team
Copenhagen, Denmark
14 December
Talofa,
As per below, our stories for Pt 1. Day 8 Bulletin. You can obtain pictures and view comments on our blogsite.
http://climatepasifika.blogspot.com/
Thank you very much,
nan
Headlines:
• Kiribati – the human face of climate change
• Words from a Pacific journalist who took part in the protest march in Sweden
• Experts call for oceans to be included in Copenhagen agreement
• YourVoices@COP15 – Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator
• Cyclone prevents Fiji's Prime Minister from attending COP 15
• IPCC Warns, biodiversity will be hard hit
• Long queues waiting hours in cold to enter COP 15 Bella Centre
• I'm here to deliver says Solomon Islands Minister
• Denmark prepares to welcome Obama
• InsideINsights: Rachna Lal Climate Pasifika Team Member
• More empathy, less guilt needed at COP15
• PNG rejects AOSIS text, holds out for 'non-paper'
• Logistical nightmare at COP 15
Kiribati – the human face of climate change
Copenhagen: 14 December 2009 --- Kiribati President Anote Tong says history has seen nations lose their sovereignty and human rights through warfare and actions of aggressive neighbours - the effects of climate change will be just the same as if Kiribati had been attacked by a very hostile and deadly enemy.
"The issue of climate change is the greatest moral challenge of the 21st century," says the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, who arrives in Copenhagen on 15 December.
"The world can no longer afford the consequences of inaction Low-lying states like Kiribati are already the human face of climate change.
"We are among the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. Even a marginal increase in sea levels will be disastrous for our country's future.
"Only last week we experienced damaging storm surges and the destruction of sea walls. Ever worsening scientific forecasts bring us little comfort - we directly experience higher tides and more frequent storms which bring salt water intrusion and coastal flooding. We have long periods of drought, an endangered supply of fresh water, and bleaching of the coral reefs that cradle our islands.
"Increased flooding has already forced some of our villagers to move inland – but this is a short trip, because our islands are so narrow - there is no place to go. If we keep moving back we fall into the sea."
"These countries are like the canary in the coal mine in terms of the dramatic impact of climate change on a whole civilization of people," says Harvard University biological oceanographer James J. McCarthy. "They didn't cause the problem, but they are among the first to feel it."
Spread over about 3.5 million square kilometres in the Central Pacific. the Republic of Kiribati (pronounced "Kiribas") lies midway between Hawaii and Fiji. Formerly the Gilbert Islands under British colonial rule, its three major island groups are home to 100,000 people.
Classified by the United Nations as "a least developed country", the economic development of Kiribati is severely constrained by its dispersed and isolated atoll geography and narrow resource base.
"We find it very disturbing to hear international commentators speak of our country and its continued welfare as being an issue of "collateral damage" says the President.
"Climate Change is a deeply human issue – it is about the rights of a people to enjoy their sovereignty, their dignity, their lifestyle and their culture. It also calls into question the effectiveness of our international organizations to act on behalf of all members."
"If we can mobilize trillions of dollars to address the challenges to the global economy, then we are capable of taking the actions necessary to deal with the challenges of the global environment.
"We are a proud people" says the President. "We do not come to Copenhagen as beggars – that is not our way. But we cannot face this huge challenge without international support – both practical and moral.
"In Kiribati, the Maldives, Tuvalu and the Marshalls, whole communities face real danger – their survival is at stake - our own survival is at stake as a people, as a unique and vibrant culture and as a sovereign nation.
"To turn your back and watch your neighbour go down when you could have done something - I think that's immoral, and calls into question our humanity, and the way we treat each other as members of the human family.
"Along with our endangered partners we call upon all world leaders to act with humanity and without delay, we call on the world media to help raise our voice, and we call on all citizens of the planet to address with real compassion, commitment and urgency the critical issues we, the most vulnerable, are facing."
Press Statement from the Office of the President of the Government of Kiribati
Words from a Pacific journalist who took part in the protest march in Sweden
Matelita Ragogo, Freelance journalist, Climate Pasifika
(Photos by Matelita)
Copenhagen 14 December - As our Oceania people prepared for Sunday last weekend, thousands took to the streets of Copenhagen on their behalf, pressuring decision-makers to stop treating the planet as a business interest, to start looking at climate change as a moral issue.
The thousands marched for the planet and humanity who will be equally affected by the manifestations of global warming damage but in calling for a legally-binding agreement, those who braved the cold Scandinavian cold demanded the urgency a response to Pacific island communities' required.
Walking the winding six kilometres aptly demonstrated that those who were there chose to be there to emphasise their belief that while the planet is very sick, leaders had ways of addressing it, thanks to science finally waking up to the realities of climate change, if they'd just stopped talking and started walking the talk.
The indigenous group lead the march. It did appear though that the indigenous population of the world comprised South American groups as they had sizeable delegation here. But I just couldn't help imagining Fijian meke performers for instance prancing about or Tongan women with their ever-so graceful tau'olunga moves or i-Kiribati group garbed in their traditional: even if it was only for sometime before the cold would have definitely called for boots and coats.
I wished for just a slice of Pagopago's Festival of Arts for it would have been an invaluable show of what Pacific delegates are arguing here: that for us, it is not merely about rising sea-levels and inundation of atolls but as well, it is about the potential loss of culture that is rooted deeply into our definition of 'land' – land and ocean. One is comforted though by the fact that the Pacific island nations representatives are making waves where it matters – in plenary.
There was no shortage of placards pushing for equity and sincerity in humanity's response to climate change – some read: 'Blah Blah Blah...Action' and/or 'Change the politics, not the climate' and/or a simple 'CUT'. A personal favourite was 'Stop Co2onisation' in reference to the much touted REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) mitigation programme that indigenous populations argue is inhumane for those who live close to or in forests.
The diversity of this great big mass of people was mind-boggling, chants in different languages and just witnessing the different peoples that make up humanity was a feast for sore eyes. The police estimated 25,000 people.
Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu handed over the Countdown to Co2penhagen with 500,000 signatures to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change executive secretary Yvo de Boer.
Tutu then simply said to the absolute delight of the crowd: "Hello rich countries, wake up! It's cheap to finance climate debt. 150 billion dollars a year would do it." Tutu asked for a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. Both de Boer and COP president Connie Hedegaard were also present. Hedegaard described the march as another demonstration that would make "negotiators aware of the high price of not reaching an agreement".
Note: People took to the streets in Denmark and Sweden for a 6 km protest march calling for urgent action on climate change over the weekend - Saturday 12 December the march took place in Copenhagen with approx 50,000 people. The second march took place on Sunday in Malmo, Sweden - Reporter Matelita Ragogo took part in the march on Sunday.
Experts call for oceans to be included in Copenhagen agreement
Evan Wasuka, Solomon Islands One News, Climate Pasifika
Copenhagen, 14 December - Ocean experts from around the world have called for the inclusion of oceans inside the text of any agreement that leaders come up with at the UN Climate Talks in Copenhagen.
While officials continue to grapple with the final agreement - which has been dominated by varying emissions level and the legality issues, the impact of greenhouse gases and emissions on the world's oceans has been highlighted as one of the hidden stories of climate change.
Although rising sea levels and the increase in storm intensities is well known, the other impacts of climate change such as acidification have not been prominent.
With oceans absorbing up to 50 percent of carbon dioxide emissions for the past 200 years, this has made the world's seas more acidic and is affecting fish stocks.
The move to get oceans into the UN negotiations text is backed by a number of countries including the coalition members of the Coral Triangle Initiative including Solomon Islands.
"We will push for oceans to be part of the climate change initiative, here at Copenhagen...you cant address climate change and not deal with oceans," says Solomon Islands Environment Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo.
For Solomon Islands the impact of ocean acidification will also be economic.
''Fishing is one of our main income earners, this will affect our economy as well those of distant fishing nations.''
The other members of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) are Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste from the region and Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia.
The group's leader Indonesia says time is running out and oceans need to be made a focal point of the UNFCCC.
"We all need to build on the framework and take action now," says Indonesia's Maritime and Fisheries Minister Dr Fadal Muhammad.
The members of CTI were part of the Oceans Day event hosted by the European Environmental Agency, with the aim of bringing issue of oceans to the forefront of talks at Copenhagen.
The United Kingdom's secretary of state Hilary Benn acknowledged that developed countries have benefited from releasing carbon through industrialization now developing countries simply want the same for their people.
The hard task now is to find a middle ground, acceptable to everyone as negotiations continue.
''We have 192 countries, and one world, we have on week left to get it right,'' says Benn.
YourVoices@COP15 – Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator
http://climatepasifika.blogspot.com/2009/12/yourvoicescop15-helen-clark-undp.html
Lisa Williams Lahari, Freelance reporter, Climate Pasifika team.
Copenhagen, 14 December - Climate Pasifika Reporter Lisa Williams Lahari spent time with the UNDP Administrator, Helen Clark this morning - we bring you the transcript and the video.
Transcript:
LWL: UNDP is embedded in Pacific development -- We all want to know-- what's your position on 1.5 and 350?
Clark: We're a multilateral organisation so we are not negotiating but we are here to support our friends to get the best deal they can because its a development issue and that's our position. It's a development issue.
LWL: But whatever comes out of COP is going to affect the Pacific; whatever comes out of here UNDP has to live with in it's Pacific work.
Clark: Absolutely. That's why we're saying we're here to step up efforts, so if we can get this fast-track funding moving, there's so much to do, so much to do.
LWL: Pushing for a legally binding agreement or just having to live with whatever comes out of COP?
Clark: I think they're still a long way from a legally binding text -- that's the problem. But there has to be a legally binding text. Whether it's here or at some point, it can't just drift on...really I think the critical thing is if the legally binding text isn't completed til next year the money on the fast track still has to come...
LWL: You've said that this is an extraordinarily serious development issue. What's the extraordinary approach that's going to be needed to get the answers?
Clark: There has to be obviously radical action in industrialised countries to get emissions down, that's number one and secondly the cash has to flow to help developing countries to adapt and mitigate ...It's not rocket science aye."
Cyclone prevents Fiji's Prime Minister from attending COP 15
Ruci Mafi, SPC, Climate Pasifika
Copenhagen, 14 December - Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama will not attend the 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, Denmark as planned.
His absence is due to the current strike Cyclone Mick has made to the Fiji Islands in the Pacific.
"The Prime Minister felt that the nation needed him back home at this trying time as our people brace themselves to rebuild their lives after the devastations made by Cyclone Mick," said Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Fiji's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Schools and government offices have been closed while communication infrastructure disrupted to the Pacific island nation as negotiators battle to settle for a better deal in Denmark.
"The communication was made to us this morning that our Prime Minister will not be able to attend the high level ministerial meeting to endorse the final outcomes of COP 15," Ratu Inoke said.
The cyclone has brought closer to the Fiji delegation the realities of dealing with climate change issues and in coming up with a robust deal that will look at issues like rebuilding nations and rehabilitation processes after this.
"The Meteorological Department is predicting another nine cyclones in the coming year and the implications on food and water security to countries like Fiji in the Pacific is enormous. And the burden on our negotiators is now far greater given the increased frequency and severity of natural disasters like Cyclone Mick," Ratu Inoke said.
People on the main island of Viti Levu are bracing for the worst as they are in the direct path of cyclone.
"Our people on the main island which is home to the capital city of Suva and home to over 200,000 people have secured their property, stocked food and emergency supplies while those living in low lying areas that are prone to floods have moved to higher grounds," Ratu Inoke said.
The ministry of agriculture has issued an advisory to stakeholders particularly to farmers in the sector to work at minimizing long lasting damage to their crops and livestock.
Logistical nightmare at COP 15
Makereta Komai, PACNEWS, Climate Pasifika (photo: Nanette Woonton)
Copenhagen 14 December - Just over 45, 200 delegates and observers have registered for the international climate change meeting in Copenhagen, which has now entered day eight. This amount is almost 30,000 more than what Bella Centre can accommodate. The centre has the maximum capacity of only 15,000. The United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat has apologised for what appears to the logistical breakdown.
"I know this is disappointing but we must cut down on the numbers to maintain the functionality of the meeting, said an executive of the UNFCCC.
"We did not expect this avalanche of participants.
"This morning, thousands of people queued in the long line outside the conference centre, some waiting in line for over two hours. The UN and the Danish government have now devised a system to monitor access into the conference venue.
"Of the 22,747 registered observers, a big number of which are non governmental organisations, we will now only allow 1,000 of their representatives to attend the meetings on a daily basis.
"The quota per NGO's will be on a rotating basis, said the UNFCCC executive. As of today, Monday (14 December), a total of 45,215 have been registered and accredited to attend COP15.
Of this number, 11,500 are part delegates, over 22,700 are observers (including NGOs), 3,487 media and 2,400 technical, secretariat and security personnel.
"This is clearly overwhelming for Bella Centre."
IPCC Warns, biodiversity will be hard hit
Cherelle Jackson, Environment Weekly, Climate Pasifika
Copenhagen, 13 December - Biodiversity or the diversity of plant and animal life within the Pacific region will be hard hit if temperatures keep rising in the next 30 years. According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) biodiversity in vulnerable areas of the world are a cause for great concern if temperatures are not controlled or reversed soon.
Dr. Christopher Field, IPCC Vice Chair of Working Group II says: "Biological biodiversity is very clearly very sensitive to climate change, with projected loss of the biodiversity scaling with the levels of impact going from a few percent from the lower warming rankings we are talking about up to as much as 30 or more percent in key areas if warming goes on the trajectories at the high end at the rates that IPCC considered."
Field believes that vulnerable areas such as the Pacific will again bear the brunt of the impact.
"It is very important to remember that vulnerability is not uniformly distributed. The level of impact scales with the levels of emmissions," he said.
In a report on the Physical Science Basis of climate change IPCC states: "For increases in global average temperature exceeding 1.5 to 2.5°C, there are projected to be major changes in ecosystem structure and function, species' ecological interactions and shifts in species' geographical ranges, with predominantly negative consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem goods and services."
A Pacific climate expert agrees.
According to Climate Change Advisor for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) biodiversity is an important area that needs to be considered.
Espen Ronneberg says: "The impacts of climate change on biodiversity are very well known. We have a number of early studies in the region that clearly indicate strong impacts on biodiversity in the region, both marine and terrestial. Obviously we need to take that into account."
He says there are efforts to find the relationship between the two.
"We are looking at ways to link biodiversity conservation with mitigation and adaptation. It becomes more complicated though because you are taking a more holistic approach to the problem and therefore it becomes a much bigger exercise than simply looking at straight climate change or straight conservation," Ronneberg said.
According to a Climate Change and Biodiversity (CCBM) assessment in Melanesian countries, the risks are high for the species in that region. The report indicates that Melanesia's terrestrial animal and plant species are especially vulnerable to climate change because of high levels of endemicity in the region.
Species that are most threatened by climate change, those found near the tree line at higher elevations, those found in isolated or outlying mountain ranges, small island mammals and larger mammals.
According to the CCBM Assessment it is possible that species could shift their ranges along both latitudinal and elevational gradients causing changes to ecological interactions such as changes in inter-species competition and predation, seeding and fruiting patterns.
Dr. Geoffery Hope a former Professor at the Climate Change Institute in Australia, pointed out that species and ecosystems have adapted to past climate changes. However, he underscores in CCBM that during those past periods of climate change the ecosystems most at risk were healthier than they currently are.
"In today's world most ecosystems are already under pressure from other human-based threats such as over-hunting, over-fishing, and forest cover changes. The effects of climate change add yet one more stress factor to these ecosystems, and in some cases may become, the straw that breaks the camel's back."
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, the SPREP Council have endorsed 209 to be the Pacific Year of Biodiversity in partnership with the international campaign.
Long queues waiting hours in cold to enter COP 15 Bella Centre
Makereta Komai, PACNEWS, Climate Pasifka
Copenhagen, 14 December - Thousands of people were held up in the cold outside Bella Centre, the venue of COP15, as security begins to tighten around the conference venue, in anticipation of the arrival of world leaders to Copenhagen.
Amongst those in the long queue was Climate Pasifika journalist, Makereta Komai, who took some pictures of the huge crowd. Some of the people interviewed complained waiting in line for more than two hours, especially those arriving for registration.
Danish and UN Security officials are asking delegates to arrive early to avoid any delays to their meetings. From today, security officials will monitor access level, which is limited to 15,000 per day for the rest of the week.
I'm here to deliver says Solomon Islands Minister
Evan Wasuka, ONE News TV, Climate Pasifika
Sunday 13 December 2009, COPENHAGEN--As negotiations at the UN Climate Change talks enter their most critical phase this week, the head of the Solomon Islands delegation says he will deliver on the expectations of his people. Hours after arriving on a long haul flight from Solomon Islands –
Environment and Conservation Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo told his delegation members that he would do all he can to ensure that the goals of the government are met in the final week of talks.
"I will deliver on what is expected of me and support our people," said Darcy.
Solomon Islands have been affected by rising sea levels with communities in areas such as Walade, Fanalei and Ontong Java sitting on the frontline of climate change. Throughout the past week of negotiations Solomon Islands has given its backing to a proposal by the Alliance of Small Island States, AOSIS.
The proposal includes a seven year extension to the Kyoto Protocol, the establishment of a new protocol agreement and the reduction of emissions to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
AOSIS wants these to be underpinned in a legally binding agreement.
On Sunday night the minister was hosted at a dinner by the Solomon delegation, as leaders from around the world converged on Copenhagen for the final stage of negotiations. The minister said he was supported by a well resourced delegation, which also happened to be the biggest sent by Solomon Islands to any climate change talks.
Lilo said he was now stepping up to the plate to ensure that their good work was continued into this final week of talks. He said Solomon Islands would continue to enter the negotiations in good faith.
"The theme of this for us is survival – because if we don't reduce emissions some of our islands will be underwater."
Lilo says the negotiations to set up an agreement on climate change have come a long way since the Bali Accord in 2007 and he hoped that leaders would come up with a deal at Copenhagen. With several drafts agreements on the table leaders this week will now have to choose one or settle on a compromise.
PNG rejects AOSIS text holds out for 'non-paper'
Ahimsa Kibikibi,NBC, Climate Pasifika
Sunday 13 December 2009, COPENHAGEN--Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare arrives to join climate change talks in Copenhagen this week and will present the country's position to the umbrella group the Alliance of Small Islands States.
PNG's chief negotiator, Kevin Conrad bluntly stated in Saturday's plenary session that PNG does not support the AOSIS proposed Copenhagen Protocol. His reaction caught AOSIS members off guard
TRANSCRIPT: "There were some delegations that held out that there was a proposal by AOSIS. Papua New Guinea does not support this we believe there is a draft document, a non-paper that should be considered," he said.
While delegates from other smaller Pacific Islands expressed anger and disappointment to this move, PNG delegate Joe Pokana agrees with Conrad, stating that that the non-paper was already initially agreed upon, even though the new proposal builds on strengthening of the Kyoto Protocol and the implementation of the Bali Action Plan.
Pokana said PNG is adamant that Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Deforestation or REDD, a scheme that will see forest owners be paid for avoiding deforestation, be officially recognised and endorsed in the text by the United Nations and that it will be up to Sir Michael, head of the PNG delegation to take this up this week during the high level segment, before the conclusion of talks on Friday the 18th of December.
Meantime, AOSIS members are also awaiting an explanation for PNG's timing, because it had room to comment and make changes in the groups two daily meetings held in closed sessions throughout the week.
TRANSCRIPT: "We are depending on the Prime Minister now to deliver in the second week, our position and hopefully we get some attention and carry on what we are fighting for," he said. It is not sure how AOSIS will deal with this situation or if members can withdraw or be expelled.
Denmark prepares to welcome Obama
Lisa Williams-Lahari, Climate Pasifika media
Sunday 14 December 2009, COPENHAGEN-- The impending visit of American President Barrack Obama (right) has created a hype of its own in addition to meeting the needs of an already comfortably full COP venue work. With numbers of government delegations expected to spike as leaders arrive into the next few days, the behind the scenes work is expected to step up in presence, with the security price tag alone estimated to be at least 100million USD. Much as Pacific leaders would like to claim a special audience with the Hawaii-born President, there's no sign of that happening or even any information on whether such a meeting has been requested.
Back in logistics, team members expect the dimensions of security will go smoothly at least, in the Bella Centre. "Yes of course it creates an interesting hype when the head of the most powerful nation in the world comes to Denmark. We have hosted US presidents before so it's an enormous task, but it's doable," says Logistics Chief Svend Olling.
The US will be providing their own security detail in cooperation with the Denmark Security and Intelligence services. But Olling says apart from some separate entrance and exit areas for world leaders, the impact on those inside the Bella Centre is going to be dwarfed by comparison with those outside the COP15 venue.
The capacity of the international airport is limited and with the arrival of world leaders as well as commercial flights, air traffic controllers will be dealing with 100 or more planes in a time-window of a few hours.
"That's an enormous pressure on the airport," says Olling, who says linked to the air traffic, roads will also feel the increased VIP landings.
" We are talking about 100-120 motorcades between the hotels and airport, so traffic will be congested."
The last time a US President visited COP was in Montreal in 2005, when the logistics work around former President Clinton and his travelling entourage of 40-plus security staff put the venue and any public transport links in the vicinity into lockdown.
Given this COP will welcome a President in office, and the historic manner in which Obama came into power; it's likely the security, crowds, and media hordes following his every move will ensure that disruptions to public transportation may be the closest many Danes and their COP15 guests come to Obama's attendance without switching on the TV or going online.
More empathy, less guilt needed at COP15
Lisa Williams Lahari, Climate Pasifika media
Monday, 14 December 2009, COPENHAGEN--Mothers of the world will find they have a sister in Anja Kohne, and it's a timely hat for the longtime European environmental activist to wear. Having recently given birth to son Francis, she is attending COP15 with him while on maternity leave. The symbolism of bringing the generation who will live with the decisions from the COP15 into the building is not lost on Kohne she says perceptions of her activism have changed since she gave birth:
"Since he was born, I was asked by people "aren't you feeling what you are doing now more deeply than before?" I was really astonished about it because for me the empathy with mothers in Bangladesh or your country does not depend on being a mother myself-- and we need to act for the outcomes of this conference based on this empathy."
Kohne, a first class honours graduate student working on her PhD thesis on environmental policy integration in EU foreign policy, has 15 years behind her in governmental and non-government work. Enough years to convince this environmental policy consultant that the only way for the world to come to a common agreement is for the negotiators on all sides to ditch the guilt trips, acknowledge failure and responsibility, and have some compassion for each other's point of view.
"We need to go into a state where we can take on responsibility without feeling guilty. It needs to be a friendly confrontation."
Confrontation is something COP meetings seem to have in abundance. Whether you are doing it diplomatically in the plenary and working group negotiations, or loud and proud with the NGO activists staging events in the wings of the negotiations, the clamour is likely to heat up as December 18 nears. And while the locking horns and colliding positions may be more tuneful to newshounds than mutual support and unison, there are also many examples of how North-South NGO activism and partnerships are stepping up last-chance messages to the COP leaders.
From acronyms like CAN (Climate Action Network) and WWF to an Australian youth coalition campaign called Project Survival, the indicators of that activism being successful -- or a failure, will come through in next week's decisions. A 'People's Forum' on climate change this week in Copenhagen Central town has also attracted some 10,000 people and will deliver a declaration to the COP15.
For Kohne, NGO activism has a large role to play in ensuring governments in the developed nations allow space and input from civil society into the agenda setting. Kohne's conviction that a global sense of citizenship is what is needed doesn't stop at climate change. She says worry by developed nations over the economic pressures from constituents is creating a new 'economic racism' which is over riding the scientific proof that urgent and drastic action is needed to avoid the peak and tipping points predicted to take place.
"I was once on a panel with a multinational and he was telling me how he tells his children to do their homework because people in China and India are waiting to do theirs for the same jobs. I would hope that by the time he (Francis) is 20, he's not thinking anymore about whether it's a German or an Indian or a Chinese he's competing for a job with, he's just doing some work anyway."
But the pace of climate change and its impacts even as the world's leaders meet is creating a new sense of urgency, a demand for a change of mindset and new modes of framing our worlds. And the fact is that the world is changing so fast that we have to relearn our ways of thinking even as our children are struggling with new environmental realities.
Given that political leaders and their negotiaters are hardly going to start spouting Edward de Bono's six thinking hats method to mapping solutions through the minefield of agendas at COP15, it's easy to become cynical about calls for fresh vision and new thinking when old politics from older men are so much in play.
But Kohne shares two pinpoints of optimism amidst the fear that the 'Hope' in Copenhagen may come to nothing.
"I have two main sources of hope," she says, "firstly, there is a shared anguish amongst people in developed countries who share the goals and the values of the people who are the so called most affected. The problem at the moment is to pool the voices of the South with the voices of the North to really have the same perspective. And I really, really hope the G77 and China are going to stand together and are going to insist on deep emission cuts because that's what we need. If they don't bring this meeting to a positive outcome I think we are all in a bad state."
TRANSCRIPT: "On the one hand it's great because I see a lot of very inspiring and intelligent people but it's also very hard because one of the things I am feeling is that we are missing the train and one of the things I think is very important is that we get the climate empathy we need: since he (her son Francis) was born I was asked frequently by people "aren't you feeling what you are doing now more deeply than before?" I was really astonished about it because for me the empathy with mothers in Bangladesh or your country does not depend on being a mother myself-- and we need to act for the outcomes of this conference based on this empathy."-- Anja Kohne
http://climatepasifika.blogspot.com/2009/12/more-empathy-less-guilt-needed-at-cop15.html
InsideINsights: Rachna Lal Climate Pasifika Team Member
http://climatepasifika.blogspot.com/2009/12/insideinsights-rachna-lal-climate.html
Copenhagen, Denmark 14 December - Rachna Lal a senior journalism student at the University of the South Pacific is a member of the SPREP Climate Pasifika team, currently in Copenhagen, Denmark assisting with communications and media work for AOSIS and the Pacific islands nations.
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pacific islands media association
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aotearoa, new zealand
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