Will Steger Foundation Expedition Copenhagen

Return to the UNFCCC: COP16

2010-11-16T22:23:00.001-06:00

Tuesday, November 16, 2010: 10 Days Til COP16: In less than two weeks, I will be on the ground in Cancun as a member of the SustainUS U.S. Youth Delegation to COP16 in Cancun, Mexico. I am excited, and ready to be working with youth from around the world to advocate for a fair and equitable international climate treaty. Last year I was honored to have been a part of the Will Steger Foundation's Expedition Copenhagen, a United Nations delegation of 12 Midwest Youth led by polar explorer Will Steger. Through my work with the Expedition Team, I helped organize a 700 mile 350.org Climate Bike through rural Minnesota, learned how to mentor and speak effectively on the issue of climate change, and took part as a youth observer delegate in the COP15 United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen. As a team we worked together, asking tough questions in meetings high level U.S. officials such as U.S. Envoy to the U.N. on Climate Change, Jonathan Pershing and working with youth from around the world to organize events such as the Youth Climate Flash Dance and a rally against tar sands. The result of the conference negotiations, the Copenhagen Accord, was bittersweet. The Accord was an extremely weak compromise where countries could choose to write in whatever amount they elected to reduce their CO2 emissions by without any kind of legally binding protocols. Although this was a disappointment, the process was still moving forward when it could have fallen apart. I chose to not give up hope. Resist Despair. This is a phrase that I emphasize in the speeches that I give at schools, religious institutions and events, and is one of the most important things that we must do if we are to confront the climate crisis. All too often it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of what could happen if we do not confront the climate challenge head on, but it is not too late, and there is so much that is still possible. When I returned to the United States I made the decision to resist the despair that I felt over the results of COP15. I chose to keep going, organizing the Minnesota Clean Energy Forum, and speaking everywhere that I could about the subject of climate change. In 10 days, I will be returning to the UNFCCC process as a SustainUS youth delegate. This time will be different, and I feel older and wiser from my experiences in Copenhagen. I will be working with youth from around the world and the SustainUS delegation to plan creative actions and campaigns, and will give you a blow by blow blog update from on the ground. One of the most important things that you can do to help out with our campaigns from back home is to become a COP15 Rapid Responder. If you sign up, we will call you only 3 or 4 times during the conference and will ask you to talk with U.S. Congresspeople and Department of State officials about specific aspects of the treaty that we are hoping to influence. Please consider becoming a rapid responder by following this link: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDNOVEgwcktCREp1X0haVkVTdVQ1U3c6MQ Peace and Happy Winter Bikin, Reed

Youth Demand a FAB Treaty in Copenhagen

2010-02-19T17:34:00.000-06:00

Today wraps up the end of the first week of negotiations in Copenhagen. It's been a great time here, and a lot of good work has been accomplished. The youth have been an impressive positive force throughout the week and we have received a lot of recognition for our efforts, professionalism, energy and creativity. I think it's a great time to take inventory of what has happened, and to reiterate our position as youth on these negotiations. Monday, December 7th: - Opening session of COP15 with IPCC Chairman Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, UN Secretariat Yvo de Boer, COP15 President Connie Hedegaard and others. - First International Youth Climate Movement action- Flash Mob Dance! Watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/willsteger1#p/search/1/-sWHCEaNmNE

Tuesday, December 8th: - Youth have high-level briefing with Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action Michael Zammit-Cutajar, and John Ashe, Chair of the UN group discussing rich countries’ emissions. - Youth and NGOs meet with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change Jonathan Pershing, and Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs David Sandelow for an off-the-record meeting.

Wednesday, December 9th: - Rapid Response team is created! The US Youth are calling friends back home to get them to engage their Senators to vote for domestic climate legislation based on science. Tuvalu protests Danish leaked text outside of a plenary session.

Thursday, December 10th: - Young and Future Generations Day: 1,000 youth wore bright orange t-shirts that read "How Old Will You Be in 2050?" and "Don't Bracket Our Future" bringing light to the issue that youth will bare the brunt of climate change. - Indian Youth Representative gives amazing speech at meeting with Yvo de Boer - watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/willsteger1#p/search/0/4XTr2VEhIBY

US and Chinese youth meet to discuss commonalities between our countries and develop strategic positions and actions for the negotiations. Watch the resulting press conference: http://www.youtube.com/willsteger1#p/search/0/4lLvpC4Ky9M

Friday, December 11th: Saturday, December 12th: - Biggest march around climate change ever. The streets of Copenhagen were a sea of lights when over 100,000 people joined together in a march for international awareness of climate change issues and calling for a legally binding treaty at the end of this week based on science. Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/willsteger1#p/search/0/jsSreaR3O0Y

UN Climate Change Summit Take 15 And....Action

2010-02-19T17:15:00.001-06:00

So many things are happening at the U.N. Climate Change Summit - it will make your head spin! Bringing awareness and attention to an issue or group can be done in many ways. "Actions" are a large part of the Climate Change Summit and in making statements worldwide. Particular planned actions with different organizations and groups must be planned, requested and approved by U.N. with certain regulations and guidelines for all. I just wanted to share some amazing action photos with you here.

These are just some of the incredibly inspiring youth actions that took place at the U.N. Climate Summit. There were many actions throughout the Bella Center, with different groups and organizations taking part. Expedition Copenhagen team members took part in many of these actions, myself included. I thought the rainstorm action was awesome, I also loved being a part of the Indigenous actions too, we sang songs, chanted and stood strong together and represented well. Sometimes you might wonder, honestly wonder if what you do as one person will make a difference....believe that it does. As these actions set examples and framed messages, one by one we stand together, and together we make a difference.

We want YOU for strong US climate legislation

2010-02-07T20:41:00.004-06:00

The negotiations were intense, the stakes were high, and the resulting Copenhagen Accord left people worldwide wondering when countries would agree to a binding treaty. After attending the Copenhagen Climate Conference, I've been thinking a lot about the outcome and what the future holds for the US as climate legislation will soon be voted on in the Senate. I do know this: climate change is not going to stop on its own and certainly will continue to threaten ecosystems and humans worldwide unless countries take responsibility to decrease their pollution by moving to renewable energy sources. One of the main phrases used at the United Nations Climate Change Conference was the notion of "common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities." There is recognition that countries are not evenly distributed in the amount of pollution they emit, and countries that are the largest polluters have a responsibility to dramatically reduce their emissions as is within their capacity. This also means that emerging economies have a responsibility to move to renewable energy sources when building new energy plants, and developing countries suffering the most from climate change must also do what is in their ability to reduce their carbon footprint. But developing countries need help adapting to the environmental changes that are occurring which affect the lives and livelihoods of their people. The Copenhagen Accord states that developed countries should provide financial assistance to these countries, so that people have the resources to rebuild.

The next climate conference is just around the corner, and its purpose will be to use the Copenhagen Accord as a framework for a legally-binding treaty. With only a few months to go, the US has a lot of domestic work to do before being able to make any international contributions to this collective effort. The US will have to pass climate legislation in the Senate, and the outcome of the vote depends largely on the Midwest votes. It's an exciting time for states in the Midwest, because they are not only the breadbasket of the nation and parts of the world, but they are now prime candidates for the global economic market that is transitioning to renewable energy technology. As more countries utilize their renewable energy resources and start manufacturing businesses for that technology, the global market is shifting to one centered around environmental technology. If the US is quick to take the opportunity, we will continue to be the global economic leader. However, countries like China, India, France and Germany are already establishing strong economies in technology, and the US could soon fall behind. The Senate passing climate legislation will enable the US to create more opportunities for domestic job opportunities centered around renewable energy, and the Midwest could benefit from making use of its wind energy potential along with solar and hydropower options.

I've heard from people around the world during my time at the Copenhagen conference, and I've learned that a driving force behind creating a healthier planet is in youth, who stand united on their persistence and dedication to this issue. Youth from the Midwest have already raised their voices in the form of notes that were delivered to President Obama, and it is actions like that which will form the support needed for legislative votes. In South Dakota, I'll continue to visit schools and talk to youth about the ability we all have to be concerned citizens who take initiative to make the world a better place. Solutions are best achieved from a collaboration of individuals, and each note or phone call to a senator really means a lot in helping senators know what their constituents want!

Our senators will be the ones voting on climate change legislation, but their decision to vote in favor or against depends on the voice they hear from the people they represent. That means YOU! So, for now, there are some very important steps each of us can take to work for more clean energy jobs, making use of our RENEWABLE resources, and working to help the billions of people who are sharing this earth with us:

1. Speak up! Contact your congresspeople and tell them what you think about the future of our states and our world. It's easy- just check http://www.congress.org/ to find the phone number or address of the elected official you want to talk to. Let them know you want them to support strong climate legislation.

2. Get involved. Take little measures every day that will decrease your own carbon footprint. Go for a walk rather than driving and enjoy the outdoors! Teach someone how to garden; recycle-- the possibilities are endless.

3. Learn the issue. There are great scientific sites to learn all about climate change, and you can read the Copenhagen Accord here.

There is so much that each of us can do to make a difference, and it doesn't take going to an international conference to achieve it.

Adapting to a Changing World

2010-02-07T13:27:00.007-06:00

The Copenhagen climate conference taught me we will have to adapt to the effects of climate change. If this had not been clear in my mind beforehand, the stories I heard from global young people awoke me to reality. I heard about droughts in Kenya and floods in Bangladesh. Youth from my local area shared stories of environmental illnesses and inequities. In addition, Pershing, the head United States negotiator at the conference, explained to us in a hearing that while we do not know the exact amount of funding that will be needed for climate change adaptation in the coming decades, the numbers will be high and the need is urgent. Change has begun. I know that I cannot sit idly by as climate change accelerates.

What's next?

As I continue to reflect on my intense team experience of the negotiations, I ask myself how I can help a changing world transition into a healthier place where we will continue to face climate change. The most important lesson I learned in Copenhagen was how critical it is for me to work within my own community to create solutions to climate change. The Midwest will be a critically important region as we work for national climate legislation, and I have political power as a voter and organizer in a swing state. This legislation could help our Midwest states thrive as we shift to a new clean energy economy.

This fall, riding my bike around Minnesota with Reed, I saw many examples of climate solutions. This trip inspired me to find ways to engage my community through gardening, alternative transportation, and other measures for adapting to a changing world. The Midwest contains vast stretches of agricultural land and a large portion of the earth’s fresh water. We have many opportunities to lead the globe through local initiatives.

Through the Copenhagen conference, I also realized that my work to study past adaptations to climate change and vulnerable ecosystems has real value for us today. I fell in love with archaeology in high school and decided to focus on ancient food production in college. More sustainable, healthier agricultural systems are possible, and past farming techniques can provide examples for how to innovate and move forward without fossil fuels. Every area of study, and every student, can help us face the future as responsible citizens of the globe through local action. What will you do?

New Bike Adventure Video Blog!

2010-02-07T00:28:00.004-06:00

Check out the first episode of my new video blog on biking and promoting clean energy and transit! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyhEb729h8U

Life After Copenhagen

2010-01-24T16:05:00.002-06:00

Upon arriving back in the United States, I was flooded with relief to be back on familiar territory. My trip to Copenhagen was undoubtedly a long one, but successful at that. Feelings were fixed upon the closing of the climate conference. An international treaty was not established but officials had enough sense to lay the groundwork for the next Conference of Parties (COP) in Mexico, 2011. I was relieved that the issue of climate change was finally being taken seriously but I felt that people weren't moving fast enough! Slow and steady seems to be the motto that officials around the world use; regardless of whether swift action was called for or not. A lesson to be learned for all those eager for change out there; progress takes time. In the meantime, until the issue of climate change is solved, I will continue to work fruitfully in my own backyard to ensure that the seeds of change begin to grow. Actively pursuing climate legislation, my home environmental group is revamping our efforts to engage students with the issues that face the Senate this spring. With the health care bill coming to a close, the Senate will now begin to vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES Bill). It is of the utmost importance that a climate bill is passed in order for the U.S. to participate in future COP negotiations. My own personal understand is this; our government will never agree to an internationally binding treaty unless we have passed climate legislation first in our homeland. This is why we must all join together and continue to pressure legislators to vote green. Throughout this semester I will be working directly with NDSU's student body government to coordinate events focused around climate legislation. I will also be giving talks and lectures to the local community on topics such as biofuel, oil-dependency and sustainability. I hope to continue working with grades K-12 in new partnership recently formed with university faculty as well as Repower America, the National Wildlife Federation and the Prairie Stewardship Network. This will be an active time for everyone!

What now?

2010-01-19T21:17:00.002-06:00

It has been a month since Copenhagen, and since I have had some time to reflect and think of ways in which we need to move forward in order to get ready for COP16 in Mexico and to help mitigate and adapt to the problem of Climate Change. After all, if there is one thing that I have learned is that we have the power to drive change. International negotiations, although critical to drive a cohesive change and hold accountability from different parties, are not the only solution that we have. We need to continue moving forward and take action on an individual level in order to make an impact that in turn demands results from our government. I have come to summarize what I personally need to do in 3 main categories, hopefully you will find these ideas helpful and will use them to guide in making a change….

1. Track and reduce my carbon footprint. I know that I am not perfect and that there are always more things that I can do to reduce my carbon footprint. Also as an engineer, I know that step one to make any sort of reduction is to keep account of your carbon footprint. It is easy and there are many small things you can do to reduce your emissions. Lead by example and make sure that others see the benefits of your actions, they might choose to join. Here is a link to a calculator that I have used. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

2. Educate! Since being back from Copenhagen I have encountered many people that are not necessarily involved in the climate movement. I have met several people who are still skeptics or that just don’t have enough information in order to care. This is why education is key, it opens opportunities for others to learn about the subject and decide if they want to make a difference. Education does not have to be formal, it could be over a cup of coffee, with family and friends or coworkers! Stay up to date with the news and the science and share your knowledge with others. Facts speak for themselves and they do cause people to see things in a different light. I always find this link helpful when looking for accurate data on climate change. http://www.ipcc.ch/

3. Let your representatives know. If there was one message that I heard through Copenhagen from the different politicians and negotiators that were at the conference it was this… they all encouraged the youth to continue pressuring our politicians, let them know that we want a sustainable future and that we are the ones carrying the burden of the decisions made today. We need to understand that although we are a strong and impactful group, there are still many powerful people that for some reason or another choose to not believe in the facts and are putting pressure on government to not pass climate legislation or to not be capped by carbon emissions. We need to ensure that we have a louder voice, that we carry a message and that we ensure this message reaches the highest levels of government. We need to continue working hard and make sure that our message makes a difference.

Local Stories Make Global Impacts

2010-01-18T21:16:00.007-06:00

In Grand Rapids the organization Local First has helped spur a movement in the city to think and buy local. The popular phrase, Think Globally, Act Locally has been an inspiration to citizens, students, and children alike and it has especially had a meaningful impact on me. This simple phrase is what has driven me to do the work that I do in my community, and it was only reinforced during the negotiations in Copenhagen.

Storytelling, one of the main ways that I connect with my community and with what’s happening around the world also proved to be very important. First, to make sense of the labyrinth that was the Bella Center I found it was best for me to choose one or two stories to follow and watch unfold until I could share it with others. For example, I decided to pay close attention to the actions of the U.S. Youth Delegation so that I could tell the media and our decision makers about what we were doing at the negotiations. With 500+ U.S. youth participating in the talks it’s easy to imagine the wealth of stories to share.

Secondly, telling the narrative of Expedition Copenhagen and highlighting the Midwest to everyone I met enabled me to make connections with people from around the world that had similar experiences. Listening to other stories demonstrated the broad implications of climate change and helped me generate new ideas for solutions based thinking. The simple act of sharing my story was the best way for me to act locally on a global scale.

What I already knew, but what was made even clearer during the negotiations was that our local stories connect us to people from around the world. We are all interconnected, and our stories are powerful enough to cross every barrier. There are billions of people around the world that have similar struggles and victories as you and me. Circumstances may be different, but we can usually find a place where our stories cross paths. In Copenhagen I heard and followed hundreds of these accounts and shared the story of the Midwest with everyone I met. Ultimately, we have to remember that all of these stories go back to our roots.

The work that I have been doing in Grand Rapids, and what each delegate on the Expedition Copenhagen team has been engaged in, is what made it critical that we took part in these talks. Global climate change is a huge issue to tackle with thousands of angles to look at. The only way to remain grounded and in touch with reality is to hear about the effects of climate change on communities by people from those communities. That is why thousands of civil society members registered to participate in these negotiations – they wanted, rather needed, to share their narrative to remind decision makers why they must take significant action on climate change now.

During the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, there were over two thousand registered NGO organizations. Since that time the number of civil society members participating in climate talks has increased significantly. Copenhagen was the largest convergence of people on the issue of climate change with over 45,000 registered people plus thousands more staying in the city to help organize outside events, marches and protests.

Reflected in this number is the amount of attention currently being paid to the climate crisis. Over 110 heads of state took part in these negotiations, and we are now closer than ever to signing an international treaty. Thus, it is easy to assume that the thousands of stories shared by these people are impossible for the decision makers to miss. Without these narratives we would not be this close to taking the bold action that is necessary because they are the driving force behind the positive changes taking place.

We cannot have a sustainable world without first starting in our homes, schools, cities and governments. After we start to strengthen our roots can we begin to grow the movement internationally. The fact that in Copenhagen we were on the cusp of signing an international legally binding treaty to stop global climate change demonstrates how important these local actions are to securing a safe and just future. The purpose that civil society and Expedition Copenhagen delegates served was to act as visible representations of the effects of and solutions to climate change.

The stories from my community keep me grounded, and they are the reason why I went to Copenhagen. The lessons I learned from the stories I heard and followed during the negotiations are why I came back more empowered, more inspired, and more ready to work locally and help transition our global society to be more just and sustainable. We have to focus local to impact global and we have to remember that we are not insignificant. What we do in our local communities is not insignificant. It’s the most important work that can be done.

Beyond Copenhagen: The Trail Tale Continues

2010-01-18T17:46:00.007-06:00

As the COP 15 Climate Summit came to a close in Copenhagen, my hopes for the future were tempered with a healthy dose of reality. The challenges ahead of us may not be easy, but we can still choose our better future. Some proclaim that Copenhagen was a success, some that it was a complete failure, but I think that it was a little of both. The three page “Copenhagen Accord” that we left with was not the culmination that we had hoped for, but it paves the trail for a future agreement, perhaps in Mexico City, where the 16th UN Conference of Parties will be held. As the conference began, there was a sense of hope permeating everything. “This is possible, Copenhagen will be the place where an effective, fair, and legally binding treaty will be wrought.” Before the conference, I had the opportunity to meet young people from across the world at the Conference of Youth. Throughout the summit we worked tirelessly to make sure that the negotiators listened to youth calls for a strong treaty. “How old will you be in 2050?” we called out on the Youth Day of Action. Climate change is not just a theory, but a legacy that we and our descendents will have to live with. The choices that we make in the next couple of years will influence our ability to lessen the impacts of climate changes and prepare ourselves. United States Youth Delegates met with legislators and with our country’s representatives at the conference. We gave EPA director Lisa Jackson and standing ovation for her work in the new EPA rule that designates C02 emissions an atmospheric pollutant. We attended meetings with high level officials from President Obama’s Cabinet, including Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke. The question that we asked, and the question that I asked former Vice President Al Gore, was always preceded by the phrase, “I am here today with 500 youth from across the United States,” and then we would all wave. This showed our United States representatives that we had an organized presence at the conference, and a right to take part in the process that would determine our future. Even if it may be difficult to tell how our presence at the conference may have influenced the result, our actions and organizing sent shock waves back to the many people we were representing in the United States, which I would argue was even more important. Through video conference calls with classrooms and students back home in Minnesota and in Washington D.C., I had the opportunity to send news back home about the negotiations process in Copenhagen, and discuss what the ephemeral next step should be. The more that I think about my role at the climate summit, the more I think that many of the decisions made there were determined before it even began. The United States arrived with the climate bill still mired in the Senate, crippling our ability to fight for a strong agreement. On the other hand, thanks to the 350 Day of Action, the number “350,” representing the 350 parts per million of CO2 that is the safe cap in the atmosphere (right now we’re at 387) actually made it into the proposed treaty text. So what is the next step? What is the best, most effective thing that you or I or anyone living in the United States can do about climate change? Well, although Copenhagen was propped up as the be-all-end-all-or-else-we-all-die-and-the-world-ends event, it doesn’t “be all” because it is only one step in a process that needs to take many forms, and it doesn’t “end all” but instead offers the opportunity for countries to go back home and come back in a year to create a real treaty together. Yes, that’s right “accord” is code for “let’s come back and figure it out later.” Not ideal, but here in the United States it gives us the opportunity to come back home and work for the passage of a strong CJAPA Senate Climate Bill. Then, we can have the framework for clean energy climate solutions here in the United States, and we can have an ambitious argument that we can bring to the next COP for a fair and legally binding treaty next December in Mexico City. Copenhagen was not an end, but a beginning, and I am excited to be back home and to be part of the solution. If you want to do something right now that will take only a minute, call your Senator and ask them to not let the Murkowski ammendment to become part of the final bill. This ammendment would strip away the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gasses and the coal industry, which could potentially lead to an increase in greenhouse gasses. Another thing that you can do is jump on your bike and take it for a ride. It's actually a lot easier to do in the wintertime than you'd expect. If you don't think that the roads are safe enough to bike on where you live, then do something about it. Did you know that the Minnesota legislature is considering a bill called the "Complete Streets" act that would integrate bike paths into street designs? You have the ability to influence the world around you: you just have to get off your duff and do it, and doesn't hurt if you can find some friends to take with you too.

There and back again

2010-01-18T08:50:00.000-06:00

Many voices sounded in the streets across Copenhagen this past December, and they came together late in the evening on the 18th of December as COP15 came to a close.

On that night, I sat in a small Danish apartment with a few of my fellow delegates and listened to President Obama give his final words on the accord. For the first time in near two and a half weeks, the world seemed quiet. Shock, exhaustion, disappointment, confusion... his seemingly empty words hung in the air. All I could hear was the breathing of my comrades and his political statement. Not a statement of conviction, of passion, of progression, of change... a statement of politics.

I felt deceived, brokenhearted, emotional and worn out. What had we worked so hard for? What does this mean for us? For humanity? What does this mean? I felt blindsided by the auditory wrecking ball delivered by my President that thrust a gaping hole into my relentless hope for the impossible.

The world was quiet and still.

I took some time to talk with my friends and put this new reality to the back of my head. Just for a few hours, then I returned to the quiet. The quiet that had settled over Copenhagen and over the youth movement. For the first time in two weeks, I did not have 350 emails to check by the end of the day. The world slowed back down. My psyche reverted to the corner of my mind with the over-sized sofa and low-light lamp where I go to reflect when I don't know what to think. This is where I stayed for the next few days and my long travels home.

A few weeks later and back at home, a renewed passion has reignited in my heart. I have returned home to the thought and aspiration that initially inspired me to apply for Expedition Copenhagen: local, sustainable communities.

I met hundreds of young people and thousands of people of all ages from all over the world; each of their home communities has different ways to meet the same goal as communities all over the world: local and sustainable. We need to take care of each other here, at home. We can address this global issue of climate change through local solutions. The Midwest specifically has phenomenal opportunity to become a leader domestically and internationally through clean energy development.

2010 must be a year of action. We must continue to hold our leaders at the top to the promises they campaign on, but we cannot go to the top alone. Our action, as we know, needs to happen at all levels of government and in the home of our community members.

SD Messages Arrive Safely to President Obama

2010-01-14T08:14:00.001-06:00

To all those who wrote messages for the Copenhagen book, congratulations! A successful delivery of these Midwest messages, along with the messages of Kenyan youth and a joint cover letter, went to President Obama. To see the final book that these messages were placed in, and to hear comments from some of the youth that joined our WSF delegation in working on the letter and compiling the messages, click here.

Your messages are posted on the White House Blog! Look closely at the images from the above link--of the 6 that were scanned onto the post, at least 3 of them are ones that were written by youth in Sioux Falls! Those messages are being seen not only by the President and his staff but anyone who visits the White House Blog. Each of those notes made a BIG voice for the Midwest--and think of how easy they were to write!

The momentum doesn't end with this project--in fact, this is only the beginning. Every goal starts with little steps toward success, and there are many more little steps that need to be taken to achieve strong climate solutions before the next UN climate conference. United, inspiring voices of youth are needed to show our support for a healthy and sustainable future, for SD and the world. The compilation of messages that are being shared worldwide are just a small testament to the impact one voice can have. That voice can start with YOU.

Climate Justice Fast

2009-12-22T06:00:00.002-06:00

This past Thursday, one day before the end of the 2009 Conference of Parties (COP 15), I fasted to help call attention to the great injustice of global climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions, which come disproportionately from people in industrialized countries, are imposing serious climate impacts on the rest of the world--droughts and desertification in places like the Horn of Africa, and crop-destroying floods in places like Bangladesh. By emitting like we do, we are depriving people in vulnerable places everywhere of food and other basic means of survival. Forgoing food voluntarily for a day was a small and completely inadequate token of my care for these impacted people. But I was not the only one fasting. I was joined by hundreds of other temporary "solidarity fasters" from around the world, including fellow Will Steger Foundation delegate Holly Jones, and a brave team of eight long-term hunger strikers and organizers, who created the Climate Justice Fast campaign earlier this year. I met one of the co-founders of Climate Justice Fast last year when we were in Poznan, Poland for COP 14. She is a 24 year-old Australian named Anna Keenan. Anna's capacity to sacrifice for just climate solutions was evident then as well--the two of us stayed up together at a print shop until four in the morning one night making placards that read "Survival," which we then handed out to official country negotiators for them to place on their desks during the plenary session. This effort, together with a wider coordinated campaign, yielded enough interest in the principle of "Survival" among the negotiators that the chair of one ministerial roundtable inserted a reference to "safeguarding survival of the most vulnerable countries and people" into her Conference summary. Despite occasional victories like the "Survival" campaign, which originated with a team of youth climate activists and negotiators from small island states, the pace of progress in the UNFCCC has been depressingly slow. The apparent failure of traditional advocacy efforts compelled Anna and Sara Svensson, co-organizer of Climate Justice Fast, to try a more serious approach. At the end of the UNFCCC's Barcelona negotiating round this past November, during which a bloc of African delegates walked out of the conference center in disgust with industrialized countries' unwillingness to commit to adequate mitigation targets, Sara, Anna, and their team stopped eating, drinking only water, and committed to continue their fast until the world agrees on a fair, ambitious, and binding global climate treaty. Sara described her decision to begin the fast in a press release: “I undertook this fast in solidarity with those who are suffering the effects of climate change, but also to show my dedication to the climate movement – to show that there is something that I care about more than myself, more than my own personal comfort and gratification.” Sara and Anna continued their fast for 44 days. They broke it on Saturday morning, drinking juice together with two other long-term strikers at a cafe in Copenhagen. That afternoon I ran into Sara as I entered the Bella Center, where the night before delegates had forged a weak "politically binding" Copenhagen Accord. My mood was grim during much of that day, and my frustration with the shameful outcome of these talks continues. But I felt a new sense of hope after my brief conversation with Sara, who spoke with joy about her first meal since the fast started. “We have decided to end this fast today because we know that we need to keep on working as climate activists for our whole lifetime," she said. "We will keep on pushing on our governments, harder and harder, until we see the necessary political shifts achieved and a global deal sealed.”

Inspiration from Peers, Not Leaders

2009-12-18T10:23:00.003-06:00

As Obama addressed the plenary hall inside the Bella Center, many watched from outside since NGO's had limited to no access to the center today. His speech echoed through the concrete hall while all stared in silence. Furrowed brows headlined the uncertain glances around the hall at friends and strangers. Is this the same President that moved us all so deeply just one year ago? Is this the same President that called for change and the hope of a new future? These questions, among many others, flooded my brain as a straight-faced Obama recited a cold, political speech that lacked his trademark hope, optimism, inspiration and humanity. The very traits that got him elected seemed to be buried underneath political goals and selfish motives. To his defense, his administration has done so much more than the previous. Yet today, a day that we all secretly (or publicly) hoped would bring a silver lining to the difficult and sometime dismal negotiations, we were left with seemingly empty words. The moment that instilled great hope, passion and inspiration came from our peer; Juan Carlos is a native to Peru and is here with the SustainUS US delegation. He has been working hard and spent last night in the Bella Center with the other three youth that obtained access. His speech today, written in collaboration with the International Youth Climate Movement speaks to humanity across the globe, demands action and has moved me to continue forward.

Why Michigan Needs the U.S. Senate to Act

2009-12-18T06:16:00.002-06:00

My father has been a union electrician for 30 years in the metro-Detroit area. He has been a committed worker and supporter of his union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) his entire career. He is also a strong supporter of American made goods and jobs. But he had been unemployed for almost two years now because of the recession. He repeatably has said to me that the job market will never again be the same in Michigan and that he is worried that steady work will be difficult to find in the next few years. Through a new comprehensive climate and clean energy bill, we can revive the United States, and Michigan's manufacturing base around this new low carbon, clean energy economy. At the end of Expedition Copenhagen, we wrote this op-ed on behalf Expedition Copenhagen urging the U.S. Senate to Act - it matters to my Dad, to Michigan, to the U.S., and the world: Greetings from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen! We are the Midwestern youth delegates of Expedition Copenhagen, a partnership between Will Steger Foundation (WSF) and Stonyfield Farm. WSF is a non-profit organization committed to creating local and global climate change solutions through advocacy, education, and outreach. Will Steger, a lifelong arctic explorer, has been an eyewitness to the rapid changes in our climate. He led our delegation of twelve young leaders to Copenhagen to promote Midwestern climate change solutions at the international negotiations. While at the conference, delegates have taken on multiple roles. We attended plenary sessions to observe actual negotiations, conducted press conferences and led educational presentations. We formed working collaborations with our peers from around the world, including China, Canada, Kenya, Denmark, India, Latin America and more. Additionally, we filmed our observations and uploaded high-quality news stories to the web. We wrote blogs and tweets to present our perspective to followers back home. While our days were packed with activities from pre-dawn hours into the night, our mission remains to present the Midwest voice to those here in Copenhagen and, in turn, to be the voice of Copenhagen back in our Midwestern communities. The Midwest is critical to the success or failure of the conference. We contribute 4-5% of total global warming pollutants, but with our natural resources, our educated workforce, and our agriculture and manufacturing capabilities, we could be a much larger part of the solution. America’s heartland has much to gain economically by tackling climate change, because a clean energy economy will be the largest business opportunity of all time. We have a very strong engineering and technology base and an ability to develop innovative clean-tech jobs, renew our economy and put millions of Midwesterners back to work while reducing our reliance on foreign oil. As breadbasket to the world, we have energy solutions on our farms too, such as wind power, carbon offsets, and the next generation of biofuels. Lastly, many of those in our generation are just now graduating from Midwestern universities with degrees that will be essential to restoring economic prosperity to our communities while solving one of the world’s most daunting challenges. The whole world looked to the U.S. to help negotiate a comprehensive climate agreement here. Similarly, the whole world is watching the United States Senate to see that it enacts President Obama’s pledges here in Copenhagen. Midwest U.S. Senators are the critical players in passing a comprehensive jobs and energy bill that is at a standstill on the Senate floor. Our Senators comprise some of the most important votes that will determine the fate of the Earth. They have the opportunity to lead the transition to secure, sustainable societies all around the world, with good jobs and the economic engine powerful enough to solve the problem. Call your U.S. Senate offices today. The message is this: the whole world is waiting on you. Enact a clean energy jobs bill now. Expedition Copenhagen Delegates: Reed Aronow, St. Paul, MN Liana Balinski-Baker, Chicago, IL Aurora Conley, Bad River, WI Megan Constans, Fargo, ND Maia Dedrick, St. Paul, MN Chris Detjen, Detroit, MI Jamie Horter, Bristol, SD Holly Jones, Mt. Pleasant, IA Sarah Mullkoff, Lansing, MI Chalie Nevarez, Milwaukee, WI Danielle Ostafinski, Grand Rapids, MI Jamie Racine, Racine, WI

LEAKED Document Shocks World Community

2009-12-18T01:53:00.008-06:00

PLEASE NOTE: This is a confidential doc that has been leaked, with the Annex 1 countries' pledges...when added up they amount to 550ppm and a 3 degree temp rise. Before the sun hit the streets today, thousands opened their e-mail here in Copenhagen and around the world to read a leaked document from the Secretariat's office. The document outlines draft text from late night meetings at the Bella Center -- text that reflects a dramatically higher number of parts per million (ppm) than the IPCC and hundrescientists around the world agree to be safe for our survival. Numbers have been a part of near every conversation in and outside the Bella Center: 1.5: the amount of inches in sea level rise that are tolerable for human survival in island nations 350: the ppm of carbon we need to stabilize the atmosphere 280: the highest number of ppm in the atmosphere PRE-industrial revolution 390: the ppm currently in the atmosphere 12 million: the number of global citizens for climate action; this number is continuously rising "I was disgusted that after all the discussion around no more than 2 degrees, this comes out," Danielle Ostafinski states in response to the document. "Two degrees is even too high." Danielle is one of 500 youth from the United States and over 2000 youth from around the world. Over the last two weeks, youth have taken a stand behind the numbers 350 and 1.5 online, on the streets and in the Bella Center. One of the leaders of the number campaigns is 350.org's Bill McKibben. His name was scrawled across the top of the leaked document leading many skeptics to believe that there is a conspiracy. They are using this to discredit his powerful global movement. Read McKibben's response to skeptics here. Whatever the intentions of the unknown person that leaked the document (or conspiracy theories behind it), the fact remains that we are in the last 24 hours of the Copenhagen conference; we are down to crunch time and heads of state have flown in from all over the world to make their statements. Hope is lined with anxiety throughout conversations across the city and world today as President Obama arrives. Though hope is focused on him to take strong political action and to do the right thing, the decision(s) he makes today or doesn't make will reflect the round-the-clock work of his negotiators over the past two weeks. As youth, we hope that our voices will continue to ring through the halls and plenary sessions despite our exclusion from the process. See the complete leaked document here.

Notes From the Trail: Copenhagen: 24 Hours Left

2009-12-17T17:07:00.004-06:00

The COP15 Conference is about to come to its conclusion tomorrow, and there is still a lot of work that needs to be done for a treaty to rise from the ashes. Today no one from the youth delegation was able to get into the conference; fewer and fewer NGO and youth observers have been allowed in every day (45,000 could get in on Monday and only 300 could get in today, 90 tomorrow). There were protests yesterday where thousands of activists tried to break through the fence and get into the Bella Center. Unfortunately, the end result of these protests only delayed the negotiations because some of the negotiators, such as IPCC Chairman Rajenda Pachauri, couldn't get past the wall of protestors/ police. As the week as progressed and fewer and fewer observer NGOs have been allowed entrance into the COP15 proceedings, this has increased discontent and probably helped fuel the ill thought out protests. What happened on the outside was not nearly as effective as some of the events that the media are not covering as well. For example, youth and NGOs have been meeting with high level negotiators throughout the conference, and youth staged a sit-in protest for being shut out of the process, refusing to leave until at 1:30am this morning when police forced them to. Yesterday evening, members of the delegation along with Will Steger, Michael Noble, and Rep. Kate Knuth gave a Midwest Climate Presentation at Klimaforum, an alternative to COP15 open to the general public. I had a good time M.C-ing where we talked about why it's important that the Midwest prepare for climate change, and what the Midwest has to gain about it. Although the topic might seem obscure here in Denmark, we had a packed house of people from across the world (many from the Midwest!). I was nervous as I went up in front of the packed room, but as soon as I relaxed and just had fun with the presentation, everything went smoothly.

Is your mayor in Copenhagen?

2009-12-17T12:26:00.001-06:00

Protests rocked Copenhagen this week, but I’ll leave them to the mainstream media and instead focus on acting locally. Many municipal mayors are showing up in Copenhagen. At first I thought they were just jumping on the bandwagon, but I soon discovered they're taking part in a parallel summit organized by local and regional governments from around the world. Cities are immensely important to reducing carbon emissions, and I spoke with Hugh Bartling, a public policy professor at Depaul University in Chicago, who explained just what kind of impact they have. "Fifty percent of the world’s population are in cities, and by 2050, it’ll be 80 percent," Bartling says. "If you think about it, most of the actual policy implementation happens at local levels in a lot of places, both in the industrialized world and the developing world." That means that if world leaders ever strike a climate treaty to curb greenhouse gas emissions, it will be cities ensuring the carbon reductions are made and footing the bill to boot. That's why city representatives are here (NYC’s Bloomberg arrived on Tuesday) making sure that their views are heard. But they have their work cut out for them. "It’s heads of states that negotiate treaties, not mayors," Bartling says. Mayors in developing countries have even more incentive to demand that cities are mentioned in any new treaty, since it could help them get the cash they need to implement systems to both adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. "What local officials really want to see is something in the text that acknowledges local authorities and local government," Bartling says. "What that means is that whatever deal is hashed out in the developing world, mayors can go to their national government and say, 'we need to have aid money coming into the cities.'" Cities also have control over buildings, which account for more than 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Cities could slash these by changing zoning codes and ordinances, says Bartling. A recent Finnish study showed that 95 percent of the world’s buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been built. Cities wield the power to put measures in place to save energy in these aging buildings, such as insisting on better insulation, for example. Bartling says he will have his eye on how suburbs will adapt to reducing emissions under a global climate treaty. He has studied how sprawl developed in the U.S. and Canada, written a book about it and was even called on by the Canadian government to work on how to transform suburbs in Toronto. "In Canada and the U.S., most of the population growth happened after World War II and there was no real concern with climate change," Bartling says. "The assumption was limitless amounts of fossil fuels." This has created the toils of suburban life, which Bartling can distill down into a sentence. "You work here, you shop there, you live here and we all crash and there's huge congestion and it screws up air quality." Bartling has also studied sewage and said it's one of his favorite topics, but I declined to follow up. Check back soon for more reports from Copenhagen.

Walk-outs and sit-ins urge change.

2009-12-16T18:26:00.004-06:00

Demonstrators walk out to join people's forum outside the Bella Center. (photo by Daygot Leeyos) As thousands marched towards the Bella Center this morning, hundreds inside marched out. These actions were sparked by a combination of two things: 1. limited access to NGO's (non-governmental organizations) and 2. stagnant negotiations between Annex I (developed) countries and G77 (developing) countries. The world's media are representing these actions with a variety of headlines. The majority of western (primarily Annex I) countries are telling the stories more from the perspective of the police and their reactions, i.e. Danish Police Brace for Protests and Danish Police Use Tear Gas against Climate Protestors. In contrast, many developing nations' media speak to the less hostile action, i.e. Climate Talks Tense After Walk Out. There are currently about a dozen youth (at least) sitting in or caring for those sitting in at the Bella Center. Stay up-to-date on their stories here. With people walking out of, sitting in and walking many miles in the streets towards the Bella Center amidst police questioning and brutality, it's difficult to tell what action(s) in the city have the ability to make a significant difference on the negotiatiors' positions while also making political change back home.

If We Go Forward, Will Others Follow? John Kerry speaks on the U.S. role at COP15

2009-12-16T15:52:00.001-06:00

John Kerry may not have always been a strong supporter of climate legislation but today he didn't let us down. His speech was concise and well-spoken, harping on the positive impacts of American leadership. Kerry's speech made me bubble-over with hope that when President Obama steps up plate on Friday, we can still make great headway with strong American initiative. Warmly introduced by Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, Kerry spoke of responsibility the U.S. Government and other developed countries owe to the developing countries, holding fast to the old saying "we have a common but differentiated responsibility." Here at COP15, developed countries are particularly struggling to match the financial needs of developing nations and small island states, to which we owe our support after years of unchecked pollution. Apart from international climate negotiations, Kerry focused on things closer to home as well. He was confident that a climate bill would pass in the Senate early next year while others remain not so sure. But his message today stressed that change would not come quickly. He offered insight to the minds of senators across the U.S. as they approach to climate legislation. Whether the ACES climate bill is passed or not, did not seem to effect Kerry's view of the how the U.S. will progress. "More than 1,000 mayors are taking strict measures to aim towards Kyoto targets--and a number of cities are actually getting close on their own. Across America, grassroots initiatives are sprouting up as citizens lead their leaders," said an enthusiastic Kerry. To the youth in attendance, this was almost as if being called out by name. I personally was thrilled. This news comes as a reason for hope to many whom doubt the U.S. will take the reins and pull the rest of the world in towards a binding climate treaty. Kerry argued that, "If Dick Cheney can argue that even a 1% chance of a terrorist attack is 100% justification for preemptive action—then surely, when scientists tell us that climate change is nearly a 100% certainty, we ought to be able to stand together, all of us, and join in an all out effort to combat a mortal threat to the life of this planet." I think with this quote I will end, allowing you to contemplate the moral and social demands of this statement.

Last Day at the Bella Center

2009-12-16T15:51:00.004-06:00

What a strange and remarkable day. I'm sure most readers are aware that there were many protests outside of the Bella Center today in which over 200 people were arrested by the Danish Police. The protest organized by Climate Justice Action called "Reclaim Power" was in response to this weeks restrictions of negotiation access for civil society and it's purpose was to put the people's voice back into the climate talks. This week civil society has has access to the Bella Center extremely restricted and today marked the last day in which there was a significant number of NGOs allowed in. Tomorrow there will be about 1,000 NGO representatives and only 90 on Friday which is a sharp decrease from the 35,000 registered individuals. Only 8 Expedition Copenhagen members made it into the negotiations today, including myself. We had planned a time to switch over the required secondary badges to other delegates but the UN Secretariat decided not to let anymore NGO constituencies into the Bella Center after the outside protests. Despite the efforts of the confrontational non-violent protesters outside there was little knowledge of what was going on in the Bella Center. This huge building has acted as a bubble these past two weeks secluding individuals from the outside world. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that not everyone is completely absorbed in the climate negotiations like we have been. People aware of the protests happening outside were most likely connected to twitter, were youth or activists, got stuck in line to get into the center because of the actions or all of the above. It was surreal to know that there were people protesting outside advocating for the voice of the people while I was walking around the center with tons of "suits" (very different from where there were lots of youth in the space) and press whom are so removed civil society that seeks to hold them accountable. Sarah and I spent the day in the Bella Center absorbing as much as we could on our last day. We attended a Blue Green Alliance press conference, and I even asked a question! We also made it into a plenary session where the status of the Kyoto Protocol (KP) was being discussed. We learned more about the status of the KP text, which was not very good. Most G77 countries were calling for one more day to work on the text because the technical aspects of the language had not been completely negotiated. After so much hard work it is important that the text is polished and complete, based on sound science and supports developing nations. We had some difficulties getting out of the plenary session today because there were so many people trying to get in and out at the same time. There were also many upset government delegations because their access was also restricted to only 4 negotiators each and many were stuck outside waiting to get in because of the protests. I put together a video explaining some of our morning excursions. We also had a great chance to see U.S. Senator John Kerry speak (video). U.S. Youth delegates formed a welcoming party for Kerry and handed him a giant postcard from delegates thanking him for his leadership in the states on climate and energy legislation. Kerry's speech was political, yet very uplifting. He is a man who is truly dedicated to this solving this issue and making the U.S. a leader again in the international community. I left the Bella Center in a strange state. I was sad that it was my last time in this huge space where I had so many great experiences and opportunities. But honestly, too much time has been spent in that bubble. After we left we joined the rest of our delegation for a Midwest presentation at Klimaforum, a peoples conference parallel to COP15. Here my spirit was uplifted because these are the people affected by climate change seeking community based solutions to this issue. We will most likely come out of these neogtiations with a political treaty, not a legally binding agreement. But no matter what happens, our work does not/would not have ended in Copenhagen. The people will continue to lead this transition into a clean energy economy and a just and sustainable society. P.S. It snowed tonight in Copenhagen and the city looked BEA-U-TIFUL!

In Copenhagen, one skier wants to save our snow

2009-12-16T15:26:00.001-06:00

At the U.N. climate talks, droves of delegates in suits walk beside young activists in T-shirts, but there’s only one person in the building with a pair of skis strapped to her back. That’s Alison Gannett, an extreme skier who holds World Cup Free-skiing titles and starring roles in Warren Miller films of the '90s. For the past decade, however, she's been a climate change activist in the U.S. "I really felt that for some reason, people weren’t connecting to climate change," Gannett says. "It was too far away, too esoteric, too intangible." So to make the problem more concrete, two years ago, she started the Save Our Snow foundation, which is why she’s attached that message on a glossy paper to her backpack in Copenhagen. It’s a message that many people, especially Canadians, can relate to. Her get-up has been a conversation starter with everyone from the president of Costa Rica to the first president of the UNFCC, who both tapped her on the shoulder when they saw her skis. But the "save our snow" message goes beyond sport, Gannett says, since more than 50 percent of the world’s drinking water comes from snow. Like many skiers, Gannett has spent a lot of time in Canada. Her favorite spot is Rossland, B.C., the home of Red Mountain. She also raves about Whistler (check out CG's Travel article from November), but not because of the powder. "Whistler as a ski area has done amazing things to calculate their carbon emissions, reduce and offset them and produce clean power," she says. Gannett is also a fan of B.C.’s carbon tax, a system that the province introduced in 2008 to make companies pay for their emissions. The tax doesn't create revenue for the province and is given back to taxpayers. If sirens are going off just thinking about the carbon impact of Gannett’s travels — consider this. She lumps together speaking engagements geographically, and often has to break the news to organizations that she might only be able to come speak in two years. On the way to Denmark, she walked from London to Belgium, which took 15 days, before hopping on the climate express train to Copenhagen. But if walking across countries isn't your thing, Gannett has other suggestions for cutting back consumption. Her web site lists some easy ways to be sustainable. "A lot of people say 'oh we have to climb into a cave' to make these reductions, but I show examples of how to reduce your carbon footprint and still retain a very high quality of life," Gannett says. Check back soon for more reports from Copenhagen.

Frustration and Determination: meeting with negotiators Jonathan Pershing and Todd Stern

2009-12-16T08:23:00.008-06:00

Don't let the smiles fool you, we gave lead negotiator Jonathan Pershing an impassioned piece of our minds!

As I sat last evening looking at the thirteen faces of some of the most remarkable leaders in the US youth climate movement today, I had an incredible rush of emotions ranging from nerves to anticipation in thinking about the task that we were about to take on- in moments, we would be meeting with Jonathan Pershing and Todd Stern, chief negotiators for the United States at COP15. As we walked through the halls of the Bella Center towards the United States Delegation offices a sense of excitement started to build, the fourteen of us would soon take on the fast taking, intelligent, and articulate negotiators as representatives of United States youth both in Copenhagen and at home.

The briefing was off the record, so I cannot blog about explicit content, but I will share the emotions and thoughts that went through my mind as the meeting finished. The immediate feeling that I had once our extensive discussion with both negotiators had commenced was pure exhaustion; exhaustion from hearing excuses and exhaustion from hearing that what we’re doing is not enough. I was so overwhelmed by fear and sorrow I began to cry, but as I looked around at the thirteen faces that had tears in their eyes as well, the faces of my friends and the current and future leaders of my generation, a new sense of hope and determination rose within me.

I can say, without an ounce of doubt in my mind, that I will continue fighting for a just, sustainable, and prosperous future for my generation and all generations to come and the best part about it is, that I know that I’m not alone! As youth from the United States, and around the world, we will work together until our elected officials step up and show the strong leadership and courage that is needed to ensure the survival of peoples and future generations.

Although it is impossible for me to describe the range of sentiment that I felt last evening subsequent to the meeting I believe that my friend, Whit Jones, summed it up quite nicely, “the hard hitting and difficult discussion led to a room full of tears, but the bright side is that people emerged more ready to go than ever.”

Recent Protests

2009-12-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

As COP15 comes to a close, actions at the conference center intensify. Many of you are probably wondering why this is happening or what it is achieving. I thought I could answer this in a very personal way based on my experiences at the conference. While at the conference, I have had conversations with people directly affected by climate change. Specifically, I met a boy from Bangladesh who told me about all the suffering he and his family have faced since a typhoon ruined his town. A boy from the Maldives, Mohamed Maumoon, explained to me that if his negotiators signed a bad deal, they would be signing a “suicide pact”. Clearly, emotions run high about the outcome of these negotiations, and many lives are on the line (Global Humanitarian Forum estimates that at present 300,000 people per year die as a result of climate change). Personally, I feel like I am on a roller coaster in which I waver between hope that we can make positive change and concern that there will never be a strong enough treaty to avoid further destruction.

The stakes are high. And in a youth briefing early this week, Pachauri, Chair of the IPCC, shared that he was losing his faith that nation-states could move quickly enough to solve this problem. I know many people who want desperately to stop climate change. We have various ideas about how solutions will be reached and how to channel our willingness for change. In the end, we want a just and ecologically sound world. Many of us believe the way to achieve that is by building a movement of people who can come together not just to ask for change from state officials but to create the solutions ourselves. While I will not participate in civil disobedience at this conference, I know that those who do seek climate justice.

Writers, Activists, Politicians Point to Youth and Hope

2009-12-16T03:16:00.002-06:00

As restrictions start to increase at the Bella Center due to the inability for the center to hold a capacity greater than 15,000 (in addition to increased security purposes), our delegation has had to divide up our time in the center as we now only have 8 passes to enter. The change of schedule provided me the opportunity to spend time working with the youth delegation during the morning and hear from Naomi Klein as she made a special visit to share words of inspiration with youth.

Will Steger Foundation, © 2009 Jamie Horter

After swapping badges with delegates who attended the Bella Center in the morning, I was able to attend a presentation with Ban Ki Moon and Wangari Maathai. Today, Wangari Maathai was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace for her work with the Green Belt Movement and dedication to lifelong humanitarian efforts by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon helps UN Messenger of Peace Wangari Maathai with an official pin to wear the title.

Will Steger Foundation, © 2009 Jamie Horter

The audience was offered the chance to ask questions after the presentation, and of the five questions asked, three of them were in regards to youth and their influence on changing the world. When asked how youth could learn to become global leaders, Ban Ki Moon pointed out that the world needs not only politicians but humanitarians, people working on small-scale levels to make big differences. He also commented on the hope he gains from today’s youth in working hard to shape a better world.

If there are two words that have become prevalent throughout the briefings and sessions I’ve attended, they would be “youth” and “hope.” Leaders in the UN have continuously stressed their support for youth in being involved in the UN process in Copenhagen as well as leading movements within their own regions of the world. It’s inspiring to hear that those people who have aspired to create positive change for humanity put their hopes for the future in the capacity of today’s youth to work for a better world.

Will Steger Foundation, © 2009 Jamie Horter

Eight hours.

2009-12-16T03:03:00.002-06:00

In eight hours, the heads of states will arrive to begin the final days of work in the confines of the Bella Center as the world continues to roll in contentious debates around them. In eight hours, the work of negotiatiors will largely come to a head. Eight hours ago, as the sun left Copenhagen in darkness, many civil society participants filed out of the Bella Center with the knowledge they would not likely have the opportunity to return. The Secretariat has limited access to civil society, turning away over 30,000 citizens from all across the globe. As night fell, youth continued to gather in what is dubbed their convergence space to meet and collaborate within and across nation lines to strategize how their voice, our voice can continue to be heard from outside the Bella Center walls. Throughout the conference center yesterday, rumors floated through the eerily static hallway like ghosts whispering urgent messages of what may or may not happen. Black suits smiled at cameras where folks in t-shirts once stood, danced and marched for collaboration and change. A groundswell of emotion is stirring outside the seven-foot-tall fences, red rope and grimace-faced armed guards that surround the center. The mid-level officials inside yesterday held little testament in their talks to recognize the realities that have swarmed this center and city for the last 10 days. Their speeches were light and policy talk soft -- Governor Schwarzenegger laughed as he dropped his famous line,"I'll be back" to close his speech. The Governator might be back, but starting tomorrow, most civil society will not.

Initial Reactions and Reflections from Week One

2009-12-16T01:52:00.001-06:00

For the past week I have been attending the COP15, or 15^th Convention of Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference, hearing from and meeting with people and a variety of perspectives and solutions. While we each came with our own intentions and expectations for the conference, it had been clear that end of this conference could have various outcomes. Despite the speculation of expectations for the outcome, one thing has been overwhelmingly clear.

This is a moment in which the entire world is watching, and really, the entire world is watching the United States in particular. At this conference, a wide array of fascinating people from various spectrums, have joined. Representatives from non-governmental organizations, students, academic professionals, scientists, politicians, generally portraying the same consensus, that action on confronting climate change has to be taken now. The world has high expectations of us, and we hold a uniquely influential role on the rest of the countries.

After working hard over the last six months through domestic grassroots efforts organizing members of Congress to develop and pass a strong and comprehensive energy and climate bill, I must admit that I was disappointed at their inability to pass a bill before the COP. I had expected it would be almost embarrassing to indentify as being American, considering our historical inability to take responsibilities for our disproportionate contribution to this global issue. Yet, I am joined with a movement of fellow Americans through the incredibly powerful Youth delegation. Hopefully, our solidarity and persistence will be inspirational to leaders here, and to those back home.

We have been working long days to make sure that all ends are covered with our participation in the activity. Our delegates have been involved with media- both traditional and social by doing video recording of interviews of notable attendees, our local actions, and writing to various journals. Through social media you can follow our twitter accounts, blogs, youtube, and flickr videos all through this website. Also, we have each taken on specific policy focuses and have formed position statements on each of the main tracks of the negotiations. Additionally, we’ve been a part of incredible partnership building through forging relations within the youth delegation, we are officially accredited as the YOUNGOS, and also honing in on our domestic relations with other partners organizations. Looking forward to

2009-12-15T22:47:00.003-06:00

The Bella Conference is quite a busy, noisy scene. Throughout last week you could observe all the buzz of policy wonks stepping in and out of presentations and press conferences, the negotiators attending plenary sessions and side meetings, and the conglomeration of voices chattering discussing delegation specific strategies. Yet amidst all the noise of the people that comprise the conference, the excitement is evident throughout the city, and evident through an overarching theme of Hope.

The city square has a large stage set up for the events for Hopenhagen, which originally started just as the website. During the last months prior to the conference, people regularly updated statuses of messages of hope in their daily lives, and their overall hopes of the U.N. Climate Conference. This week, the messages have been live streamed over a large globe in the city square, illustrating the unique perspectives coming in from all over the globe, a unifying message of hope.

It is also evident through p messages also. Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivers a message on his inspiration at the conference, link to video.

In Michigan also, people united their voices with messages of hope of supporting an international climate bill. Last Saturday we connected to a group of youth activists through a conference call in back to Lansing, MI inspiring messages linking the actions at home to the relevance of passing an international treaty in Copenhagen.

Additionally, President Obama delivered much of his campaign last fall on a message of hope, coining the phrase, “Yes, we can”.

While messages such as these are incredibly inspiring, it is obvious that significant decisions are still need to be made. In the meanwhile, awaiting President Obama’s arrival, the negotiations are lagging.

What’s important to recognize above and beyond all the chaos associated within Copenhagen, inside and outside of the Bella Center, is that there still seems to be an underlying tone of hope. The youth voice is omnipresent, both inside the walls of the conference center as well as throughout the city. While the future of the negotiations are still undetermined, hopefully the youth can stand strong as the moral imperative of the conference.

In Case of Emergency-You CANNOT Dial 911!!

2009-12-15T19:28:00.007-06:00

In Copenhagen Denmark you must dial 112! The purpose of an emergency plan is to prepare, prevent and protect in case of circumstances or situations considered an emergency. A plan promotes awareness and preparation to a possible hazardous situation. You can only prepare so much, but can never really prepare for unforeseen circumstances. The lack of a plan could result in serious and devastating loss. The Climate Change negotiations are in preparation and preservation of what is left on and in Mother Earth and how to protect it, from various perspectives. There is no detailed indication of what is to come as a result of climate change, although there are models and probabilities, we will never really know the devastation that could be caused. I have encountered a level of circumstances you would consider an emergency this week having lost my passport, debit cards and all identifications while abroad. There was some planning prior to my departure, in case of emergency, including photocopying my passport, which helped tremendously when it became missing. -You should always stash some currency-at least $200 minimum, in case of emergency, so that if your cards and money are misplaced, you can have some funds to keep on. -First place to go-the police department, file a report with them so you have documentation -Call and cancel all cards, and head to the Embassy. -The Embassy does have assistance if you need money, they can help set up a wire transferable account for you if necessary. The Embassy will also cancel your passport and reissue a temporary one at cost. Most people were extremely helpful, but the stress was a lot to deal with. It's a lot of work and a lot of stress, in any extreme case, but when I worked through it, I realized more about my potential, to deal with stress, work through it and have an outcome. I dealt with a stressful situation and it turned out alright. It is hopeful that with all the stress levels and concerns at the conference, that leaders and negotiators will be able to have an outcome fair to the world. Because in the future, as Anishinabe children and other children look at the world we leave behind, we wonder where will they turn to? Who will they be able to call upon? Who will they call in case of emergency?

Secretary Chu snubs Canada's environment minister

2009-12-15T15:40:00.001-06:00

The Toronto Star "Summit Insider" blog reports that U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu's snubbed Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice out of a photo op on Monday at the Copenhagen climate talks. On Monday, Toby Heaps, a Canadian magazine editor, was handed a Canadian delegation press release about a photo-op to occur with the two officials outside one of the briefing rooms. When Heaps showed up, he saw Prentice's chief of staff arguing with Chu's entourage about the photo-op. "The problem was the U.S. delegation hadn't given the green light for a photo-op, just for closed bilateral meeting between the two," Heaps writes. More from Heaps:

Over the course of 10 minutes, Kelly repeatedly asked the U.S. delegation official to reconsider, to which the U.S. delegation official replied, negative. When Kelly asked for this to be taken up the chain of command, the U.S. delegation official replied "it came from pretty high up. It's not going to happen." The U.S. official said he didn't understand why the photograph was so important, to which Kelly replied "we were carpetbagged this morning by (environmental non-governmental organizations) with a false press release, I gotta change the story."

The carpetbagging Heaps is referring to is the stunt by the Yes Men where a mirror image of a Wall Street Journal blog article reported about the Canadian delegation had suddenly changed its emissions targets and strategy at the talks. (Andy Bichlbaum of The Yes Men told HuffPo Green Editor Katherine Goldstein "I think Stephen Harper is so mad that he will personally sue us. And yes, so will the Wall Street Journal.") Heaps said eventually another U.S. official came by saying with a compromise: The photo could be taken, but it could not be used for promotional purposes. I verified the story with Liberal Member of Parliament David McGuinty who confirmed that indeed the "the minister's chief of staff got into a very heated exchange with Steven Chu's officials yesterday," and that the Canadian delegation has been "positively despondent" ever since. Keep in mind, McGuinty is not an official member of the Canadian delegation as a elected member of the Liberal party, the official opposition to the Conservative Party that heads the Canadian negotiating team. Members of the Canadian youth delegation I spoke with said that Canadian circles have been a-buzz with rumors about the snub. "Basically Prentice showed up to speak to Chu and the Canadians said "now for the photo-op!" and the staff said 'whoa whoa whoa, we didn't talk about this,' Thea Witman, a Canadian youth leader says. But what's bad for Prentice's P.R. has been a boon to Canadian youth delegation. "Even the Americans don't want to be associated with Canada," Witman says. "We're trying to capitalize it and further push action at home and sway public opinion."

Cow Power! How the U.S. Can Decrease GHG Emissions by Using Cows

2009-12-15T14:45:00.007-06:00

Hmm....the above sentence may sound a bit crazy and nonsensical. How can we reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by using cows? As a vegetarian I am an advocate for reducing meat consumption in the U.S. and abroad because of the high levels of GHGs emitted into the atmosphere from the industry. But there is a smart way to harness some of those gases and turn them into energy.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced today an new measure in the states to do just that. It's a way to capture the huge amounts of methane that cows emit through their (ahem) manure. Methane is 21 times more potent than CO2 and is a key GHG to rapidly reduce. Vilsack's new plan is to reduce GHG emissions from the dairy industry 25% by 2020. A main component of this plan is to convince farmers to invest in an anaerobic digester, which will capture the methane and turn it into energy.

Agriculture accounts for 7% of the U.S. GHG emissions, and 15-22% of world emissions. Investing in clean energy technologies to decrease agriculture emissions will be a great step forward to stopping climate change. Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa stated in a press release today that "Rural economies will benefit from the incentives in comprehensive energy legislation that reward production of renewable energy and sequestration of greenhouse gases."

The midwest has a great opportunity to lead the U.S. in transitioning to a clean energy economy, and investing in farmers is a great first step.

One degree really does matter

2009-12-15T13:03:00.002-06:00

Today was a day that for me, topped all days. It was the official first day of the second week of the climate negotiations and the ministers and presidents of most countries have arrived. Access to the Bella Center here in Copenhagen will be severely restricted tomorrow with over 25,000 people registered to attend. Today was sort of like the pre-game before the Superbowl. The king of kings, MVP all-star flew in on a plane and arrived at the conference today; climate champion Al Gore made his first appearance at the negotiations to supporters and doubters alike. His first presentation came this afternoon at a side event on the melting of the Greenland ice cap. The Arctic Council put together an analysis of the melting in Greenland led by Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, called Greenland Ice Sheet in a Changing Climate which was presented at COP15. This report was unveiled by Al Gore himself with a team of panelists including Dorthe, the Danish Foreign Minister, Bob Correll, and the Norwegian Foreign Minister. The report will also be released to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change later in the conference. I attended this side event with Will Steger, the founder of THE Will Steger Foundation and leader of our expedition, who is well acquainted with Gore. Steger worked closely with Gore in the 1980's as he was preparing to embark on his arctic journey but found he didn't have a method of relaying scientific information back to the community. Gore connected Will with the white papers about the internet, providing the opportunity for Steger's expeditions to reach millions of people across the globe. Gore invited Will to testify in 1991 on the melting to the of permafrost that he had witnessed, something scientists didn't believe was possible at the time. They continued to stay in touch throughout the 90's working on various educational opportunities but ran into each other again in 2007 when Al Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. Throughout the years, Steger and Gore have both worked towards advancing scientific research and education about the effects of global warming on the arctic. Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Per Stig Møller, opened the event by stating that he hoped this report would be the "basis for a strong, forceful message to the decision makers at this conference. The message is that the time for collective and immediate action in response to climate change is now." Much of the rest of the event delved into disturbing details on how rapidly the sea ice is melting. The Greenland ice sheet, an ice cube three million cubic kilometers in volume, has the potential to affect the global sea level. If that all were to melt, the sea would rise 7meters. Gore emphasized that unless we reduce our emissions, the rise in temperature will only melt the glaciers faster. One degree really does make a difference.

Will talks about the Canadian Arctic

2009-12-15T06:03:00.002-06:00

Polar explorer Will Steger is famous for his world record traverses of the North and South Poles. Right now I’m in Copenhagen with his foundation, a non-profit based in Minnesota, that promotes climate change education. Over the past week, I’ve had a chance to spend time with Steger and hear his eyewitness account of drastic changes in the Arctic. He has crossed shelves of sea ice in Antarctica that no longer exist. Recent expeditions in Canada brought him to Ellesmere Island in 2008 and to Baffin Island in 2007. On the Baffin expedition, he was joined by billionaire Richard Branson and three Inuit hunters. Steger has recorded a special message for Canadian Geographic readers, which starts at 3:18 in the video above. The beginning and end of the clip give background on his Arctic expeditions. Will Steger: Hello Canadian Geographic. I’m Will Steger and Happy International Polar Year. I’ve traveled in the Canadian Arctic for over 45 years. I’ve traveled over tens of thousands of miles by dogsled and here in Copenhagen there is a lot at stake for the Canadian Arctic. What’s at stake is your sea ice and your glaciers. It’s very serious that we reduce our carbon levels very quickly and the carbon levels are going to be determined here in Copenhagen, so Canada has a lot at stake here along with the rest of the world, but especially your native Dene and Inuit population. That’s what it’s all about here in Copenhagen. Check back soon for more reports from Copenhagen.

The Second Week Opens

2009-12-14T16:18:00.005-06:00

Today the Bella Center was bursting at the seems as hordes of observers tried to get into the conference for the first time. This week, things are going to heat up as we try to turn down the heat. Starting tomorrow, presidents and national leaders will begin to arrive, and fewer and fewer youth delegates will be able to get into the conference. On Friday, President Barack Obama will arrive. As the head of the Norwegian Labor Party told me on Friday, "We are skeptical of President Obama after the weak proposal that the United States has put forward, but it is a hopeful sign that he is coming on Friday instead of last week, because that is when there will be the greatest chance of a treaty being forged." Today, I caught part of a side event about artists and scientists collaborating together to create climate solutions, and then I ran to a meeting with youth delegates from China and India to try to come up with ways of working together, of collaborating together on events and meetings with our representatives here at COP. Then, I caught the rail to the Danish Film Institute where Chris and I got tickets for four people to go to the observation room while Al Gore spoke tonight. Tonight, I went with Will, Nicole, and Jerry to see Al Gore speak about the negotiations. Gore asked, "Is there any message that you'd like me to bring with me to my meeting with the negotiators tomorrow?" This is my chance, I thought to myself. He called on me and time stopped for a second as I realized that I was about to ask Vice President Al Gore a question, but what would I ask? I started out by explaining that I am here in Copenhagen at COP-15 with Expedition Copenhagen and a United States youth delegation of 500, and that he needs to bring up the fact that this is our lives we are talking about, this not just a theory, but something that will impact us and future generations personally. I hit the train running (again!). This time I had to be back at my apartment in time to do a video conference with my HECUA class back in Minnesota. I swept open the door and flipped on my laptop Skype just in time to get the call from Julia. It was so wonderful to see all of their beautiful faces back in the heartland, doing the important work that needs to be done back at home before we've taken our last stand here at the COP15.

The Real Story of the Youth Climate Movement

2009-12-14T15:16:00.003-06:00

If you have recently seen in the news large-scale, high visibility actions staged by youth in and around the Bella Center, I would like to provide another perspective on what's really happening when the media isn't watching. The "front page worthy" photos the media chooses to portray are not truly representational of all the work that's actually being done by youth around the world during the conference. I want to provide some insight into the intensity of the projects youth are working on as they propose global solutions to the climate crisis. All youth are part of an official provisional constituency called the YOUNGOs, thus the group now has the opportunity to propose amendments to policy during certain official UN sessions. After the Conference of Youth during the first weekend we arrived in Copenhagen, a global movement has erupted among youth to push for policy that will not neglect those who suffer most from climate change. The YOUNGO group, now known as IYCM (International Youth Climate Movement-- and yes, everything at the UNFCCC is in acronyms), has mobilized to work in specific policy groups focused on areas of mitigation, adaptation, finance, and tech transfer in order to propose amendments to the bracketed papers released by different delegations. (The goal is to make the bracketed language unbracketed and put into permanent context. Before any legislation is passed through the UNFCCC, entire papers are bracketed and part of the negotiations entails deciding what language will stay and what will have to be amended for countries to agree on the legislation put forth.) Each of the delegates from our Expedition Copenhagen has been involved with some sort of policy focus and/or other more regionalized groups. The opportunity for US youth has also been to be involved in the US youth delegation to support the US to make strong climate legislation to be passed through the Senate. Underneath the US delegation are many non-governmental organizations that are all collaborating through policy work as well as planning interventions (think of them as registered visual displays/actions -like what the news is covering) and scheduling meetings with top negotiators as they arrive in Copenhagen. Our WSF delegation has been involved in many of these arenas, and we've been working almost round the clock while bringing a Midwest perspective to the table. The decisions made at COP15 will directly affect ALL countries, including the US, so it's important to show the world that youth are connecting and collaborating, not only through the US but as a global unit, to promote a strong, just, and equitable treaty that will reach a binding agreement. Just remember that for each photo that depicts an action, there are many photos that could have been taken depicting the many youth huddled in circles around the Bella Center for regional and international meetings occurring throughout the day, briefings with heads of state where youth pack the rooms to capacity, and youth sifting through stacks of policy papers to understand, interpret and write amendments to legislation. We're living on coffee and adrenaline inside this Bella Center bubble, but the real force driving us is not the energy we have through the visual actions but the underlying hope we collectively share for the future we wish to have and will create.

Our very own Sarah Mullkoff speaks before an audience at the Bella Center as part of a Midwest panel with Rep. Kate Knuth (D-MN). Will Steger Foundation, © 2009 Jamie Horter

Framing Week 2 at COP15

2009-12-14T14:05:00.004-06:00

The international climate negotiations in Copenhagen are winding down to an end. With just four more days of talks left, and over 110 heads joining in the next few days, you can feel the restlessness of the Bella Center and even the world around the world. Will there be a deal, or not? Is it going to be legally binding? What will developing nations do it developed countries only sign a political treaty? Expedition Copenhagen delegates are still advocating for the same three things in a new treaty that we always have been. We want a FAB deal- that is, a Fair, Ambitious and Binding treaty based on sound science. Why? Because the science is clear, and so it the history. Developed nations have an ecological debt to pay to the rest of the world. We have contributed most to climate change in the form of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since there is not bubble over developed countries, then we have polluted the entire world. Developing nations, most specifically small island states, polar regions and coastal areas are already experiencing the many effects of climate change now. For them this deal means survival. So we need to be fair in what we ask from all countries. Common but differentiated responsibilities is the phrase most often used to describe the fact that everyone needs to work to stop GHG emissions from rising, but that heavily industrialized and developed nations must work to pay off their ecological debt first. Requiring countries that have contributed little (if at all) to the problem is not fair. We also need to be ambitious. We do not have to be dividing up the atmosphere into sections, and as so many bright yellow signs read during the march past Saturday, "There is No Planet B." So our reduction targets must be based on the sound science of 350ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere with no more than a 1.5*C rise in temperature. The money we put our on the table to help countries adapt to climate changes that are already happening, and the money for new technologies needs to be significant. Developing countries are asking for $200+ billion each year to help deal with climate change happening back home. And we need a legally binding treaty to hold countries accountable to reducing their emissions. A political deal is merely symbolic. Many developed countries, such as the U.S. argue that they need more time to create a legally binding treaty so that they can pass domestic climate legislation. But we have had time to discuss this problem for 20+ years, and the science and world are in agreement that action needs to be taken now. So this treaty must be legally binding, because again, we are dealing with the survival of people and the planet. This week access to the Bella Center is severely limited to civil society. While this is very frustrating, I choose to look on the positive side. In Copenhagen there has been another "conference" happening alongside of the negotiations. Klimaforum is the people's conference, and the list of events happening here in endless. While the negotiations can boast "celebrities" in a policy wonk's book, Klimaforum has people like Vandana Shiva and Archbishop Desmond Tutu as speakers. These people have worked with the people most directly affected by climate change. Some of them are direct victims to business as usual practices from developed countries. I would much rather relay the message of these people back home to inspire people to get involved, than to work extra hard to weed through the web of politics created by top negotiators. We also have a great challenge and opportunity to be effectively pressuring the U.S. and other developed countries to take bold action this week. We need to be strategically planning our actions, drafting up our policy positions, setting up meetings outside of the Bella Center and working with friends and family back home to apply pressure from the domestic side to negotiators. That way we will be in the Bella Center without having to physically be in the center. Only four more days of negotiating left. Will there be a deal, or not?What will it look like? I do not know. But what I do know is that there are thousands (literally 35,000) of people working day and night to ensure that negotiators are feeling the heat. No matter what, the work does not end here. But I have hope that we will come out of these negotiations with something substantial and which will put us on the path to survival.

Why the walkout?

2009-12-14T08:57:00.004-06:00

Cross-posted on the Huffington Post Media has been reporting all day on a walkout by developing countries that have sent the whole negotiations into disarray. These countries are worried that the Kyoto protocol will be thrown into the compost bin, as developed countries don't want to agree on providing the financing or technology for a new scheme. One Canadian official observer at the climate talks in Copenhagen explained why talks suspended on Monday. "It was not a physical walkout," says Caroline Lee, who is attending the talks as a delegate from Simon Fraser University outside Vancouver. "The African group and G77 are boycotting the negotiations today because they believe that the talks are getting biased towards becoming a single track - which means the Kyoto protocol is killed, and one treaty will cover all countries." While one treaty may sound like a neat idea, it could be problematic for developing nations since it lets richer countries off the hook if they break their Kyoto commitments. Developing countries wouldl also need to make their emissions cuts faster than they would under Kyoto. "A single treaty also makes it more likely for developing nations to be forced to make more ambitious reductions," Lee says. "It will make it more difficult to distinguish between industrialized and non-industrialized nations." Lee, who is writing her thesis on creating economic models based on climate legislation (think: what would the world economy look like if every country had a carbon tax), wants the treaty that comes out of Copenhagen to have two tracks--which is what was originally intended when the U.N. talks kicked off last Monday. "There should be a clear distinction - where industrialized nations take on legally-binding ambitious commitments, while developing nations take on less ambitious ones," Lee says. --Liana B. Baker

New announcement from Secretary Chu

2009-12-14T08:32:00.005-06:00

The Bella Center in Copenhagen is semi-chaotic currently, with long lines to get into the center, thousands of people gathered inside and major discussions occurring in the plenary sessions between the developed and developing countries. As tensions continue to increase as we come close to the end of the COP15 negotiations, Secretary of Energy for the United States Steven Chu announced the launch of a new initiative to promote clean energy technologies in developing countries. This announcement seemed to surprise many of those standing close to me because finances seem to be completely off from what developing countries are asking in the negotiations. Although, on the positive side the United States is taking a step forward in helping developing countries to get cleaner energy. This program is called Climate REDI and it composes of the following four main areas - Solar and LED Energy Access Program -Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment Program - The Clean Energy Information Platform - The Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program (S-REP) In addition to these four main areas the program will be working closely with other world leaders in renewable energy technologies and clean technologies in order to disseminate them around the world. You can check out more information by clicking here.

The gloves are off

2009-12-14T06:34:00.000-06:00

On the brink of chaos and swarmed in confusion, the masses take in all they can on the last day of total admittance to the Bella Center, the conference facility housing the COP15 negotiations.

Admittance badges for civil society will be limited to 30% tomorrow, down to just 1000 on Thursday and only 90 on Friday. The conversation, pace and spirit is uneasy and fast-paced. Groups are trying to strategically place themselves in and around the center to ensure the greatest impact and coverage.

To thicken the plot, the G77 (developing) nations have just walked out of the negotiations due to a deadlock in conversation with developed countries (aka Annex I). The G77 group is "a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations" (Wikipedia) and includes the majority of African and South American nations, many in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The AP reports:

"U.N. climate talks have been thrown into disarray as developing countries blocked negotiations, demanding that rich countries raise their pledges for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Representatives from developing countries said they refused to participate in any working groups Monday at the 192-nation summit until the issue was resolved.

The move was a setback for the Copenhagen talks, which were already faltering over long-running disputes between rich and poor nations over emissions cuts and financing for developing countries to deal with climate change."

So it's a debate of responsibility and equity in regards to carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. And although this walkout is a set back and the tension is high, many still talk with hope in their hearts, minds and voices.

Meeting youth from the Middle East

2009-12-14T01:53:00.003-06:00

In Copenhagen, our delegation tries to create international partnerships with youth groups from around the world. During my first week here, I followed around youth activists from Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Lebanon and Oman. These youth hail from countries where activism is rare and climate activism even rarer. Many of these young people are building a grassroots movement from scratch, in countries that produce most of the world’s oil. The youth I met were enthusiastic in teaming up with Midwest youth for future projects. While no members of our delegation are Arab-American or of the Muslim faith, the Midwest is one of the regions of the U.S. with the largest populations of Muslims living in the U.S. In Illinois and Indiana, Muslims make up just under 4 percent of the population and just under 2 percent of Michigan’s population according to Census data from the 1990s. Those numbers are only growing. Here’s the article I wrote about some of these youth from the Middle East, for The Media Line, an American non-profit news agency based in the Middle East. Picture: (Left to right) Hussein Hariri, 19, Sarah Rafeet, 25 and Tarak Tayara, 28, are part of the tiny fraction of Arab youth organizing against climate change in Copenhagen.

Waabi Makwa (White Bear)

2009-12-13T19:55:00.015-06:00

All throughout Copenhagen there are numerous locations and events relating to the Climate Change Conference, outside of the main Bella Center negotiations. The World Wildlife Fund has an awesome set up in Copenhagen's Nytorv square dubbed the Arctic Tent. Outside of the Arctic tent are beautiful art exhibitions in the form of photographs and a main attraction seen completed above. The attraction is an ice sculpture of a polar bear, created by Mark Coreth-a renowned wildlife sculptor, and team. I've been "watching" and internally named him "WaabiMakwa"-White Bear. He represents not only his own dying and endangered race in the Arctic, but the Indigenous and human race of the world. He was completed December 5th, standing 1.8 meters high-representing the average height of floating sea ice in the Arctic. The ice at that height is too thin to remain frozen throughout the year, resulting in melting, just as WaabiMakwa has begun to do, and rising of sea levels. Eventually only his bronze skeleton will remain and only his story and spirit will live on. It is important that we remember Waabi Makwa's reality, as we are brothers, and what happens to our brothers it is said, will eventually happen to us as well.

Indigenous Dayze

2009-12-13T18:49:00.008-06:00

The call from and for Indigenous Peoples here at the U.N. Climate Change conference is critical and we're making sure that we are heard, from Day 1 to the day after the last. With so many brothers and sisters from different lands of the Earth, we unite here in Copenhagen to make a difference. Not only do we have a diverse U.S. front, as far as Alaska with our sisters fighting to keep industries from drilling on the lands, and as far south as the Navajo nations fighting uranium, we span across the North American continent and every piece of land on this Aki (Earth). There are our Canadian brothers and sisters fighting the Tar Sands, Kenyan brothers and South American Natives fighting deforestation of their rain forests and forcible removal. It is imperative that we stand together and ensure our voice be not only heard but acknowledged, because it is us, as traditional and cultural people who are the sacrifice for the energy produced and consumed in the world. Indigenous Peoples of the world have united here at Copenhagen to be sure that our rights regarding the land and our culture because of our ties to the land are acknowledged in a treaty. Although we have world appreciation for our cultures and traditions, we would rather be negotiating than negotiated. In appreciation,the World Wildlife Funds Arctic Tent centered in a Copenhagen town square dedicated a days events as Indigenous Day, featuring the Inuit Cirque youth above. Ms. Sheila Watt-Cloutier, a Canadian Inuit activist was a featured speaker, with whom I had a brief introduction to. Saturday December 12th was focused as Indigenous Day at the Climate Summit, the same day as the Climate Change rally and march. Indigenous Peoples led 10,000 supporters through the streets of Copenhagen to the Summit location. As Indigenous Peoples were on the front lines of the largest climate change rally in history, it is indicative that Indigenous Peoples are also on the front lines of the Climate Change movement. Power to the People.

Get out the popcorn--it's video time!

2009-12-13T09:09:00.002-06:00

Here's a look at what it's like to be at the Bella Center for the UN Climate Change Conference:

I previously had the chance to meet National Geographic photographer James Balog. Here's the interview I had with him:

For move videos, check out WillSteger1 channel on Youtube!

More from the March

2009-12-13T08:04:00.007-06:00

Yesterday's march was thrilling. An estimated 100,000 people participated in the demonstration, and as someone who was there, my brain could not comprehend the scale of this massive call for climate action. While my camera is not shooting very defined pictures, I wanted to share what I have as we continue to write the story of what happened yesterday and what it means for the global climate movement.

The march consisted of 30 blocs with hundreds of people each. Expedition Copenhagen marched in bloc 5, which included youth constituents to the negotiations, 350.org, and the Tcktcktck campaign. Leading the march was the bloc of indigenous peoples. Our delegate Aurora participated in this bloc. Please see this video, from the UpTake, about why it was so important that indigenous peoples led this march.

At the end of the march there was a candle light vigil. A vigil was also held inside the Bella Center with Archbishop Desmond Tutu from 4-4:45 p.m., before the conclusion to the march.

I feel so lucky to have been able to take part in this day of action and feel energized to make the most I can of this next and final week of negotiations. Stay tuned.

Graduating During the "Great March" in Copenhagen

2009-12-12T15:38:00.009-06:00

Today I "officially" graduated from Grand Valley State University - but in Copenhagen rather than Grand Rapids, Michigan. Instead of walking across the stage in the Van Andel Arena and shaking President Thomas Haas' hand, I strolled the streets of Copenhagen with 100,000 of my closest friends. We walked, danced and chanted out way to the Bella center, the main site of the COP15 negotiations. The march was split up into different blocks of people and organizations. The lead block of the march were the Indigenous people of the world, and Aurora, one of our Minnesota delegates was at the very front of the loooong line of participants. The rest of us were in the 5th block (there were 30 overall) with the YOUNGOs (international youth), 350.org and TckTckTck. I actually got to meet Bill McKibben, head of 350.org for the second time today! I told him, along with everyone else that I came across today, that I was graduating from college in Copenhagen. Overall the event was peaceful and effective, despite some participants being arrested, demonstrating the solidarity in this movement for a clean and just energy future that exists between people from all over the world. What an experience it was taking part in an march with people singing and chanting in languages that I did not understand, but knowing that they were advocating for the same things as me - a Fair, Ambitious and Binding treaty. Here is a brief glimpse of the march from my perspective: Most of the signs had a clear message, some reading "Climate Justice Now," "There is NO Planet B," and "Blah, Blah, Blah: ACT Now." Thousands of signs, big and small, were used at the march making it very colorful and beautiful. There were so many creative costumes, banners and floats made for the march. Holly, a fellow Expedition Copenhagen team member was a penguin with 20 other people, highlighting the effects that climate change has on certain vulnerable species. We actually got to see the sun outside of the Bella Center during the march. It was a beautiful, cold day in the city. Citizens of Copenhagen along the route were hanging signs from their windows in support of 350ppm of CO2 and a binding treaty. Today was a great way to spend my graduation. I have a passion to create a more just and sustainable future for all, and a dedication to start now and never stop. What a great story I can tell my children and grandchildren when this conference and the decisions made here will determine the future state of the planet. I feel privileged to be a part of Expedition Copenhagen, this team, this conference, this historic moment. Because this is what we all need to be doing- working with each other to slow global climate change and visioning a better world. P.S. DID I MENTION THAT I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE TODAY1?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!! : )

COP 15: Week One Comes To a Close

2009-12-11T18:01:00.002-06:00

The Expedition Copenhagen team has been making tracks this week, organizing amazing actions and meeting people who can influence our climate future. Earlier this week, I met Rajenda Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, and sat in on sessions with Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, joined by fellow youth asking challenging questions. The youth are making sure that our voices are heard, echoing throughout Copenhagen and around the world. This past week, I have met informally with country representatives from Swaziland and Niger, I have taken part in creative events, and have helped spread the youth call for a strong, equitable, and legally binding treaty across the world. Yesterday, five of the Expedition members travelled to the USA Center inside the conference, where we united with NOAA, the EPA, and the US Forest Service to do an interactive video q & a with middle school and elementary school students back in Washington D.C. Their knowledge of climate change was impressive, and they were concerned about how it would effect wildlife such as happy the diamondback turtle. The kids were cute, making sure that the negotiators knew that they were counting on them to keep animals like happy from being wiped out by climate change.

The Best of Copenhagen & UNFCCC

2009-12-11T17:39:00.002-06:00

With negotiations well underway here in Copenhagen, it's time to do a recap of some of the many events that have happened thus far. How better to do that than through a short photo-essay? Please enjoy the following, and for more photos check out our Will Steger Foundation flickr site.

Here's a look at our delegation- On the 5th and 6th we attended the Conference of Youth with youth representing over 100 countries. Thanks to WildThings for the coats --we've received a lot of good feedback for wearing them as it adds a more official and professional look to our delegation.

During the conference, I was able to attend a presentation by National Geographic photographer James Balog. He combines the best of science and art by recording photographs as time-lapse images from cameras positioned into glacial regions around the world. Through the photographs, a documentary of glacial melt can be observed, thus following the detriments of climate change in the most vulnerable areas. Check out his website to see his latest research project.

At the recent US EPA briefing, youth packed the room to take up 3/4 of the available space-- from the very front rows to way in the back. Over 500 US youth are here to show their support for climate change solutions and ask their representatives to do the same. During the briefing, 5 of the 9 questions asked were from youth. We are showing the US delegation that we care about our future and want the US to take a strong stand in these negotiations.

Just last night, the US youth gathered for dinner and discussion with Chinese youth to come up with a strong proposal for climate solutions between our two countries. Last night was a great start in building lasting, significant relationships that will continue after COP15 when we continue to work for change within our own countries.

This only skims the surface of all the things that have been occurring at COP15. Stay tuned for more; in the meantime check out this video to get a better idea of a day in the life of a youth delegate!

Jessy Tolkan tells Midwest youth to 'flex political muscle'

2009-12-11T09:19:00.008-06:00

On Friday, I caught Jessy Tolkan at the Bella Center in Copenhagen to find out about the role of Midwest youth in fighting climate change. Tolkan, who is the executive director of the Energy Action Coaliton, the largest network of youth climate activists in the U.S., revealed that she was a Midwesterner herself, hailing from Wisconsin. Here’s a recap of what she said about how youth can flex their political muscle in the Midwest. Tolkan: My message to young people in the Midwest , is that the Midwest, in many ways, is the key to unlocking a clean and just energy future in the United States. It’s also critical that we flex the political muscle that we have in the Midwest. There are some very key senators from places like Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, the Upper Midwest that really need to understand that a clean and just energy future is good for business in the Midwest, that there is a significant and powerful role for the agricultural community to play in a clean and just energy future. It really is incumbent upon young people in the Midwest to have this conversation so that we’re building the will for bold action in the Midwest that we need. Some of the folks with the greatest amount of conviction hail from the Midwest so I know that if it can happen anywhere, it’s definitely the Midwest.

Indian Youth Leader Floors Ivo de Boer With Speech

2009-12-10T17:07:00.003-06:00

Today was Youth and Future Generations Day at the UN climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark. Youth were given t-shirts that read "How Old Will You Be in 2050?" on the front, and "Don't Bracket Our Future" on the back. Overall, 1,000 shirts for youth and 1,000 scarves for adults were handed out to show inter-generational solidarity and to represent the global movement toward a more sustainable future. In 2050 I will be 63 years old. My family, and those of my friends, will be preparing to be grandparents. It is these children, their lives and future that youth were advocating for today. The shirts and scarves were a compelling way to demonstrate visually the importance of including the youth in these negotiations. Youth had a great opportunity to meet with Ivo de Boer, UN Secretariat and a very influential and powerful individual at the COP15 negotiations. He sat on a panel with three other leaders, and three youth spokespersons. Today I witnessed one of the best speeches of my life. Ruchi Jain from the Indian Youth Delegation spoke about her experiences as a victim of climate change, and her dedication to stopping the most catastrophic effects from happening. She mentioned what youth from all around the world have been doing in their communities and dedication to solving the climate crisis. She floored the audience with her speech, which is in the video below. Video content from Danielle Ostafinski The youth were bright and orange today- they were hopeful of a good outcome for the negotiations, inspirational to others with the work they have been engaged in, and effective at spreading the youth message. Thank you Ruchi for giving such a compelling and amazing speech, and keep up the great work!

Back Room Talks Give Hope for Agreement in Copenhagen

2009-12-10T15:08:00.000-06:00

From Canadian Geographic: The first time political scientist Michele Betsill attended a major U.N. climate summit was in Kyoto in 1997. She remembers the negotiators had a lot of down time, since it happened before cell phones and laptops went mainstream. Since then, Betsill, a keen climate talk analyst and Colorado State professor, has attended almost every subsequent conference and says she has seen the earlier, more modest events swirl into a media frenzy. Making headlines today is the sudden shift in attitude sparked by abrupt changes to U.S. President Barack Obama’s Scandinavian itinerary. Obama had intended to show up during the first few days of negotiations on his way to pick up his Nobel prize — which appeared to a well-calculated political move because it would have showed that the U.S. supports an agreement, but would distance it from any failures at the conference, says Betsill. Instead he's decided to appear later in the week, which indicates progress may have been made behind closed doors. "Changes to Obama's plans indicate that he expects a political agreement and suggest there has been developments behind the scenes in bilateral talks between the U.S. and China." The change surprised many political scientists and negotiators who had been pessimistic for months about an agreement being reached in Copenhagen. "Certainly its changed the tune of academics who watch these things and the same goes for some of the negotiators," Betsill says. Check back soon for more reports from Copenhagen. Liana B. Baker, a former intern with the magazine, is a Canadian Geographic climate policy correspondent in Copenhagen

The Impact of Climate Change on Prairie Potholes

2009-12-10T04:46:00.002-06:00

Can you think of all of the natural assets in the state of North Dakota? Most people would be surprised at how many we actually have. One in particular that is sparking a lot of debate in climate forums in Copenhagen is Prairie Wetlands. Wetlands serve as nature-made carbon sinks, storing carbon and using water plants to convert carbon dioxide into biomass. These land potholes cover a large portion of North Dakota and are home to a number of waterfowl species, mainly ducks and geese. Every year hundreds of hunters travel to the state for the wide scope of game that can be found in North Dakota. Annually, $5,040,845 is allocated to the state of North Dakota by sportsmen. These contributions (in the form of taxes paid on firearms, ammunition and state licenses) support the conservation of wildlife populations. Hunters are valued members of the conservation community and should be advocates for strong climate legislation within their home states. Because the agricultural industry is the largest source of income for the state, many farmers are draining these potholes to create more farm land, leading to the destruction of waterfowl habitat. This is a scary thought considering wetlands are essential to the general wellbeing of citizens as they control flooding, expand biodiversity, mitigate climate change, as well as provide food and water. Prairie potholes play a role in carbon sequestration serving as natural carbon reservoirs. The magnitude of storage depends upon wetland type and size, vegetation, the depth of wetland soils, ground water levels, nutrient levels, and pH levels. These carbon reservoirs can emit large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere if they are drained or land use results in the oxidation of soil. As the agriculture industry begins to take over, it is quintessential that there are laws modifying land use practices. Restoring wetlands is imperative for both the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. At the UNFCCC, I would like to see an international law requiring the preservation of these wetlands.The ACES Bill which is being voted upon in the Senate at the start of the new year, allots subsidies to farmers who keep these prairie potholes on their lands inside of draining them. This way no one is losing out! If you try hard enough, agreeable solutions can be made.

Join US in Copenhagen!

2009-12-09T18:53:00.002-06:00

My apologies to all for the wait but my first update from Copenhagen is finally here! I've been busy everyday focusing my time in working with youth from around the world, and more specifically US youth, on how to communicate, plan, and take action on demanding a legally binding treaty while in Copenhagen. While everything that we're doing here is very exciting and important I've come to realize that the essential key in reaching this goal is strong US leadership-which is where youth currently back home in US come in and are so essential! In the post below, from my friend Caroline of the Sierra Student Coalition Delegation, learn how YOU and other US youth from across the country can help demand US leadership by joining the Rapid Response Team that was created by US Youth here at COP15!

Hello dear movement friends,

I have a very important ask of you, from one member of the climate family to another. Please read on.

http://powershift09.org/rapidresponse

I’m so excited and grateful to be here in Copenhagen for the International Climate Negotiations. These next two weeks are going to be jam-packed and intense. But it’s the organizers in the states who have the big job.

This weekend was the Conference of Youth where over 500 youth delegates from around the world gathered to prepare for our role as youth .

I have met so many inspiring young people- a young woman in Indonesia helping her farmers in her community adapt with the changing climate and its effect on agricultural production… Organizers from Australia who put on a spectacular flash mob dance to cap off their own Power Shift conference. And to think that, as we were embarking as climate leaders in our country, what happened here two years ago (Power Shift 2007) has become a wave of Power Shifts around the world! As you know, the US carries not only a huge carbon footprint, but a powerful influence over the outcome of the conference- what commitments other countries will make (or not make) and ultimately, the fate of these young people around the world.

Tomorrow is when the real job starts. I am committed to connecting with you all throughout my time here- and umm, I don’t really need an excuse to call you, but this will indeed make it certain to happen! I want to make sure you all are represented here, and that what happens here does not go unnoticed- that we as Americans react to the good, the bad, and the ugly with full force! Not just a few hundred of us here at the conference center. It’s YOU who will be able to take the message home to our politicians, to the people who have so much sway over the fate of the entire planet.

http://powershift09.org/rapidresponse

That’s why I’m writing to you! Youth delegates (like me about 17 other Sierra Student Coalition delegates) from around the country will be contacting their friends, classmates, and fellow organizers back home so that we can collectively affect the U.S. negotiation position. We’ll all need to use media, grassroots support, and our creative energy to voice our expectations for the negotiations and the Obama Administration- “FAB” fair, ambitious and binding action.

As part of the Rapid Response team, you’ll be part of the team of young people from around the world who are working to positively influence the outcome of these negotiations. You’ll receive breaking updates through emails and phone calls from youth delegates in Copenhagen- and you’ll help us tell our local papers, pressure our state leaders, and remind President Obama that, no matter where we are geographically, we stand together. We need strong international commitments this year.

I’m impressed by the work you each have done- I’m grateful to have such smart, compassionate people with me on this journey. Our story is part of a larger GLOBAL dialogue. We need our leaders to make decisions that reflect SCIENTIFIC REALITIES and that take OUR FUTURE into account. We as youth cannot continue to “wait our turn” to change the fate of the planet.

Please join us. It’s our turn.

As was described above that fact that I, along with the rest of my fellow delegates with the Will Steger Foundation, am in Copenhagen at COP15 is absolutely amazing but what is even more important is the action that youth at home in the US will take! This is the moment of our generation. We must all work together in solidarity to ensure the properous future of our generations and generations to come- Please join us!

Tuvalu Demands Binding Climate Agreement

2009-12-09T16:31:00.011-06:00

Today the small island nation of Tuvalu demanded a binding climate agreement from developed nations. After tabling the negotiations for a few hours, the Tuvalu delegation planned an unauthorized action just before recommencing the talks. I arrived at the plenary session early so I had a unique perspective from the inside of the hall. Below is the video that I shot, and links to more information about this action. After the protest no more civil society members were allowed into the plenary room, leaving about 2/3 of the huge room unoccupied. We must stand in solidarity with Tuvalu and continue to demand a FAB -fair, ambitious and binding - climate treaty. Video courtesy of Danielle Ostafinski Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21552129@N03/sets/72157622967258114/

US Youth Crash Climate Denier Live Webcast in Copenhagen

2009-12-09T16:27:00.003-06:00

Young Clean Energy Advocates called "Hitler Youth" by Climate Denier Lord Monckton

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - Fifty young Americans took over a climate denier conference hosted by a prominent conservative organization this evening in Copenhagen, rushing the stage and telling the live TV audience that a clean energy future is the real road to prosperity in America. The young people, merely a fraction of the more than 350 US youth in Denmark for the UN climate negotiations, entered a session of the Americans for Prosperity "Hot Air Tour" speakers series and were able to drop two banners and gain access to the conference's stage. The live event was webcast to over forty climate denier rallies in cities across the United States. See a video at http://bit.ly/4FAljl and pictures at http://is.gd/5hbUR.

The students entered the event in small groups, joining a paltry audience of five conference attendees, who had come to hear climate denier Lord Christopher Monckton speak about the Copenhagen climate negotiations. After the first five minutes of the event, student representatives from SustainUS, the Sierra Student Coalition, the Cascade Climate Network, and other American youth NGOs displayed banners reading "Climate Disaster Ahead" and "Clean Energy Now." After security agents at the event took the banners, the young attendees began a chant of "Real Americans for Prosperity are Americans for Clean Energy." The chant lasted five minutes, as the youth took the stage and displayed their message for the live video feed being sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, despite evasive action by Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips and his camera crew. As they left the stage, Lord Monckton repeatedly called the activists "crazed Hitler Youth" and "nazis."

"Clean energy creates jobs," says Rachel Barge, a 24-year-old entrepreneur from San Francisco, CA who was the first young person to raise her voice at the event, "These climate action delayers and science deniers are stealing bold, new economic opportunities from the American public." Laura Comer, 21, of Strongsville, OH, seconded Barge, saying, "We're representing the majority of Americans on this, particularly young Americans. The real America wants clean energy - not more fossil fuel-funded lies about the science."

"We are Americans for prosperity too," says Ethan Buckner of the Sierra Student Coalition, "Prosperity that's created through a new clean energy economy that will revitalize the American economy and provide millions of clean energy jobs for our generation and all generations to come." "We need a strong climate and clean energy bill from Congress and a science-based and just treaty in Copenhagen in order to jump start this new energy economy Americans are calling for so loudly," adds Ben Wessel of SustainUS, "The youth of America are ready to move forward into a sustainable future, and we need our elected officials to join us. We refuse to sit quietly today while our leaders decide the future of tomorrow.

From the Great Lakes State to the City of Lakes

2009-12-09T05:46:00.002-06:00

There are certain topics on climate change adaptation in which we have likely read about or seen a presentation on, water scarcity, agricultural impacts, and associated gender issues, but have not yet really ever felt the effects of. In the US we understand these impacts to some extent, but are more generally unexposed to the drastic situations that people of the developing world have become so accustomed to. Last night, at a welcome reception hosted by the Mayor of Copenhagen, global representatives attended the various reasons of why they are attending the conference. A Kenyan delegate I interacted with helped shed a new light on the reality of climate change on his country.

Kevin is a student at the University of Nairobi, and a local community organizer connecting his home village. He explained the drastic effects of water shortage and how it is affecting people in his community. Kevin recounted how the faucets at his school had been dried up for two years. People have become accustomed to actually scooping up water from muddy puddles. What is more, then people would even fight each other for this limited resource.

The discussion we shared about daily life was remarkably touching, and helped to localize the issue in a way I hadn’t truly felt it before. The struggles that his people have had to endure literally brought tears to my eyes while listening.

When asked what type of science or policy is needed to help assist the people of Kenya or those of the developing world to combating issues of water and sanitation, he indicated neither. “We just need rain collection buckets,” was the best reasonable solution he decided, and then added “well then of course, also the rain”.

It then became clear that the issues framing the UN Climate Conference has so many separate socio-cultural factors are involved, it began to make more sense that the world has such a difficult negotiation process in determining climate change solutions. It seems almost impossible for anyone in the global north to truly feel the effects of water shortage. Personally, I have never been in any situation that water doesn’t run out from the tap freely, or rain wasn’t something you could continually count on.. The land I come from and have always known is blessed with plentiful freshwater literally everywhere you look. We have over 10,000 freshwater lakes in Michigan, enough to categorize us as “The Great Lakes State”. In fact, through the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement between eight states and two Canadian provinces, we have taken additional steps to ensure this basin is protects that water cannot become a commodity.

There is no doubt that climate change will affect the Great Lakes. The Union of Concerned Scientists have already pointed out the threats of climate change, including decreasing lake levels and the threatening risks to biodiversity are evident through raised levels of invasive species. However, at when considering the larger context of the rest of the world’s concerns of risks of water shortage on account of increased CO2 content, my region could very well turn into a safe place for climate refugees. There is tremendous disparity between the equity of the habitats residing in the global north compared to the global south. Let us take into account the severity of issues in the developing world could having a major impact on us at home and thus, adjust our global plans for adaptation.

Live from Hopenhagen: A Dose of Optimistic Reality

2009-12-09T04:44:00.001-06:00

Cross-posted from Energy Action Coalition, www.powershift09.org.

Greetings from Copenhagen,

It's been an exciting and complex couple days at the UN climate summit. Despite all the talk about so-called "Climategate" at home, the focus here in Copenhagen is centered on the debate at hand, how will we actually address the catastrophic impacts of global climate change, a scientific reality the world has already agreed is a threat to our planet, people, and economies.

With a long set of negotiations ahead of us, and plenty of reasons to be concerned with the final outcome, I see some important and powerful glimmers of hope in the the maze of hurdles that lie ahead.

I was especially energized yesterday afternoon, when I had a real "pinch me" moment as I received a personal phone call from Lisa Jackson, our fearless EPA administrator, who, proud of her agency's endangerment finding announcement, called to celebrate the victory. I was particularly moved that Administrator Jackson recognized the efforts of the youth climate movement, and that she would take the time to thanks us for our hard work, refusal to settle, and for keeping the pressure on when backing down might have been easier or more politically convenient.

I was also excited to hear from Rachel Butler of our partner, SustainUS, that at today's briefing to the US from Jonathan Pershing, David Sandalow, and Administrator Jackson, youth filled up three quarters of the room and waved in unison when the first young person was called on to ask a question. We showed up in force, asked 6 out of the 9 questions that were taken, and asked tough questions about the US's official position on 350ppm, paying our climate debt, and how the recent EPA announcement (woo-hoo!) will strengthen the US's targets.

The momentum that we've been building all year - that rose to a peak with last week's youth climate movement meeting with President Obama's top White House officials - seems to be exploding, and is matched by the pure passion and savviness of youth movement around the world.

The bottom line is that our administration is on the global stage these next weeks, the progress and lack of progress our country has demonstrated makes the role of us as the people of the US more important than ever.

If you want to be a part of the action here from home (and set the record straight for folks who are actually debating whether global warming exists in the media!), you might want to submit a video question to CNN & YouTube. They have set up a massive video cube in the center of the city that people are encouraged to submit videos to be displayed above the historic festivities.

Here is how you can easily contribute and make sure your voice is heard.

Submit videos that have you asking the tough questions to be displayed on the cube[1] and considered for inclusion in an upcoming CNN show at www.youtube.com/cop15.
- Here are some great questions the attendees of last week's youth Clean energy Forum came up with.
Join the Power Shift Copenhagen Rapid Responder Team so that on a moment's notice we can generate thousands of phone calls, get our message out to the media, and effectively mobilize together.

The pressure is on all of us. I've been anticipating this trip all year, and suddenly it just got a lot more real. Headed back to my hotel to reflect on what could come out of these negotiations, I decided I would not submit to the skepticism. Rather, I felt a renewed sense of optimism. It was a sense that our administration has made strides in the right direction, and I am more confident than ever that our movement will finally thrive on the full force of our collective actions and power.

Jessy Tolkan Executive Director Energy Action Coalition

US Youth Well Represented at US State Department Briefing

2009-12-09T03:24:00.007-06:00

Yesterday U.S. youth made a HUGE impact at the COP15 negotiations. The U.S. State Department invited NGOs and youth for an off-the-record briefing of U.S. position in the negotiations. Representatives included EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change Jonathan Pershing, and Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs David Sandelow. In a room of over 200 people, youth filled rows and rows of seats representing about 70% of the audience. The crowd erupted into applause and then a standing ovation after the introduction of Lisa Jackson.

www.flickr.com

Photos courtesy of Will Steger Foundation, Jamie Horter In case you missed it, Monday the EPA announced that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten public health and the environment. This declaration was not a surprise to those of us here at COP15 or our followers in the states, but it does represent a big victory for the U.S. Up until now, previous administrations took very little action on the issue of climate change. The announcement was a great way to begin these crucial negotiations and move us toward reaching a FAB (fair, ambitious and binding) agreement next Friday. The briefing was off-the-record so I cannont blog about explicit content - but I do have to stress that we need to continue pressuring the U.S. to take significant action in Copenhagen. It is important to acknowledge the progress that has been made by the Obama Administration in the past year, because it really is impressive. The U.S. passed new clean car regulations and proposed rules for stationary sources (factories and industries that pollute above a certain percentage of emissions). Not to mention the movement for federal climate change legislation,, currently being debated in the Senate. But these domestic actions need to be strengthened, and ratifying an international treaty on climate change is not only necessary, but also extremely required. Pressure needs to come from all sides, here in Copenhagen and in the U.S. But back to youth action at this briefing - let me just mention that out of nine questions asked, five, and by that I mean *5* good, strong and tough questions were asked by U.S. youth. Laura Comer from the SustainUS delegation began her question saying "I am here today with a U.S. delegation of over 500 youth" during which every young person in the room waved to our friends on stage. The youth at this briefing were so impressive that we received a shoult out from David Sandelow, who recognized our efforts domestically and abroad, and asked that we continue to pressure the U.S. to take action. One of the most exciting moments was at the end of the briefing where U.S. youth were invited to have a group picture with Lisa Jackson. I left this conference in awe of the U.S. youth delegation's professionalism and composure under pressure. I have confidence that we will be very effective at these negotiations and look forward to more interactions with the U.S. State Department.

From mountains to music to making change, Garett Brennan rocks it out

2009-12-08T17:37:00.003-06:00

Today premiered my stint with Stonyfield Farm's daily feature with Expedition Copenhagen delegates' interviews with some of the top leaders of the grassroots climate change movement. Check out today's interview with Garett Brennan, Executive Director of Focus the Nation.

Ocean Acidification

2009-12-08T11:05:00.001-06:00

Today was the first day of the COP 15 conference and I am rather impressed with how smoothly things are running. Took less than 10 minutes today to go through security to gain entrance to the conference, yesterday it took a hour to get through. We were not able to go to the opening plenary session because we didn't have the right badges but our Minnesota delegate Aurora was able to infiltrate the meeting. The rest of us who couldn't get in watched on large flat screen TVs or in special projector screens in private rooms. Since I wasn't able to attend the meeting, I instead ventured out into the building to some of the meetings going on in the U.S. Delegation offices. One of particular interest, something I knew very little about, was Ocean Acidification and the impacts of carbon dioxide on Marine ecosystems. This event was sponsored by Oceana, a marine conservation and advocacy group. Ocean acidification is a topic that was really not addressed in the Kyoto protocol but should have been. Up until 2006, nothing was really published about the effects of the damaging process. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, humans have been emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at alarming levels. Today it is fact that mankind's footprint on the ocean is clearly detectable. It is warmer, more acidic, and less diverse. When we emit Co2 into our atmosphere some of that carbon is captured by plants and trees, but in marine ecosystems, this carbon is directly absorbed into the ocean. This absorption of Co2 in the oceans has a corrosive effect, raising the pH level and increasing the calcification rate. This is harmful to organisms such as phytoplankton because they undergo a process known as dissolution where their bodies are broken down to pieces while they are still alive. The dissolution of these organisms means less food for marine ecosystems, also an increase in the nitrogen-fixating bacteria. The dissolution of phytoplankton and other organisms leads to reduced growth, production and life span of adult fish, juveniles and larvae. So how does this effect you? Well, let's think about it. A reduction in fish population is going to have harsh consequences for the seafood industry, small fisheries, and hatcheries. Inflow of corrosive waters across shelf and ecosystems is a terrible threat for small island nations and pacific countries as their coral reefs disappear. To these people, ocean acidification is a matter of life and death. The delegates here representing those countries are pushing for mandates on Co2 reductions because there are NO other options for them. A reduction in emissions is the only way to stop this process. The last ingredient in a climate change remedy is political will. Without legislation, change is not going to happen. This is why a treaty in Copenhagen is of the utmost importance.

Planes, trains, and....Polar Bear Ice Scultpures?

2009-12-08T11:01:00.002-06:00

Where is all the climate action happening? In Copenhagen, Denmark! After an eight-hour flight, a ten-hour layover in Amsterdam, and another hour flight I have finally arrived in Copenhagen for the negotiations. The city is beautiful and alive with the energy of COP 15, posters and displays are on nearly every street corner advertising this Olympic-sized conference. One interesting display in particular was a Polar Ice Bear sculpture located in Nytrov square. This 11 ton block of ice was carefully crafted by world renowned sculptured Mark Coreth and encased by a bronze skeleton at the center. The Polar Bear is a symbol of the rapidly warming climate and the animals who are effected by this. The ice represents the Arctic habitat of the polar bears, when the ice is all melted, the polar bears will drown--lost in a sea of climate change. It is a great wake-up call for citizens who don't see these animals in their natural home, who aren't there to witness these changes. Other interesting displays include such things as a 55-foot Christmas tree colorfully illuminated with thousands of lights solely pedal-powered by bike! Citizens can hop on a bike and pedal for a few minutes to generate electricity for the lighting. Another cool display I wandered upon on my way to meetings, was a giant C02 balloon. This huge balloon was erected to create a visual display how big one metric ton of carbon dioxide is. Photo by Jamie Horter It feels like the whole city has turned out for the displays and the Hopehagen live concerts. I immediately was put to work attending the Conference of Youth (COY) with about 500 youth from every country in the world. It was a humbling experience to meet my global peers and discuss strageies towards climate solutions. The rest of the day was spent obtaining my UNFCCC badge for entrance to the conference. In order to attend the conference, you must be associated with an accredited organization (Will Steger Foundation) to get your badge. I stood in line for 3 and half hours waiting to get my badge, part of this outside in the cold. There are about 15,000+ people registered for the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). I can't wait for the negotiations start on the 7th!

You never know who you will run into in Copenhagen

2009-12-08T09:49:00.005-06:00

Youth hear from top U.N. officials

2009-12-08T09:37:00.003-06:00

Two chairmen of major negotiating bodies at the U.N. briefed youth on Tuesday at a press conference on the second day of the climate talks in Copenhagen. Michael Zammit-Cutajar and John Ashe took questions from youth for about 20 minutes in the Asger Jorn room at the convention center, which is usually reserved for press-only events. Zammit-Cutajar, who wore a T-shirt saying “how old will you be in 2050?” to show solidarity with the youth at the talks, told the crowd that he is sick of misconceptions about the conference. “How many times do I have to read in a Web site or an article from very respected sectors of the media that the purpose of this conference is to replace the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012?” he asked. Zammit-Cutajar chairs the the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action, the track of negotiations that requires countries to produce a legally binding treaty before the first commitments of Kyoto expire. He reminded the audience that it’s the first phase of the Kyoto which is ending and not the entire agreement. During the first phase of Kyoto, which ends in 2012, developed countries that ratified the treaty must have fulfilled their obligations of reducing of greenhouse gases emissions. Because the U.S. never ratified Kyoto, it does not have to keep those obligations. Zammit-Cutajar said this creates a problem for other developed countries who might, like the U.S., want a new agreement that replaces Kyoto. But Zammit-Cutajar insisted that Kyoto would not be dismantled in Copenhagen. “It is not the purpose of this conference to kill the Kyoto Protocol,” he said. John Ashe stressed the importance of youth in Copenhagen. “This is all about the future, you are the future, we are trying to secure it so you are an integral part of it,” Ashe said.“You have a role to play and you should be very active in this.” The briefing was one of several high-level events aimed at youth who are attending the conference. An upcoming one will feature the U.N.’s top climate official, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Yvo de Boer.

Highlights from Opening Day at COP15

2009-12-07T16:59:00.003-06:00

Today's opening session of COP15 kicked off with speeches from top world leaders, including UN Seretariet Ivo de Boer, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Dr. Rajendra Pachauri and new COP15 President Connie Hedegaard. I really enjoyed what these three individuals had to say. All three spoke about the need to end these negotiations by passing meaningful emissions reduction targets and a just treaty. They stressed that we have had the past two years since COP13 in Bali to draft a new treaty that either replaces or strengthens the Kyoto Protocol. They also emphasized that the time to act is NOW. Pachauri highlighted what we all were hoping for - the need to reduce atmospheric concentrations of CO2 from 387ppm (parts per million) to 350ppm. this fall Expedition Copenhagen delegates planned events for the 350.org International Day of Climate Action helping to spread the message of 350. Scientists from around the world we are beginning to support this initiative, including Pachauri and NASA scientists Dr. James Hansen. But the IPCC has not released a full report since 2007 putting Pachauri in a unique position. "As chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) I cannot take a position because we do not make recommendations," Pachauri told AFP in an interview. "But as a human being I am fully supportive of that goal. What is happening, and what is likely to happen, convinces me that the world must be really ambitious and very determined at moving toward a 350 target," he added. Ivo de Boer began his speech with a story about a young boy who experienced a massive monsoon in his community losing his mother, father and younger brother. In it he stressed the importance to take bold actions so that we can avoid more repetitive events in the future. And he ended reminding everyone that children are our future. This video gives some great highlights of the first day at COP15. COP15 President Connie Hedegaard - a tough and demanding Danish politician and public intellectual, gave the last speech of the opening ceremony. Again, the message was that we must make decisions as Copenhagen that leade to a treaty next Friday. "Let's get it done. And let's get it done now," said Hedegaard. I agree.

Dancing at COP15

2009-12-07T16:55:00.002-06:00

Today was the first Youth Action which was incredible! Youth were asking for a binding climate agreement that promoted Climate Justice! Click below to see the video of the action. Maia, Reed, Jamie R., Chris and Danielle participated in the dancing... http://www.youtube.com/user/JLRvista#p/a/u/1/K4VB0YAhEx0

Mass “Die-In” Outside Plenary at Climate Talks

2009-12-07T14:57:00.001-06:00

Here is an article posted originally on It's Getting Hot in Here by Josh Lynch:

More than 30 youth from Australia, Mexico, India, Sweden, the US, Germany, and around the world staged a “die-in” today outside the main plenary at COP15 with the message – “The World Wants a Real Deal” and “Real Deal Saves Lives”.

A real deal was in jeopardy today as speculation emerged that the EU and Japan may steal billions of dollars from humanitarian aid budgets in order to offer it in a global climate deal. With more than 100 heads of state coming to Copenhagen next week it is hard to believe they would leave without some sort of agreement. The question now is – will they settle on a real deal or empty promises?

A real deal in Copenhagen means three things: Real Science. A Global Peak in Emissions by 2015. To save lives and avoid critical climate tipping points, global greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2015, and atmospheric concentrations must rapidly decline to stable, safe level at 350ppm CO2e.

Real Money. $200 billion/year by 2020.

Developed countries need to provide at least US$200 billion in public financing per year by 2020, in addition to existing aid commitments, for developing country adaptation and mitigation actions.

Real Teeth. A Legally-Binding Treaty. Leaders must agree at Copenhagen to sign a legally binding, enforceable treaty as soon as possible.

With climate change already causing 300,000 deaths every year, scientists and citizens worldwide have made it clear that anything short of a real deal in Copenhagen is unacceptable. More than 1500 climate vigils are already being planned for this Saturday, 12/12 all over the world to take the message that “The World Wants a Real Deal” beyond Copenhagen.

As we lay on the ground representing victims from flood, famine, and disease with eyes shut, we felt the pulse of cameras from more than 18 different news outlets. Shortly after the action the Guardian posted word on their front page – in a live blog from Copenhagen (See 3:10pm). The action has only just begun!

View more Copenhagen action photos.
Follow more actions throughout COP – @COPActions on Twitter.

Day Three in Copenhagen:

2009-12-07T14:00:00.003-06:00

This morning I woke before the crack of dawn and hit the streets with Will Steger Foundation's pro videographer Jerry to meet with Mikael Colville-Anderson, Denmark's official ambassador of all things biking. The fog was thick in the air as we met by the bridge with the most bike traffic in all of Europe. There is actually a bicycle rush hour here in Copenhagen and bike riders have their own lane and always get the right of way. When it snows in the winter, the bike trails are plowed before the streets or the sidewalks. "If they didn't plow them first," explained Mikael, "everyone would take the transit system and it would be swamped because SO many people rely on biking to get around." This afternoon, I met Erick, a lead negotiator from Tanzania while picking up schedules. "Is the United States going to bring real solutions, or is it going to bring problems?" he asked me and then said, "there is a lot that you can do as youth to influence your president and your negotiators. I'm counting on you." As youth who will be living in the results of climate change, this not just a theory, this is reality, this is our future, and we can influence it, and there is a lot of weight riding on our decisions. This afternoon, the international youth held our first event inside the conference, a "flash dance" where immediately after the opening ceremony, hundreds of youth broke into a song that started with the phrase, "ooooh, it's hot in here. There's too much carbon in the atmosphere." Here is the link if you would like to check it out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4VB0YAhEx0

Activism is Transgenerational

2009-12-07T04:18:00.002-06:00

Throughout college, I have been deeply engrossed within the youth movement, as an activist for climate justice. I have played a leadership role in helping to establish the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition, organized a youth lobby day at the state capital, arranged the logistics for sending Michigan State University students to Powershift 2007, and assisted with several retreats and summits pertaining to youth climate movements. During these efforts, the majority of my partners have been college age peers.

More recently, my current employment has been as Michigan Campaigns Coordinator for Clean Water Action. Through this work, I engage our members and the general Michigan public on taking action on a variety of issues ranging from promoting renewable energy legislation to promoting environmental health safety standards. The online and field actions from our members stretches across a broad constituency of residents, where age is not a factor.

This weekend’s Conference of Youth, a precursor to the UN Climate Conference, has emulated the modeled the strengths of the youths talents within organizing. One particular workshop I attended was a sub-group breakout out of the US breakout group. We’ve established amongst ourselves that reaching out and connecting with our networks back home to specific outbreaking news and relevant ways to react is just as important as us being at the actual conference. Within the group we discussed strategic planning for messaging our outreach to our communities through strategic rapid response. While the conversation originated just at stretching the messaging back to youth in the US, we realized that our contingency is actually much larger and age diverse.

Immediately following that strategy session, I got to sit in on a USCAN meeting, a larger collection of US NGOs attending the conference. I was impressed to learn that their tactics practically mirrored the strategy of the youth- by engaging larger networks in the US to take action on particular issue. Being a part of back to back discussions on the same topic reinstated the fact the activism truly is transgererational.

The UN Climate Change Conference COP 15 will offer innumerable chances for many to connect the policy towards relevant legislative domestic campaigns at home. Some of these will be directed towards specific US strategy, and others sending a message to our entire world leadership. While I am representing the youth constituency, I encourage people of all ages to continue to practice civic duty, and take specific actions articulating to our leaders our expectations from our leadership. For starters, why not sign a global petition stating, “I am ready for our leaders to sign a global climate deal in Copenhagen that is ambitious, fair and binding.” Whether it will be your first experience taking action, or your thousandth, there will be plentiful opportunities to get involved. Stay tuned for more local ways to stay engaged at home!

EDITORIAL: Call for Global Action

2009-12-07T03:12:00.002-06:00

This editorial calling for action from world leaders on climate change is published today, December 8, 2009, by 56 newspapers around the world in 20 languages. As a Wisconsin youth attending the conference, I can testify that the widespread media attention showcases just a sound bite of the energy pumping through the Bella Center on the ground here in Copenhagen today on the first day of these historical negotiations. "Today 56 newspapers in 45 countries take the unprecedented step of speaking with one voice through a common editorial. We do so because humanity faces a profound emergency.

Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security. The dangers have been becoming apparent for a generation. Now the facts have started to speak: 11 of the past 14 years have been the warmest on record, the Arctic ice-cap is melting and last year's inflamed oil and food prices provide a foretaste of future havoc. In scientific journals the question is no longer whether humans are to blame, but how little time we have got left to limit the damage. Yet so far the world's response has been feeble and half-hearted.

Climate change has been caused over centuries, has consequences that will endure for all time and our prospects of taming it will be determined in the next 14 days. We call on the representatives of the 192 countries gathered in Copenhagen not to hesitate, not to fall into dispute, not to blame each other but to seize opportunity from the greatest modern failure of politics. This should not be a fight between the rich world and the poor world, or between east and west. Climate change affects everyone, and must be solved by everyone.

The science is complex but the facts are clear. The world needs to take steps to limit temperature rises to 2C, an aim that will require global emissions to peak and begin falling within the next 5-10 years. A bigger rise of 3-4C — the smallest increase we can prudently expect to follow inaction — would parch continents, turning farmland into desert. Half of all species could become extinct, untold millions of people would be displaced, whole nations drowned by the sea. The controversy over emails by British researchers that suggest they tried to suppress inconvenient data has muddied the waters but failed to dent the mass of evidence on which these predictions are based.

Few believe that Copenhagen can any longer produce a fully polished treaty; real progress towards one could only begin with the arrival of President Obama in the White House and the reversal of years of US obstructionism. Even now the world finds itself at the mercy of American domestic politics, for the president cannot fully commit to the action required until the US Congress has done so.

But the politicians in Copenhagen can and must agree the essential elements of a fair and effective deal and, crucially, a firm timetable for turning it into a treaty. Next June's UN climate meeting in Bonn should be their deadline. As one negotiator put it: "We can go into extra time but we can't afford a replay."

At the deal's heart must be a settlement between the rich world and the developing world covering how the burden of fighting climate change will be divided — and how we will share a newly precious resource: the trillion or so tonnes of carbon that we can emit before the mercury rises to dangerous levels.

Rich nations like to point to the arithmetic truth that there can be no solution until developing giants such as China take more radical steps than they have so far. But the rich world is responsible for most of the accumulated carbon in the atmosphere – three-quarters of all carbon dioxide emitted since 1850. It must now take a lead, and every developed country must commit to deep cuts which will reduce their emissions within a decade to very substantially less than their 1990 level.

Developing countries can point out they did not cause the bulk of the problem, and also that the poorest regions of the world will be hardest hit. But they will increasingly contribute to warming, and must thus pledge meaningful and quantifiable action of their own. Though both fell short of what some had hoped for, the recent commitments to emissions targets by the world's biggest polluters, the United States and China, were important steps in the right direction.

Social justice demands that the industrialised world digs deep into its pockets and pledges cash to help poorer countries adapt to climate change, and clean technologies to enable them to grow economically without growing their emissions. The architecture of a future treaty must also be pinned down – with rigorous multilateral monitoring, fair rewards for protecting forests, and the credible assessment of "exported emissions" so that the burden can eventually be more equitably shared between those who produce polluting products and those who consume them. And fairness requires that the burden placed on individual developed countries should take into account their ability to bear it; for instance newer EU members, often much poorer than "old Europe", must not suffer more than their richer partners.

The transformation will be costly, but many times less than the bill for bailing out global finance — and far less costly than the consequences of doing nothing.

Many of us, particularly in the developed world, will have to change our lifestyles. The era of flights that cost less than the taxi ride to the airport is drawing to a close. We will have to shop, eat and travel more intelligently. We will have to pay more for our energy, and use less of it.

But the shift to a low-carbon society holds out the prospect of more opportunity than sacrifice. Already some countries have recognized that embracing the transformation can bring growth, jobs and better quality lives. The flow of capital tells its own story: last year for the first time more was invested in renewable forms of energy than producing electricity from fossil fuels.

Kicking our carbon habit within a few short decades will require a feat of engineering and innovation to match anything in our history. But whereas putting a man on the moon or splitting the atom were born of conflict and competition, the coming carbon race must be driven by a collaborative effort to achieve collective salvation.

Overcoming climate change will take a triumph of optimism over pessimism, of vision over short-sightedness, of what Abraham Lincoln called "the better angels of our nature".

It is in that spirit that 56 newspapers from around the world have united behind this editorial. If we, with such different national and political perspectives, can agree on what must be done then surely our leaders can too.

The politicians in Copenhagen have the power to shape history's judgment on this generation: one that saw a challenge and rose to it, or one so stupid that we saw calamity coming but did nothing to avert it. We implore them to make the right choice."

Day Two in Copenhagen: Trail Notes

2009-12-06T20:59:00.006-06:00

The anticipation is hanging thick in the air with less than a day left until what could potentially be the most important conference ever to occur. At the Conference of Youth today, I met many people and learned many things, but what stands out most is the overwhelming feeling of hope that is resonating throughout. We can and we will do everything possible to put the pressure on for a strong, equitable, and legally binding treaty. There are over 500 United States youth delegates at the conference, and we will hold the negotiators from our home states accountable for our future. The next two weeks will be critical in determining the future histories that we and our descendents will someday write. May we choose our better future. Until Tomorrow, Reed

Behind the Scenes

2009-12-06T18:56:00.004-06:00

Since arriving in Copenhagen Friday I have had the opportunity to awesome behind the scenes activities, from the setting up of the Bella Center, to media outreaches and releases to planned actions by organizations, being a witness and a participant. It's a lot of work just being a delegate and focusing on a daily plan!! I got a good look inside the Bella Center here in Copenhagen on Friday and Sunday, where the United Nations Forum Climate Change began negotiations on Monday. Being able to see the U.N. staff, different organizations, and Bella Center prepare for the thousands of participants here, was an indication of the hard work that's put in leading up to results. The space and physical preparations are only part of the arrangements. Results could come in so many forms and we're hoping for negotiations to result in a call and commitment for domestic and global responsibility regarding climate change. I have also been participating with the Indigenous Environmental Network who also has a delegation, we are currently planning an action at the U.S. Embassy here in Copenhagen on Thursday. So many thoughts, ideas and considerations are determined, the work put in by delegates should be acknowledged. I am saying Chi-Miigwetch (Thank you) now, as we are preparing for so much, I fear I may not be able to express my gratitude for your input, sharing and support. May the work and our energies continue.

Word! Of the Day...Indigenous

2009-12-06T18:28:00.007-06:00

I've had the most exciting experience being involved with the Indigenous People's Caucus. I've been so far successfully able to navigate Copenhagen and hit up town squares that are hosting events and venues. I tired myself out running back and forth between the Conference of Youth (COY) and the International Indigenous People's Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), it is so well-worth the extra mile! I made connections from what I was hearing and learning at Indigenous Caucus and relaying the messages first hand to international youth and the Will Steger Delegation. So many issues are being faced by so many different types of Indigenous peoples across the world. A beginning issue is definition of Indigenous People's. Who are they? Where are they? What are they? What is their importance here? I have never googled Indigenous before, but the results were awesome and what was surprising were the connections between definition of Indigenous and the United Nations. I like these simple definitions provided by Wikipedia:

Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. See synonyms at native.
Intrinsic; innate.

Wikipedia is a great source, but check out some youtube firsthand Indigenous perspectives of defining what Indigenous means: Indigenous People are across the globe- in Kenya,Africa; Bolivia,South America; India and Iran,Asia; the Pacific Islands, and even here in Europe. We are known to the world as Indigenous Peoples, we are known at home in our respective languages and cultures-the Anishinabe of the U.S. and Canada, the Inuit of Alaska, Sami of Scandinavia, Polynesian of Pacific Islands, the Ainu's of Asia and countless more. It is crucial that the Indigenous Peoples of the world have a presence at this conference. With the close ties to the land that the respective Indigenous peoples have, the issue of climate change causes and solutions becomes more than an environmental concern, it becomes a human rights and human justice issue as well. When the people, in the small numbers that they are, begin to lose the land, not just in acreage or in underground exploration or development, they begin to lose culture, traditions and livelihoods too. When the land and water are gone, so are the people. My mother and I were discussing local headlines about pollution in Gitchi Gumme (Lake Superior), she said to me that it was scary to think that it could be possible that instead of taking my grandchildren to swim there, I would be telling them of the days when I used to, but that we can't anymore. It is history that we are taking part of, not what we want to become. It is our responsibility to ensure our existence, here at the UN Conference, and here on this Earth. It is important that we support each other, as Indigenous Peoples of continental regions and as a human race to ensure that we can live on with Mother Earth. Notes: *International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples-August 9 *Wikipedia Indigenous Definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples#Oceani a

US Youth Need to Push Leaders for More Action

2009-12-06T18:17:00.003-06:00

Today US Youth met during the regional breakout at COY5 to build an action strategy for the negotiations. Overall the US can boast a youth delegation of 500+ at COP15 during the next two weeks. These numbers give us endless possibilities to show the power of youth, and to really put together some compelling and strategic actions. One major theme of our actions is to hold US leaders accountable. As a country we have not stepped up to take responsibility for our large hand in causing climate change. The time for that to change starts tomorrow. The world is counting on the US to finally take real action on climate change, and the youth at COY have big expectations for US youth delegates. They want to know exactly what we are doing to apply pressure to the Senate, Congress and Obama. These talented youth delegates know that we are working hard back home to pass domestic climate change legislation. They also know that we are demanding negotiators at COP15 to become supporters of a treaty in Copenhagen and not roadbloacks. And so they are making sure that youth from the US are doing what they can to ensure our leaders get in the game. At COY5 I interviewed Anesu Makina, a delegate from Zimbabwe with the United African Youth Delegation, sponsored by the Danish Foreign Ministry. During our conversation I asked her if she had any hopes for US youth her reply was similar to what many other youth from the global south are asking for. “I would like to see US youth be more responsible with consumption in the activities that they do and consider reducing their emissions…We are young people just like them but we can’t enjoy the same quality of life because of our climate. They need to take into consideration people from the south.” Most youth delegates from around the world are excited that Obama will be coming to Copenhagen. But his presence does not guarantee that a treaty will be agreed upon. It is important to know that US delegates have been great leaders and hard workers back home, and that at COP15 we will not act differently. We will be working hard to hold our leaders accountable, reminding them of the responsibility we have as the United States to take action on climate change and to support a bold, just and binding treaty in Copenhagen. But the work did not begin at Copenhagen, and it does not end here either. We need all youth, all activists in the US to keep pressuring the Senate, Congress and Obama to pass legislation at home. If you want to help spread the message to our senators back home join the Rapid Response Team. "The goal of this rapid response team is no small task: to affect the U.S. negotiation position." But it's important to build this critical force back home to build upon what US youth delegates are doing in Copenhagen. Get involved if you can - the world is counting on [US].

Canadians in Copenhagen

2009-12-06T17:28:00.004-06:00

This post was written originally for Canadian Geographic magazine's blog Copenhagen-- A giant orb glows in a major city square, while in another part of Copenhagen, new steel cages await unruly protestors. Denmark’s capital is prepped for the Monday’s kickoff to 12 days of United Nations climate negotiations. On Sunday, I sat down with Amber Church, the national director for the Canadian Youth Climate coalition, to get her take on the Canadian negotiating team for the next two weeks. The 28-year-old calls Canada a “lost lemming” in the global climate negotiations, which has even fallen behind the U.S. with its inaction. “Right now Canada is not leading—it’s not even following very well because Environment Minister Jim Prentice’s line is ‘We can’t do anything until the U.S. does something,’” Church says. “To be perfectly honest, the U.S. is ahead of us and we’re not even following very well.” Her advice for Canada in Copenhagen? “Canada should lead, follow or get out of the way,” Church says. Church, who lives in Whitehorse, will be leading the Canadian youth delegation at the talks. The delegation is composed of a 35 activists from around the country, making up one of the largest youth delegations at the conference. This doesn’t count another 50 or so more Canadians who are attending with student delegations from universities such as the University of Toronto. Church says the Canadian youth will lobby hard for strong reduction targets, holding the Conservative government’s negotiating team accountable for not supporting a climate bill earlier this year in the House of Commons, which called for certain emissions reductions. “The Canadian public along with the House of Commons supports these targets and so we’d like to make sure our government is actually speaking for our people.” With this goal in mind, Canadian youth will be meeting with a growing list of Canadian politicians while in Copenhagen, including Prentice, NDP leader Jack Layton, Green Party leader Elizabeth May, environment ministers from the territories, and Canada’s chief negotiator, Michael Martin. A meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper is still in the works. Church said these lobbying sessions with politicians will not be soft photo-ops, since the Canadian youth will be driving home their message, Church says. “Canada needs to stop being obstructionist and Canada needs to come to the table and actually start participating,” Church said. Check back soon for more developments on the Canadian youth delegation in Copenhagen. Liana B. Baker, a former intern with the magazine, is Canadian Geographic climate policy correspondent in Copenhagen.

To the COP15 Delegation:

2009-12-06T17:27:00.004-06:00

Here are a few excerpts of some great position statements I have received. These great ideas will send a clear message to the COP15 delegate: we are ready for some action!

"If the government invests money in funding energy-saving projects and programs to help citizens understand global warming and what they can do about it, the earth will be stable again and we can go about our lives, knowing that we have saved ourselves from a terrible fate...Fixing climate change will change the way we think and live, but if we just grit our teeth and dive in, we will be proud of battling a force that rules our lives, and winning, doing what had to be done."

-Madeline, 8th grade, St. Paul

"Now, it's not just the moose, or the polar bears, the walruses or the whales that we're trying to save. Us humans are in this too. Changing weather can increase both the frequency and size of hurricanes and other storms, developing storms more powerful than Hurricane Katrina, putting thousands of homes and lives at risk...we should at least establish benchmarks for reducing CO2 levels, perhaps reducing by 20% or so by 2020, or perhaps we could establish a new agreement for global participation for lowering greenhouse gas emission starting now, getting every country, every person, to play a small part in doing something simple to reduce our emissions."

-Aaron

"Only stabilizing the emission will not be enough when it gets to 2050 because ice caps are already melting, and polar bears are already having troubles finding places to live, if we only stabilize the emission, it will already be too late for the polar bears, and costal places will already be flooded...When our world is building millions of new carbon-producing technologies- why can’t we work on producing more carbon reducing technologies?"

-Maddy, St. Paul

"The first thing the conference should do is to get all nations committed. Developed and developing countries need to be engaged."

-Lineas, 8th grade, St. Paul

The Big Day

2009-12-06T17:05:00.002-06:00

The Climate Change Conference begins tomorrow.

With pretty much everyone from WSF attending, things have been pretty quiet back here in Minnesota. But lucky for me, as the education intern, my mailbox has not been quiet! I have received many position statements from students with great ideas about the COP15 conference. Check back here frequently to read excerpts of what your peers have to say about climate change!

A cultural yogurt experience

2009-12-06T17:01:00.006-06:00

On the second official day of my 18-day stay here in Copenhagen, I find myself a little homesick for some small comforts of home. One of those comforts is Stonyfield Farm yogurt. This stellar company is not only one of our sponsors, along with the Will Steger Foundation, but they are also responsible for the tickle on my taste buds amidst my granola in the morning back home.

The photo to your right (by Chalie Nevarez) is Danish yogurt. Mmmhmm. Mixing this Danish yogurt with my granola in the morning here in Copenhagen reminds me of stirring half-melted butter into cookie dough; its consistency is similar to mashed potatoes. Smushing it into a stirred submission, the delegates and I jokingly ask each other for a fork and knife to eat it.

Check out this video for a first hand look.

I feel like it's good training though. We're ready for a fight, starting with the yogurt in the morning. I'm not sure if negotiating a climate bill will be easier or more challenging that stirring our granola into this yogurt... time will tell. Stay tuned for more updates, complete with yogurt and metaphors.

What inspires Will Steger

2009-12-06T16:41:00.002-06:00

Will is extremely inspired by the arctic and his expeditions. It is not only this that drives him to fight for climate justice but also the youth. It was today while I was interviewing Will that I had a chance to hear first hand his story. The full interview will be broadcast tomorrow at 12:00pm EST at Stonyfield livestream but you can take a sneak peak of what happened while filming.

While the interview was being filmed a young child who fell while walking with his mother, and they got our attention. This young child is one of the 9.2 million people that are expected to be populating the Earth by 2050. It is our task to ensure they have a safe and healthy future in this Planet.

UNFCCC History

2009-12-06T10:08:00.002-06:00

This weekend was COY and I had the chance to attend the Climate Change Regime Workshop. Sebastian, one of the YOUNGO’s from France was facilitating this discussion and all I can say is that now I have a much better understanding of the COP system. Hopefully this will help you understand the system a little better as well! The Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 - this is where it all began. The UNFCCC’s (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) purpose is to prevent catastrophic change in the climate system. This is what we are here to ensure at COP15. There are 4 main bodies under the UNFCCC: 1. COP - Conference of the Parties 2. CMP - Meeting of the Parties 3. SBI - Subsidiary bodies 4. SBTA - Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technology Advice These different groups meet during the COP negotiations simultaneously to reach an agreement that will ensure the mitigation and adaptation of Climate Change. These political negotiations are all based on the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). This is composed by a group of scientists that analyze Climate Change and gives suggestions on what the effects will be. Hopefully by the end of these negotiations the world will receive a new treaty that will shift us in a direction in which to stabilize our climate and ensure the health and well being of future generations.

Copenhagen Part 1: Art Actions

2009-12-06T08:17:00.001-06:00

Greetings from Copenhagen! After meeting up with Aurora and Reed on a connecting flight, the three of us arrived safe and sound early Friday morning, jet-lagged with the morning sunrise above the clouds still fresh in our minds. Since then, we've all had a little sleep to catch up in between the Conference of Youth meetings which have already begun. (Just a little-- we're beginning to realize what 18+ hour days feel like.) Delegates from over 100 countries were present at the Conference of Youth meetings today. COY is an organized group of international youth, and it has provisional constituency status for the UNFCCC. This means that the group has a chance to speak during certain sessions of the conference and also has greater access to officials than would normally be without the status. In addition to planning meetings and attending sessions, there are many other events and actions the Conference of Youth, also known as YOUNGOS, will be involved in. One area involves art activism, which I learned about in a workshop I attended:

In the Art and Activism workshop, I found myself surrounded by people with a vast array of talents ranging from painting and computer graphics to puppeteering and dance. As we went around in a circle talking about our artistic passions, our "artist in residence," Kevin, directed us to a sign written on the wall that read, "The role of the revolutionary artist is to make revolution irresistible!" Art is a universal language, and it has the ability to build bridges across cultures, uniting people of all cultural backgrounds to share stories and emotions that tap into the very elements that make everyone human. Throughout the short hour workshop, we began to tap into some of those qualities as artists offered to everyone their talents of dance, singing, and ideas. One delegate from Kenya showed us how youth perform dances to people chanting about climate change, and a delegate from the UK performed slam poetry about climate change. Artists are in a unique position to use their abilities to create powerful messages that can transform societies and bring about positive change in local or global arenas. Over the next two weeks, artists from around the world will be uniting to share messages of the urgency to create climate solutions and the hope that today's youth have for shaping an equitable future.

History of Youth at COP

2009-12-05T18:39:00.004-06:00

Many people probably don’t know that youth have been involved in UN climate change negotiations since their beginning. During the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, young people stepped up and brought the talks back down to the basics – reminding people that we have a moral imperative to take action on environmental problems. At the time of the summit the world was dealing with a hole in the ozone layer created by using too many chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds from refrigerants. Severn Suzuki, then 12 years old from Canada and member of the Environmental Children’s Organization, addressed the negotiators giving an emotionally powerful and compelling speech. Her words captured well what it means to be a young person at the negotiations – we truly are advocating for our future. The speech, eloquently titled “The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes,” drew on the responsibility we have as world citizens to take collaborative action on global climate change. Since this time youth have be a continuous positive force at all following negotiations. In 2005 youth delegates hosted their first Conference of Youth (COY1) and this weekend Expedition Copenhagen delegates are participating in COY5. The goals of the conference are “to build trust and solidarity among youth who will be attending COP15, and to share ideas, thoughts, successes and skills with each other. [Lastly] to build a truly global movement to stop the climate crisis.” What is unique about this year’s COY is that youth have recently obtained constituency status as YOUNGO at the negotiations. A constituency plays a key role at the negotiations and helps similar organizations to effectively participate and communicate their messages at the talks. Previously, youth have already been working similar to a constituency but without the official status. Now that the YOUNGO constituency has been created we have certain rights including an invitation to some workshops, the ability to speak at high level segments, an office space and opportunities for bilateral meetings with negotiators. This status will allow us to be a more solidified force at COP15 and following negotiations. It is a real victory to have achieved this status because it demonstrates the important role that we play as youth and the recognition we have received for being so effective in the past. Achieving constituency status as YOUNGOs allows us to continue our work, but at a higher caliber. While previous work has been impressive, this year we are planning on really stepping it up with creative actions, strong demands for negotiators and a groundswell of youth at the negotiations. Severn Suzuki was not the first youth activist – but she is definitely one of the first young people to receive such international attention. Her work, and the work of the youth here at COP15, represents a long history of youth demanding from leaders what is most important to us – a clean, just and healthy future.

Fast for Humanity

2009-12-05T18:14:00.002-06:00

How long could you not only survive but fight for a cause while sustaining yourself on only water? This is no Lent or Ramadan fast where selective days and times are marked for fasting -- three young people from across the globe have joined together to lead the Climate Justice Fast living on only water for 30 days running. These young people, along with the many others around the world and here in Copenhagen, that are fasting for climate justice highlight the power that the youth movement (aka the YOUNGOs) carries like a torch into the coming week of negotiations. They are lighting the path for true climate revolution with humanity and moral conscience. Beginning Monday, our global leaders being negotiating our global inheritance. As youth, we have no political parties to answer to, no lobbyists or businesses to appease, no risk other than the risk of our future at stake. Over 500 youth have fundraised their way here to take a stand, to put our face in the faces of those leaders writing our future. Change is not only possible, it's essential. The humanity, the emotion, the personal stories have compelled me near tears today and have rumbled the deepest spirit of movement in my heart. What can you do, what will you do to rumble the spirits and rally call to those in your community? I invite you to check out the climate justice fast, support them with your words or actions. Light a candle with your friends in honor of those most vulnerable and already impacted by the most adverse effects of climate change on December 11 or 12 with people around the world. Take a stand. Bring humanity to the forefront of this movement. rEvolution is here.

We hit the trail running: Day One in Copenhagen

2009-12-05T18:05:00.003-06:00

I hit the trail early this morning, trekking with my fellow Will Steger delegates to COY, the Conference of Youth. As we were walking, I noticed how many people bike in town. There is actually a separate lane for cyclists, and I’ve heard rumor that there are more bikes than in people in Copenhagen. Whether or not this is true, it’s a far cry from some of the places I biked through earlier this autumn. Young people from all across the world gathered today for our first day of training in preparation for the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (COP-15) which begins on Monday. The air was vibrant with the energy of a thousand young people, ready to call for a strong, fair, and legally binding treaty over the next couple of weeks. Today, I met with youth delegates from India, Sweden, Cameroon, Canada, Australia, Belgium, China, Japan, from all across the world. I ran into fellow 350 organizers from across the world, who were organizing events internationally while I was biking 350 miles around the state of Minnesota to talk to people about climate solutions. Stay tuned for breaking news from behind the scenes at COP-15! Until tomorrow, Reed Aronow

This is no Model U.N. : The rise of the youth climate movement

2009-12-05T18:00:00.011-06:00

Considering its views on fossil fuels, the youth climate movement probably doesn’t want to be described as a well-oiled machine. But that was how they operated on Saturday in Copenhagen, as part of a two-day youth summit preceding the U.N. climate talks that kick off on Monday. In various states of jetlag, about 500 youth delegates from all corners of the globe gathered at the Copenhagen YMCA and the University of Copenhagen for the first day of a mix of workshops, free-flowing forums and serious talk about how to influence the upcoming negotiations. This is no Model U.N. The vibe of the workshops was organized and sophisticated, a reflection of how far the global youth climate moment has come at U.N. conferences. Momentum has been building since last year’s Conference of the Parties 14 in Poznan Poland, where hundreds of young people from all over the world banded together for “Project Survival.” In that campaign, the international youth worked together with a group of small threatened island states, to push for a reference to the “survival of the most vulnerable countries and people” in key environmental legislation. The language made it into the document, thanks to the youth who lobbied environment ministers from more than 100 countries, held rallies in the halls outside the negotiating rooms and commanded media attention like savvy politicos. One Grist blog says the international youth deserves “credit for the fact that ‘survival’ has become something of a buzzword within international climate policymaking circles.” When Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UNFCCC, was asked at last year’s negotiations about the role young people should play in global climate talks, he said that young people must raise the profile of environmental issues in their home countries, until their governments listen. De Boer also said that too many NGOs have bureaucratized and dropped their banners to put on suits and young people must fill the vacuum. But for this group, being a young environmental activist doesn’t mean picketing or getting arrested. This September, the youth movement gained official constituency status at U.N. climate change negotiations. With this new status, the youth are quickly developing into a political stakeholder who has a voice in shaping internation environmental policy. For the next two weeks, I’ll be following these youth activists, known as YOUNGOS, in Copenhagen, bringing you behind the scenes of an evolving political movement that is changing the future of climate negotiations. –Liana B. Baker For more on Youngos in Copenhagen, visit http://youthclimate.org http://youthclimate.org

Offsetting our Travels

2009-12-02T13:11:00.000-06:00

All across the news this week we have been hearing about the many private jets flying into the U.N. climate negotiations. It seems unfortunate that this event, meant to solve climate change, will generate such a large carbon footprint. We too in Expedition Copenhagen will be flying overseas for this conference, and we acknowledge our contribution to these emissions. While we regret that we will be producing large amounts of carbon through our travel, we feel strongly that it is worth the difference we will be able to make through our participation in these historic negotiations.

We have chosen to offset our carbon through NativeEnergy, which is working to develop the Greensburg Wind Farm in Greensburg, Kansas. On May 4, 2007, a tornado leveled Greensburg, destroying 95% of the homes in the area. In the aftermath, residents committed to rebuilding as “the greenest town in America.” We are happy to support their endeavor.

In order to calculate the emissions for Expedition Copenhagen, we added up the carbon generated through all delegate and staff travel to our two trainings and the negotiations in Copenhagen via a carbon calculator available online. Once the total carbon emissions had been estimated, we used NativeEnergy’s system to determine the quantity of offsets to purchase. These offsets will be used towards the development of wind energy, as described above. While we recognize that offset calculation is not a perfect science and cannot precisely make up for our emissions, we are glad to support renewable energy development in the Midwest and push our region to lead in the climate solutions we need and want.

Story of Cap & Trade

2009-12-01T14:42:00.002-06:00

From the simple, inspiring and creative minds that brought us the Story of Stuff, comes the timely story of Cap and Trade. Complicated? You bet, but these great innovators have broken down this complicated, political topic into a fun, interactive knowledge trip. Check it out... it's for the future.

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

A note from the creators:

The Story of Cap & Trade is a fast-paced, fact-filled look at the leading climate solution - emissions trading - on the negotiating table at Copenhagen and in other capitals. Host Annie Leonard introduces the energy traders and Wall Street financiers at the heart of this scheme and reveals the "devils in the details" in current cap and trade proposals: free permits to big polluters, fake offsets and distraction from what’s really required to tackle the climate crisis. If you’ve heard about Cap & Trade, but aren’t sure how it works (or who benefits), this is the film is for you.

Carbon Offset

2009-11-30T11:01:00.000-06:00

Through a partnership with NativeEnergy, a privately held energy company (www.nativeenergy.com), the estimated carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the travel of Expedition Copenhagen participants have been offset by an investment in the Greensburg Wind Farm in Greensburg, Kansas. On May 4, 2007, a tornado leveled Greensburg, destroying 95% of the homes in the area. In the aftermath, residents committed to rebuilding as “the greenest town in America.” We are happy to support their endeavor.

India To Hold Obama To Higher Standards

2009-11-23T16:00:00.003-06:00

Despite recent statements of doubt by President Barack Obama regarding the passing of a binding treaty in Copenhagen, Indian Prime Minister will push for a stronger stance when meeting with the President on Tuesday, November 24. Check out the article from the Indian Express: Climate meet: India wants 'legally binding substantive' outcome

Agencies Posted online: Monday , Nov 23, 2009 at 1122 hrs

Washington : India does not endorse efforts to dilute expectations from the Copenhagen climate summit and is pushing for a "legally binding substantive" outcome, a matter that will be discussed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talks with US President Barack Obama.

Coinciding with the Copenhagen meet, India is considering a legislation incorporating all its action plans and national missions aimed at reducing dependence on coal based fuels and "improving" the environment by 20 per cent by 2020.

During their meeting tomorrow, Singh and Obama will discuss what kind of outcome is expected from Copenhagen meet beginning on December 7, sources said. India and a number of developing countries want "legally binding substantive outcome" from the meet and do not endorse the recent statement by the US and other APEC nations that a mere political declaration would do.

The sources said that India does not want the world to give up with regard to Copenhagen meet, as is being done by some countries.

India feels that there is still time for Copenhagen conference, particularly its high-level segment beginning on December 16, and efforts should be made to push the negotiations for an outcome mandated by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Bali action plan.

There should be no attempt to pre-empt the Copenhagen meet as 192 countries are involved in it and the consensus would be required even if it is not possible to achieve a legally binding declaration at Copenhagen, some consensus should be arrived at the end, the sources said.

The effort should be to see "how far we can go", they said.

"We should try to get the maximum from Copenhagen and the template should continue to be UNFCCC and Bali action Plan," a source said.

On its part, India does not wish to see any outcome that will diminish the prospect of its development. If the Copenhagen meet fails to arrive at legally binding outcome it should pave the way for such results in the next six months or so. UNFCCC provides for countries furnishing their domestic commitments about what they have done in the past and what they intend to do in the future.

India is willing to adhere to this even if the national commitments have to be submitted periodically.

The sources pointed out India already has a domestic action plan which is voluntary and aimed at specific target. These include solar mission and green India vision which are aimed at "improving" environment by 20 per cent by 2020.

The government plans to encapsulate the various climate action plan in the form of a legislation, the sources said. They said India and the US bilaterally have conversion of views on climate issue even though they may differ at multilateral negotiations.

Both countries agree that there is an inter-link between climate change and energy security and the necessity of use of technology to fight this problem. The sources emphasised that there was critical consensus in India over how to approach Copenhagen meet notwithstanding a recent statement by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh which created confusion before he issued a clarification.

Art for Climate

2009-11-22T12:31:00.003-06:00

As world leaders are getting ready to meet in Copenhagen, Denmark in less than two weeks to negotiate a new global treaty, there have been many movements lead by grassroots efforts in order to keep pressure on President Obama and the Senate on leading and supporting a strong climate policy in the US.

One of these efforts comes from our friends at 1Sky with “Make Art for Climate” campaign. From October 28^th until December 1^st groups have gathered and are still gathering together to create art that sends a message to our President to step up his efforts for strong climate legislation. In the month of December these pieces of art will be delivered to members of the Obama Administration and the Senate in order for them to receive a visual reminder of what is truly needed for us as a country and as a world.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to participate in one of these gatherings. I met with my policy mentor and friend from 1Sky Katy Walters and some other friends that joined and created a piece of art that we believe represents our urgent need for a strong binding climate bill in the United States and treaty in the Copenhagen Negotiations. I have to say it was a great opportunity as a group to get together and have a good time, enjoy some good conversation and fun while at the same time knowing that we were doing something positive to make a difference.

I hope that more of you get inspired on doing something similar in anticipation to the negotiations and if you want more details check out www.1sky.org. Groups like this one are getting together across the country and you can always also start one of your own. Lets ensure that we do everything possible to pressure our leaders and have them know that we are all concerned for our future, the future of the youth and that of coming generations.

Chalie

Michigan Youth Select New Leaders!

2009-11-19T08:37:00.007-06:00

This week the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition (MSSC) selected new leaders to participate in the group's Steering Committee (SC) - the governing body of the organization. The MSSC is an established Non-for-profit organization committed to engaging the youth of Michigan to become active citizens campaigning for the just, balanced distribution and use of social, political, economic and environmental resources to improve our communities, our state and our planet. The organization has been instrumental in the youth climate movement in Michigan, gathering support from campuses and organizations all across the state. All of the new SC members bring with them a wealth of talent and experience that is truly inspirational and will continue to keep the MSSC as an effective youth organization in Michigan. New members represent different colleges/universities and organizations throughout the state, from Detroit to Grand Rapids, Lansing and Kalamazoo. The MSSC began with only a handful of interested students so it is amazing to see the number of schools, organizations and youth that are involved today. I had an opportunity to interview Josh Lycka, a new SC member from Grand Valley State University (my school as well!) about his hopes for the future of the MSSC and the youth climate movement in Michigan. Lycka, a sophomore at GVSU, has been a passionate leader on campus as Treasurer of the Student Environmental Coalition. He will be a great asset to the MSSC as he transitions into this new leadership role. Check out his video interview! The MSSC is also a common thread that ties together the 3 Expedition Copenhagen Michigan delegates - Sarah, Chris and I. We all began our youth organizing with this group, and we became good friends throughout the years. This Sunday, November 22nd we are hosting an event at the Michigan Energy Options Demonstration Home (405 Grove Street in East Lansing, 48823) from 4 - 6 pm, and you're invited! We will be talking about our upcoming trip and you will have a chance to send your messages with us to the negotiations. Delegates are bringing books full of messages that we have collected this fall to the negotiations. It’s a great chance to share with the world what you want to see come out of these negotiations. Congratulations to all new Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition Steering Committee members. You are all talented and amazing leaders and I look forward to working with you in the coming months!

Ensuring Accountability from Elected Leaders

2009-11-19T08:29:00.002-06:00

Ensuring Accountability from Elected Leaders

Written by: Sarah Mullkoff

Exactly two weeks from now, eleven of my fellow youth climate engaged friends and I will be traveling to Copenhagen for the 15^th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change.

Throughout the fall, our anticipation has been brewing as to what to expect of the negotiations. There has been uncertainty to if this year’s negotiations will actually result in a binding agreement, or just another step along the way. Analysts have predicted four options that could occur: no agreement, a decision or set of decisions, a politically implementing agreement, or a new legally binding protocol. (http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/17074IIED.pdf)

Despite ongoing speculative domestic legislation and other unreliable politics, our youth delegation stands strong with our stance of demanding a strong, just, binding agreement to come be agreed upon this December.

This past weekend we learned of disheartening news from President’ Obama’s administration, admitting that a comprehensive climate deal was beyond reaches this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/science/earth/16climate.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=UN%20climate%20negotiations&st=cse

Considering this, I thought back to one year ago, when this man became elected President of the United States, running by a platform promoting change. 2008 was the largest youth voter turn out in history, and for many of my peers, it was the first Presidential election we had voted on. In fact, many of my peers worked specifically on election work last year running a campaign, Powervote worked tirelessly to demand that the American public elected leaders that would commit to making clean energy a top priority in the election.

Maintaining this priority, we now have the responsibility to demand our elected officials accountability on such issues on a clean energy economy to secure the protection of our climate.

President Obama could have a tremendous influence on affecting our domestic legislation by attending the UN Conference, as our policy choices influence the rest of the worlds decisions. It is quite possible that the president will not make any progression towards an international climate treaty. As youth, we have the moral responsibility to hold our president accountable. There is no longer time for business as usual, we demand that the time for change is now!

R to the Evolution

2009-11-16T13:09:00.000-06:00

Revolution never come with a warning. Revolution never send you an omen. Revolution just arrives like the morning, ring the alarm time to wake up this morning. ~Michael Franti & Spearhead

With just a few short weeks & a few long days before landing at the climate movement's ground zero, I feel like a Scooby Doo character who is running in place before setting off in an all out sprint! The other week Al Gore made a great appearance on David Letterman to promote his new book Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis and to talk Copenhagen. Gore stated that although the grassroots movement is the largest this world has ever seen, it has yet to reach a critical mass. It is up to us to prove that statement wrong. All the amazing folks I've had the opportunity to talk to here in Wisconsin on the platform of climate solutions are ready for revolution -- we want climate justice, climate equality and REAL, BINDING, SUSTAINABLE climate solutions. That is the message that I will carry to and advocate for in Copenhagen. To the folks I have talked to and to all those readers that I have not yet had the opportunity to meet -- revolution is ours to make. It is every voice, every song, every noise that we create that will break the barrier to create a critical mass. The volume is rising... I hear it... I feel the vibrations... it moves my soul and moves me to act... we need it to be LOUDER.

It's like the end of Horton Hears A Who... there is a jungle of doubt willing to fight to prevent change, to spout all the reasons that a world with 350ppm, a world run on sustainable energy, a world led with a positive, green foot forward and the creation of a dramatic, binding, just climate treaty is not logical or possible. Amidst the clamor of doubt, we must stand strong with loud voices, clanging every pot and drum and using our voices to let them know that WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! We can break the sound barrier and create a critical mass that is impossible to ignore. We are the movement. We are the ones that create the revolution. And just like Horton, we will stand strong amidst powerful, threatening opposition. And just like every Who in Whoville, we will yell and make every noise possible to let global leaders and communities know that WE ARE HERE. We will reach a critical mass. We will reach a tipping point, where our position will be held as the only viable solution. We must continue to put pressure on our officials through visual actions in our communities and through letters & phone calls. Every person, every voice is necessary.