Copenhagen has been referred to as the most important diplomatic gathering in the world’s history. In preparation for the climate talks in December, Current Green is going to bring you a slew of interviews from a a range of perspectives and locations from around the world. Today we caught up with Jim Hogan, co-founder of www.desmogblog.com, and author of Climate cover up: The crusade to deny global warming.
Other video interviews in 360 Degrees of Copenhagen series:
This guest post comes via Daniel J Kessler, Media officer at Green Peace.
On November 17th, two Greenpeace activists from Germany and Italy and two members of the press from India and Italy, all of whom were traveling on valid business and journalist visas, were picked up and detained by Indonesian police. They were on their way to meet the villagers of Teluk Meranti, who have been supporting Greenpeace in its efforts to highlight rainforest and peatland destruction in the Kampar Peninsula–ground zero for climate change. The police also took into custody an activist from Belgium who had been working at our Climate Defenders Camp there.
Despite the validity of their travel documents and the absence of any wrongdoing, two of the activists and both journalists are now being deported by immigration authorities on questionable and seemingly contrived grounds, even though no formal deportation permits have been issued. Just a few days before, immigration authorities deported eleven other international Greenpeace activists who participated in a non-violent direct action on November 12th, in a concession where APRIL, one of Indonesia’s largest pulp and paper companies, is clearing rainforest and draining peatland on the Peninsula.
We set up the Climate Defenders Camp to bring attention to role of deforestation as a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions in advance of December’s Copenhagen climate negotiations. If we are stop climate change, we must end global deforestation by 2020 and bring it to zero in priority areas like Indonesia by 2015. A drive through the Kampar Peninsula reveals acre after acre of forest conversion from healthy rainforest to palm oil plantations. There is no sign of animal life or biodiversity — just row after row of palm. The destruction of the peatlands helps to make Indonesia the world’s 3rd largest emitter go greenhouse gases, just after the US and China.
In the interest of the environment and human rights, Greenpeace is calling upon world leaders and concerned citizens to contact Indonesia’s President Yudhoyono to ask him to stop these repressive actions by the Indonesian Police and Immigration authorities. The tactics currently being used by the authorities are likely to adversely impact upon the Indonesian government’s international reputation as well as the country’s reputation as a vibrant democracy.
It is not Greenpeace activists or journalists who should be the focus of the authorities, but the companies who are responsible for this forest destruction. We are working to make President Yudhoyono’s recent commitment to reduce Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions a reality and the journalists are telling that story.
Where do you get your news about Copenhagen? You wouldn’t be alone if you were turning to your fav a la fav social network and joining groups and lists.
Facebook has the following fan pages you can join:
Facebook Go Green Cop 15: To be honest, I’m not exactly sure who is running this page, and the purpose seems to have something to do with encouraging the conference to go green, or be green, or do the green thing…or the right thing…anyhoo, it has over 3 thousand members.
And then there is the: U.S. Department of State – COP15 UN Climate Change Conference 2009. The content is dry, but there is something endearing about the state department making a Facebook page (rumor has it this page sees more activity with their 284 fans than any other page they have created).
There are a slew of people on Twitter sharing news and opinions about all things Copenhagen. Your safest bet to find a voice you want to listen is to hang out on Twitter Search and watch the terms “copenhagen” and #cop15
Ok~ and now for a shameless plug from your sponsor: Current Green has our own little group (it was birthed 5 minutes ago) on Copenhagen. When you join the group you will get a weekly digest of news related to the topic, and I will send along the latest and greatest videos in our series, 360 degrees (or perspectives) of Copenhagen.
Ok~ so where do you go to get your Copenhagen fix? Do you have a favorite list on twitter? A favorite journalist? Inquiring minds want to know….
It’s a crisis in story telling. Most main stream media sources are not effectively communicating the importance or relevance of the Copenhagen Climate Talks. It might also be a crisis in marketing: since the general terms being used to describe the most important climate talks in history (to date) are being referred to as Copenhagen (makes me think of beer and vacation) and cop15 (makes me think of… well…nothing).
But do not fear!! The internet video is here!!!
I have two favorites at the moment that I want to share. I think this one (just released by Do The Green Thing) does a great job of giving explainer about what is going to happen at Copenhagen climate talks:
Then there is this video. Frankly, it didn’t do much for me, but it touches on one the most important issues that is under communicated: By the time Copenhagen rolls around, the negotiators will already have their marching orders. If you want to enjoy any idea of hope of influencing the potential outcome of the talks…NOW IS THE TIME.
And then there is this video produced by tcktcktck. It’s got star power and drama and makes me think back to Live Aid when I was a sweet young teen and believed anything was possible…that we actually can change the momentum of the way things are headed and save the problems of the planet. I enjoy living in that moment: I hope you do too and enjoy this video.
Ever wanted to know which lobby group is doing the most to sabotage effective action on climate change? Well…ATTAC Denmark, Corporate Europe Observatory, Focus on the Global South, Friends of the Earth International and Spinwatch have created a campaign to make it known to the world, and they’ve even decided to make learning fun via their Angry Mermaid Contest. You have until December 13 to vote, when their winners will be placed on the world’s biggest losers reality show (just kidding..but you do need to cast your vote by December 13th if you want to play).
From the creators of the Angry Mermaid campaign:
Crucial UN climate talks take place in Copenhagen this December. While people, organizations and social movements around the world are calling for strong action to prevent climate change and ensure climate justice, big business has been lobbying to block effective action to tackle the problem, while also seeking to benefit from it. Lobbying is defined as attempting to influence the decision-making process.
The Angry Mermaid Award has been set up to recognize the perverse role of corporate lobbyists, and highlight those business groups and companies that have made the greatest effort to sabotage the climate talks, and other climate measures, while promoting, often profitable, false solutions.
Steven Colbert continues to shine his light on climate change. “The market has spoken. Climate change is real.”
Al Gore went on the Colbert Report last night, and am I left laughing, speechless, and fully knowledgeable about the publisher and price of his new book. It’s fun seeing Al Gore camp it up with Colbert…and practice….(was that waterboarding?) to prove the point that it’s not going to be very comfortable if we all end up under water:
I was sitting at a conference designed bring the usual and unusual suspects who innovate and fund and lobby for renewable energy together to cross-pollinate their ideas. While watching, two things struck me: the first is that the people who had conflicting viewpoints did not have a platform to converge and publicly articulate their opposing viewpoints (making it challenge for anyone trying to understand the pros and cons of the various sources of alternative energy). And then, as I watched a room full of people sitting in circles, all I could think about was battle strategies. Eco battle strategies.
Now, I don’t think about battle strategies. I think about the state of the environment, I think about environmental news and information. I track how media makers tell the stories about the environment, I watch for new innovations, and where we are as a culture are relating to the theme of “green.” But I think it’s fair to say that most governments, and businesses that have a goal to achieve have clear and focused metrics, strategies, and tactics.
However as the sustainability movement continues to develop, there is not one leader, we have various goals, and the participant defines the direction.
My definition of living sustainably is to live a life in balance. To explore deeper it means not to over consume, and it means the things I do consume: food, products, and experiences, do not cause harm and are not tainted with the sweat labor of inequality, that means (Gulp) working less, living more, a focus on relationships, it means (gulp x2) a new definition of success that has more emphasis on quality than quantity.
For someone else, it might mean starting a new business that incorporates sustainable practices and business models as a way to catch the newly emerging green trend, for someone else it might mean making small changes in their lives.
Either way, the opportunity of the moment is before us. The challenges that we are facing can appear insurmountable (the oceans are emptying of fish, freshwater sources are polluted, mining and deforestation is continuing to take place, record levels of dumping of toxic waste and garbage into our water sources…etc., etc., etc.) when you realize that the interests to make huge amounts of money (a quantity that has no tangible or real connection to the natural resources that are utilized to gain it) is in direct conflict with the interest to live sustainably on the planet, and most definitely doesn’t jive with the basic principles that are taught in every Outward Bound and Nols wilderness course: “leave no trace.”
The challenges of the times are upon us: we are living on a planet that is sending the message loud and clear that we cannot continue at the rate we are going and expect it to continue to sustain us. The need to act decisively and quickly is calling people around the planet into action. I have a Google alert for “eco hero,” and enjoy waking to seeing that this search is becoming more and more populated each day as more and more people are answering the call to action.
So who do you follow and which message do you take on as your own?
William McDonough discusses sustainability concepts via cradle-to-cradle, Annie Leonard talks about the story of stuff, and Bill McKibben is talking about 350, David de Rothschild is talking about plastics, Ask Umbra is in support of civil disobedience, Share table is promoting a culture of sharing, many people are promoting eating less meat as a way to conserve resources and energy. Everyone has a different date and amount they say we need to reduce CO2, and there are even more voices speaking about Copenhagen.
Yet the question arises, when there are so many people leading, and leading in so many different directions, who do you follow? Who do you listen to? With so many varying issues to address all at once which issue do you choose and why?
Inquiring minds want to know. Meanwhile, I’m keeping my eye on this kid: Alec Loorz, founder of Kids Versus Global Warming.
I don’t know about you: but the situation of Copenhagen blows my mind on a daily basis. The fact that it is very possibly one of the most significant decision making processes of this time re climate change policy, and the majority of people I know do not know it’s significance, or the impact of the decisions making process. It’s not their fault. It’s a failure of media makers.
So what are we doing? For starters we are working on a series called 360 Degrees of Copenhagen, to show the various perspectives in order to gain a better understanding of the relevance of the climate talks.
But for now, I am posing the question to you: can you explain Copenhagen in plain English? Do you have a blog post, a quick phrase that you use to tell your friends and family the relevance of the Copenhagen climate talks? And why people should care? Leave a comment, and we’ll compile share.
I like to tell my friends if they were going to pick one particular moment in history to engage their political leaders on climate change: THIS is that moment.
Meanwhile~tcktcktck is rocking the world via their dedication to communicating the urgency of the moment:
The final round of climate talks in Barcelona began today, and the activism has begun.
The TckTckTck campaign woke up negotiators in Barcelona with alarms clocks this morning, while Greenpeace climbers dropped yet another banner, this time from Barcelona’s famous cathedral, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, calling on world leaders to
step up their political action on climate change.
From Greenpeace:
The 26 activists are currently in the process of hanging a 600 sq m banner saying “World
leaders: make the climate call.”
Barcelona is host this week to the final round of climate talks before
December’s Copenhagen UN climate summit – this week the stage must be
set for the world to agree a fair, ambitious and binding climate deal.
“A good deal for the climate is still possible. All that is missing is
political will, not least from the US, which under President Obama has
fallen far behind the rest of the world, and is threatening to undermine
a planet-saving agreement in Copenhagen,” said Damon Moglen of
Greenpeace US.
“Negotiators at these talks can only get so far without strong direction
from their heads of state. This is the week for global leaders to make
the climate call.”
A recent Greenpeace analysis of the pending US climate legislation (1)
shows that the bills have been compromised by loopholes and handouts to
the fossil fuel industry and undermine President Obama’s pledge to lead
the world in a solution to the climate crisis.
“Frankly, it’s an embarrassment that President Obama has allowed oil and
coal companies to set the terms of the US response to climate change. If
America is to kick its addiction to fossil fuels and join the
international community in averting a climate catastrophe, President
Obama must put forward commitments in line with climate science and not
bow to political expediency.”
There is now decisive movement from the developing world. Brazil,
China, India Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea are preparing
to announce strong quantifiable plans involving serious cuts in emissions.
“The time for finger-pointing is over,” said Ailun Yang of Greenpeace
China. “It is clear that right now developing countries are making a
much greater effort to solve this problem – while industrialised
countries seem to be spending more time in downplaying the possibilities
of a good deal than they are in trying to get one.”
“The lives of hundreds of millions are on the line, along with the fate
of countless species, if the climate crisis is not solved now. Knowing
who is to blame will be of little consolation to future generations.”
The final round of climate talks in Barcelona began today, and the activism has begun.
