Day XII in Copenhagen—People Get Ready, The Train is Coming…Just Get Onboard!
President Obama issued a charge this afternoon to all assembled at the COP15 to “act boldly and decisively in the face of this common threat.” He affirmed that obviously all in the room agreed that the threat of climate change is a clear and present and scientifically proven danger. In his speech, he chastised those who “want aid with no strings attached”. By this, as opposed to talking about countries in the global south, he was referring to the feud with China, the only nation leading the United States in emissions, which had yet to commit to participating in monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability on their commitments. He further acknowledged the US role as the largest economy and second largest emitter and the responsibility that comes with this position.
Though President Obama stridently stated that we can’t go on with business as usual and that “changing the way we use energy is essential to America’s national security”, the stated target for the US reduction of 17% by 2020 seemed somewhat contradictory to the urgency. That level of reduction (which falls short of many projections of what is needed to halt our trajectory towards catastrophic climate change(25-40%) ) means little to the Maldives, Seychelles, coastal Louisiana and coastal Alaska, all who, by some analyses, face submersion within that same timeframe. I’m not blind to the resource constraints, the onerous need to build political will, and the mechanics of transitioning to an alternate energy economy, but are we pushing ourselves enough to rise to the urgent challenge of addressing this global threat? If we were able to address the resource and political will issues in a matter of days/weeks to mount a war, can’t we mount an effective campaign to gain nationwide understanding and buy-in for averting catastrophic climate change? Certainly US commitment to 80% reduction by 2050 is more like it, but by then will it be too late? Let’s mobilize so that we can get these numbers up higher and sooner.
In regard to President Obama’s observation, about how there are those who think that nations who emit the most should pay the most to clean up the resulting mess, I say, mos def! Wealthy nations who emit the most and have the capacity to contribute the most should bear the greatest responsibility. The mantra coming from the Bolivians for the week, regarding differential contributions to mitigation and adaptation efforts, was taken from our own professed principles of responsibility and accountability in the US, “You break it. You buy it!”
We, as wealthy nations in the global north have indeed broken the gift and treasure of this planet, and its wonderfully synchronistic and harmonious ecosystem, with our excesses and abuse. We have set the earth on this trajectory which has and will continue to hurt communities of color in the US and countries in the global south first and worst. Several wealthy nations are most responsible and should pony up the lion’s share (excuse the horrid mixed metaphor, but work with me here 
) and compensate for the harm we’ve caused. Some are calling it ecological debt and/or reparations and yes, basically the wealthy nations have been racking up credit at the expense of others within their countries and in the global south and the bill is past due, and there is interest.
In the end, though discussions went late into the night/morning, there was no legally binding agreement. President Obama ‘s leadership ensured that for once the US wasn’t the bad guy/obstruction in the room and instead he actually played the role of pushing countries to do more and to be accountable. However, they basically walked away with a text with no teeth, a few rounds of handshakes and loose “promises” with a range of weak to more aggressive targets, but no mechanisms of true accountability that would be rendered by being legally bound.
A group of us gathered at the end of the day to discuss how we are going to organize towards the US Social Forum in Detroit from June 22-26the 2010 and on to COP 16, which may be in July 2010, but will occur in Mexico City. We agreed that we needed to mobilize our member bases to participate at the US Social Forum in full force so that we are working together to build this movement. As with the civil rights movement and any other successful social justice movement, it builds from the ground up so we must mobilize! We need to be in Detroit to work with others on the ground to ensure we are building power and speaking with one voice and we need to be in Mexico City to make sure that there isn’t another COP that is completed without a legally binding agreement while our communities are being displaced by rising sea levels, while our folks are being swept away by storms, while our children are starving from the boroughs of New York to the favelas of Brazil to the hinterland of Africa, while our women are walking for miles to get water in Botswana and being sexually assaulted during Katrina in the US. This must stop. We can do this. Climate Justice NOW!! Get onboard! ….hope to see you on the train…..
Day XI in Copenhagen: Dear President Obama…….
This morning we delivered the aforementioned letter to the US Embassy for President Obama. First we held a press conference where several riveting speakers gave compelling testimony about why President Obama’s strong action on climate change is imperative. With the event being MC’ed by Kalila Barnett of Alternatives for Community and Environment, we started with testimony from Michele Roberts of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, followed by Wahleah Johns of the Black Mesa Water Coalition and Kandi Mosset (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara) from the Indigenous Environmental Network, Mari Rose Taruc from Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and ending with Diana Lopez from Southwest Workers Union. Each speaker shared, impassioned heartfelt stories of the gravity of what we’re facing, from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina to the incessant violations on indigenous lands, and the urgent importance of swift and sure policy setting, that is legal and binding. Kalila’s introduction and the first speech, by Michele, can be found below:
Fortunately, there were other videographers in the group whose fingers did not turn into excruciating and paralyzed blocks of ice within the first 10 minutes of filming. L So, please find their footage posted here shortly. Also, please excuse the shaking in the above clip. I was trying to rearrange my fingers in my glove in hopes that the cold and pain would be abated, to no avail. J
In the afternoon the side event, on whose panel I was supposed to serve, was moved due to the shut-out of the Bella Center. So in a darkened pub setting, in the Bellona Foundation Lounge as opposed to a fluorescently lit conference room, John Grant of 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Bob Gruenig of National Tribal Environmental Council and Jerome Ringo of Apollo Alliance, actress and spokesperson Gloria Reuben, and I, chaired by Joe Mendelson of the National Wildlife Federation, shared our observations, analyses, and calls to action as it relates to climate change and climate justice in the United States. Gloria spoke of her experience in West Virginia following a local hero who is resisting mountain top removal. Jerome talked about surviving Katrina and spoke of the real life consequences of failure to act. John implored folks to think of ways they can contribute and stated that everyone has a role. I spoke on the intersection of climate, gender and race. A video of the panel will follow shortly. (It hasn’t been uploaded to the Bellona Foundation site yet)
Day X in Copenhagen: THIS is what democracy looks like!
Now this was a day like none other! I started the day with a face of pepper spray and staring down the snout of an attack dog, progressed to being in a semi-formal dress sipping cocktails with Al Gore at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and ended with my highlight of the day, at the Greenlandic House participating in a gender and climate roundtable with sisters from around the globe.
So to start off, I arrived at the demonstration late, but with video camera in hand prepared to capture the images to give readers at home a window into what’s happening among activists rallying for democracy in Copenhagen. I’ll briefly summarize what I saw, because the footage says it all. Demonstrators were chanting, “This is what democracy looks like” “What do we want? Climate Justice! When do we want it? Now!” “When I say climate, you say justice! Climate! Justice! Climate! Justice!”
Then, the energy in the air shifted palpably as the crowd prepared to push through the police and advance towards the Bella Center. The rally leader began to say. “Okay, everyone come together and PUSH! PUSH!” At the same time she urged others to “Form a chain around the truck! Don’t let the chain be broken!” In between her alternating refrain directed at the now advancing police was “This is a peaceful demonstration!!”
Then the announcements began to be issued from the police, “By order of the queen, this has been declared an illegal demonstration.” “ Clear the area or you are subject to arrest” Dressed In full riot gear from head to toe they aggressively advanced on the crowd with tank like trucks and on foot, with swinging batons, spraying tear gas, and barking German Shepherd attack dogs! For all of my years of AIDS activism in different countries I had never seen such a show of force, aggression, and brutality directed at demonstrators…..and I hope I never see something like that again. Many people emerged from the melee in tears, limping, and supported by their friends in the struggle. But the crowd pushed on unrelentingly. Soon there were literally hundreds of policy and they had driven aggressively into the crowd with their trucks and soon formed their own chain surrounding the crowd and by creating this barrier, combined with some intense battering with the batons and administering tear gas, had managed to contain the crowd.
According to some sources, there were about 4,000 demonstrators in attendance.
Meanwhile Friends of the Earth, Avaaz, and Tck, Tck, Tck were refused entry into the Bella Center this morning and weren’t provided with any rationale for being banned. Speculation is that this was part of the crack-down to try to prevent any more actions from being held in the Bella Center.
Also meanwhile delegates on the inside, led by the Indigenous folks, mounted their synchronized action where they marched through the Bella Center to head out and join the rally to “Reclaim Power”. They were restrained by the police in actually exiting and joining the others, again with a show of force. However, they made their voices heard!
Later that afternoon, through an invitation that came to the NAACP I joined the Alliance for Climate Protection Reception featuring Al Gore. He spoke more stridently and with more passion than I had heard him speak as he encouraged all to pull together and push for advancement of climate legislation in the US. He also pushed for concerted action to make the Mexico City COP16 relevant and productive. He even suggested that we think about holding it in July, the hottest month in the year, for emphasis of what we’re talking about. Gore was also pragmatically concerned that having the COP 2 days after the US midterm elections would not be politically wise. In conclusion, he emphasized that we needed to act in accordance with the urgency of this issue and thought we needed to instill deadlines as the US and globally.
Finally, the best part of my day was meeting at the Greenlandic house that was organized by the Black Women’s Roundtable, led by Felicia Davis, and included women from India, Cameroon, Kenya, the US, Denmark, Germany and several other countries. People introduced themselves and how they came to this work, with inspiring tales of impact and activism. We reflected on our successes at COP 15 and talked about our plans leading to COP16 in Mexico City.
At the end, I was fortunate to interview Letitia Daniels Jackson from Dothan, Alabama and Anna Pinto from Jaipur, India as they respectively told their stories of how they reached this level of commitment in addressing climate change. Anna spoke of how her mother first noted the change in the taste and smell of food and water and how the insects and agriculture also began to change. Letitia talked about her work in tobacco and deadly secondary exposure, as well as her observations re wasteful and excessive lifestyles, as well as noting Alabama farmer experiences with changes in bees and how all of this is connected. She ended with a call to action, stating that our very lives hinge on our concerted response.
Day IX in Copenhagen: Gearing Up to “Reclaim Power”
Today was a day of organizing, planning, drafting, and evading capture!
There were conversations to plan for the “Reclaiming Power” People’s Assembly Demonstration that is occurring tomorrow. The demonstration will involve folks gathering near the Bella Center and then marching to the Bella Center to protest the exclusion of civil society from negotiations and resulting lack of democracy. Simultaneously, the few who had passes to enter are going to mobilize to do a march out in solidarity.
At some point during the course of the day, the cyber-ways and hallways were filled with the word “Don’t go to the Rad” which was where we were supposed to have the big conversation to plan for the rally. Several of the planners, including Climate Justice Action’s Tadzio Mueller, had been arrested by undercover “politi” (police persons) who had infiltrated those spaces for the sole purpose of obstruction organizing for the demonstration. Rumors were that the police even used wiretaps to gain intelligence on plans for the rally.
Otherwise, our intrepid delegation spent the day drafting a letter to President Obama which was to be delivered to the US embassy in advance of his arrival and call on him to be accountable to the electorate for the campaign promises he made to advance aggressive action on climate change.
Towards the end of the day I accompanied friends to the mall. One of the friends had to retrieve a lost glove that he had left there when he took a break, from his seven hours in line to pick up his accreditation on Monday, to get something to eat. Besides spending good times with good friends, my goal was to pick up a pair of boots so that my time at the demonstration wouldn’t be marred by having to stand around for several hours in those mini-torture chambers I call my “cute boots”. So I emerged from the mall with a sturdy, albeit dowdy pair, that would do the job! J
We ended the day with a strategy session at the group house. I parted to return to my apartment just shy of midnight thinking of the day ahead and the adventures we will face.
Day VIII in Copenhagen: Where Do I Begin?
So much to share, but I will try to keep it brief!
This morning we started the day in front of the Canadian Embassy demonstrating against the proliferation of tar sands operations. This action was led by the Indigenous Environmental Network. In brief, “Tar Sands” refer to “bitumen”/petroleum heavy sands which are mined to extract oil. These tar sands in Canada are on lands where the indigenous people have not given permission for extraction and furthermore, the process of extraction and transport is one that is hazardous to the environment as well as using copious amounts of water, a precious and diminishing resource. Sharon Lungo of the Ruckus Society and part of the Indigenous Environmental Network delegation, explains more.
On my way to the Canadian Embassy, the metro announcer stated that the metro stop for the Bella Center (where the climate talks are occurring) was closed due to overcrowding and that people would have to get off at the station before and walk. When I later arrived at the Bella Center I saw why! The line to get in for accreditation was unbelievable…hundreds of people were standing outside looking grim and frozen. When I got in to where the bag screening occurred, I looked over to the “organizations without badges” area and the line had stopped to such an extent that folks were sitting on the floor working on their laptops. What did that mean for how long the folks were standing outside and how much longer would they be out there?? When I got inside I saw a friend who had made it through and was in the last line before receiving accreditation papers. She and her line mates shared that they had been outside for FOUR AND A HALF HOURS in that line! I had to put that in caps because last week I was feeling abused after my two hours and had lost feeling in my extremities, and it was warmer then! I later saw another friend who had been out there for 6 hours. I must frankly say that the situation was inhumane and just wrong. I’m sympathetic to the notion that they didn’t know how to plan for such a large meeting, but after it went so badly the first day, surely there were some lessons there that they could have used to do some on the spot reform? To add insult to injury some folks were turned away as registration shut down, after they had been standing in the cold for hours! This isn’t a Rolling Stones Concert…these folks spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars to come here to participate in “democracy” and this is what happened. Simply appalling!
As I entered the building, I did film some demonstrators out front who were raising some noise on the issue of reparations and ecological debt, as well as stating that the World Bank had no role in the proceedings.
In the afternoon we had a meeting of the environmental/climate justice organizations from the US to talk updates and strategy. There we learned that the G77 nations (developing countries) walked out of the climate talks today in frustration and a sense of powerless due to their perception that there were backdoor deals that were making the real decisions and the COP15 was a façade. Otherwise our group decided to draft a letter to President Obama stating what the EJ/CJ community would like to hear in his time in Copenhagen.
During that meeting, I had the awesome fortune of sitting next to Reverend Gwendolyn Jenkins of the Imani Group and Building Action for Sustainable Environments.
Later that afternoon I finally caught the infamous “Fossil of the Day Awards”, staged by the Climate Action Network, which happens daily at 6pm in the exhibit hall in the conference center. It is a farcical presentation of “awards” for the worst abusers of fossil fuels. Watch the video to see who today’s winner was:
We ended the day with a North-South Exchange where people from various countries from the global south and people representing various communities and organizations in the global north gathered. During this sessions there was also some insider information shared from folks who participated in discussions with some of the lead negotiators in COP15. One development was that the language on adaptation and mitigation had been relegated to the preamble which was the non binding section of the agreement. Secondly another person heard a couple of the negotiators being very dismissive regarding the walk-out of the countries, indicating that the walk out would have no effect because of the lack of ticketing. Otherwise we discussed common struggles and how we might work together to advance common aims.
Loading ...