Eric Young's Blog: Solving Global Warming

Copenhagen Pictures - Everything but the Proceedings

2009-12-29T16:44:01Z

Our two weeks in Copenhagen were full of ups and downs, interesting experiences, exasperating moments, inspiring speeches and diplomatic breakthroughs. Just about 95% of my focus these past two weeks has been on getting our message out proactively and reactively around the proceedings. What is the remaining 5%? Taking in the some of the ancillary events, stunts and exhibitions here in Copenhagen.

I will give brief descriptions but since a picture is worth a thousand words I will let these photos do most of the talking. And I want to stress to you that during these two weeks, we saw these things everywhere. Hotel lobbies, city parks, sidewalks, everywhere.

* Here is the Copenhagen Ice Bear from the World Wildlife Fund.

*One of my favorites from inside the conference center was this demonstration from AVAAS. The headline from their website reads, "Japanese Youth Go Green, Call For Japan To "Save Copenhagen." As they walked through the center and attracted quite a crowd they kept saying, "take me to your climate leader."

*A sight I saw several times on the way to the conference center. Pretty striking visual on the way to a conference devoted to reducing global warming pollution.

*This is a statue located in the lobby of the Admiral hotel. This is not connected to global warming per se but I am incuding it here for two reasons. First, it was too good to leave out. Second, even while I was just trying take a picture of a work of art I liked, I managed to take a picture of a poster for a 'green' something or other behind it. Like I said, 'green' material was everywhere.

*Saving the best, or the most beautiful for last, this is a ‘green’ Lotus, the Eco Elise. It was in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza hotel. Even an environmentally-friendly sports car could be found in random places in Copenhagen.

Stunts, Style, Substance and the Fossil of the Day in Copenhagen

2009-12-14T05:55:23Z

We are at the beginning of the second week of the Copenhagen climate summit. The first week began with me standing in the longest line I have stood in for quite some time (appox 3 hours) just to get my credentials. In Bali, the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP, which is the abbreviation we use to refer to these December climate meetings) in 2007, there was no line on the first day. A 3 hour line is just another indication that this is a special meeting. Unfortunately, those trying to get in the first time on the second Monday are in an even longer line.

One thing all COPs have in common are the presence of passionate climate activists who use every tool they can to draw public attention to the climate crisis and shame, embarrass, harass, and cajole the delegates into doing the right thing. There were many worthy ones from the first week but one of my favorites is the Fossil of the Day (http://www.fossil-of-the-day.org/ ). The Fossil of the Day award, which is announced with the theme music of Jurassic Park playing in the background, is an award that goes to the countries judged by the Climate Action Network (CAN, http://www.climatenetwork.org/ ) to have performed the worst during the past day’s negotiations at UN climate change conferences.

On the first day of the 'Fossil' presentation at COP 15, the first prize went to all industrialized countries “for an overwhelming lack of ambition, as Annex 1 countries seem to be in a race to the bottom as the world looks on in horror. Here is their award:

You have to love the dinosaur accents hanging from the cup.

Second place went to Austria, Finland and Sweden for “trying to cook the books and reap unfair gains because of their large existing forests. Last place went to Canada and Saudi Arabia ( http://www.fossiloftheday.com/ ).” Here is Canada’s award:

And here is Merhilda, the deep sea guardian of the Magical Fossils Award Safe. According to their website, "Every evening at 6pm (CET) I come up from the frigid waters of Copenhagen Harbour to deliver the results from the day’s super-secret CAN-Int meeting. It’s good fun being inside the Bella Center since I spend most of my day sunbathing on a rock, but somehow I never seem to tan even with all the international paparazzi taking photos of me with flash."

I would recommend going to http://www.fossil-of-the-day.org/ and following them during the conference.

The Moment We've Been Waiting For

2009-06-22T21:25:26Z

So this is the week for climate and energy legislation in the House of Representatives. Years of work will come to a head very soon. The bill is expected to come to the floor on Thursday or Friday.

Given where I started in the environmental community, at a scientists group, I was glad to see those who brought this critical issue to the world's attention weigh in.

In a letter recently published by the Woods Hole Research Center, leading climate scientists called for urgent action on climate and sustatined Presidential leadership. It looks like we are getting both of those things this week with action on the American Clean Energy and Security Act and statements from President Obama on the importance of moving to a clean energy future.

This excerpt summed everything up nicely:

The time for national action on climatic change is now. There has already been too much delay. The stakes are far too high to compromise the integrity of, and our responsibility for, prompt national action.

I could not agree more.

Academy Award Winner Al Gore Addresses Bali Audience

2007-12-17T15:30:38Z

Al Gore Speech to a packed house in Bali, Indonesia at the 13th Conference of the Parties and the 10 year anniversary of the Kyoto protocol. I will ask for forgiveness in advance because this will be a little rough. I will be typing/blogging in real time and I will keep the editing to a minimum.

My thoughts will be inside ( ).

Introduced by his staffer. First credential mentioned was "Academy Award Winner." Lots of laughs.

Dr. Pachauri of the IPCC came in late to great applause.

Remembering Rio - reminds him of a working lunch in Los Angeles. An old woman was staring at him. Came up to him and said "If you died your hair black, you would look like Al Gore." Reminds him of how long he has been doing this.

We face a planetary emergencey. Sounds shrill to some. Stable climate balance is in danger. This balance is a crucial assumption for the development of human civilization. New data on possibly losing the entire North Pole in five to seven years. They used to tell us that it would not be for another fifty.

Third Reich story. Killings. First they rounded up the gypsy, but I was not a gypsy. Then they rounded up the Jews, but I was not a Jew. Eventually, they came for the person telling the story. He was Indifferent to the killing. Progresses to you. Starts with someone else and leads to us. It is not affecting this generation. Not future ones.

Challenge to our moral imagination. The way we developed in evol process, we react quickly if we see something dangerous AND immediate. If we encounter an amorphous less tangible danger we react slowly.

Floods in Africa, Australian drought, flooding in Mexico - unprecedented weather events. LItany of impacts we are seeing today.

Pause

These and other challenges are getting more difficult to ignore. Seasonal glaciers in Rockies, Andes, Himalayas are melting. Threatened with the loss of water.

We need to see clearly and vividly exactly what is going on. 20 of 21 are the hottest years on record. This year set to be 2nd hottest on record. Beyond the boundries of normal variation.

Why are countries sending their delegates here without instructions to respond to the threat that this emergency requires.

Unprecedented change in the past century. Population explosion. Stabilizing - women's education, empowerment, family planning - so this is not the answer to the climate crisis.

(Very academic talk so far)

Energy transformation in the last 1/2 century.

Quotes Dickens - "Best of Times, Worst of Times." Think of two planets. Venus and earth, twins divided at birth. Venus, 455 degrees (to earth's 15) average temp. The difference between earth and venus is Carbon. Carbon on earth was taken out of the atmosphere and placed in the ground in the form of coal and natural gas.

(Listening to this makes one wonder how a climate denier gets out of bed in the morning and looks in the mirror)

Comparing climate skepticism to medical skeptisicms. Do you disagree with a doctor because you read a sci fi novel? (Great rhetorical question)

Imprisoned in an illusion that nothing is wrong.

Abraham Lincoln - We must disenthrall ourselves and we will save our country.

Al Gore - We must disenthrall ourselves and we will save our world civilization.

Winston Churchill in 1938 - "They go on in strange paradox, decided to be undecided, XXX, XXX, XXX, all powerful to be impotent. (Sorry, I just could not catch the quote)

You face a critical choice here in Bali. I speak to you as a person, a father, a grandfather. Tried for 40 years to communicate about this.Speak as a citizen of the U.S. Not an official, not bound by diplomatic niceties. Going to speak an inconvenient truth. My own country is primarily responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali. CROWD WENT NUTS. But my country is not the only one that can take steps to ensure we move forward with progress and hope.

(He is getting worked up)

Tells us that getting angry and directing at the U.S. is not worth it. Or you can do the work that needs to be done. (To the delegates) Leave a blank spot in your document. Put in a footnote, saying that this blank will be filled in. This is the beginning of a process designed to culminate in Copenhagen.

Bobby Hull greatest passing hockey player of all time. Said he passed the puck to where players will be, not where they are. Look at the U.S. House of representatives, State governments - CA, etc.

1 year 40 days from now, there will be a new president. All candidates have different positions from this admin.

If we don’t get it done here, then we will lose momentum.

Goes into adaptation, deforestation

We can get this done. Targets must be a part of the treaty in Copenhagen. Move the target for full implementation of this treaty two years forward. We can’t wait five years to make these targets.

Frozen C in the permafrost. Thaw and double the amount we have to reduce. C sinks now appear to be saturated. Losing capacity to absorb C.

There is a growing realization around the world…mothers and fathers, business leaders are beginning to look more clearly at that is necessary. There is a growing people power movement. MLK. Global warming pollution anywhere affects everyone everywhere. Will redesign our conception of foreign aid. We need to summon a sense of urgency here in Bali.

Change is possible. Australia for an example. What a difference a change in government makes. Aus came here and ratified.

(Going on 35 minutes here)

We are priviledged to live in this era of economic growth and improving living standards. Era of prosperity began after WW2. Shift in thinking in the hearts and heads of those who served in that war. Greatest generation for what they did after the war. Came home, no longer 19 and 20 year olds. “It is time we steer by the stars and not the lights of passing ships” “We need a European recovery plan. We don’t want Europe to export World Wars anymore.” AG: they acquired the ability to think long-term. France is not going to invade Germany next year or vice versa. Now the question is silly, but a half century ago it wasn’t.

Look at the situation in Darfur – children soldiers, ocean acidification: Are these ‘political’ problems?

We have to see problems like these for what they are – moral problems.

There is a great opportunity in rising to the challenge of the climate crisis.

There is
            One future
            One people
            One destiny

But we have to see it. By solving this problem, we will achieve the capacity for long-term thinking (like the greatest generation acquired by, among other things, winning world war II)

Gandhi and the notion of truth force. Truth has the power to set us free. The power to unite. It can bridge the differences between us.

There is an African proverb. “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

We must use our moral imagination to travel into the future. The way ahead is difficult. The maximum considered possible (in dealing with global warming) is short of the minimum needed.

The poet Antonio Machada wrote “Pathwalker, there is no path, you have to make the path yourself.”

The delegates gathered here must make a path that goes around that blank spot (where the U.S. is).

Think of what your children will ask?
- How did you ignore this problem?
- Or where did you get the courage to deal with this problem.

(Rousing ending) You are alive at a moment to make a difference. We need the political will but remember, POLITICAL WILL IS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE (at this point the crowd went ballistic.)

The Traditional COP All-Nighter

2007-12-14T19:10:13Z

Well here I am. 2:19am Bali time, and the rumor mill is going full bore. There is a press scrum to my left waiting for ministers to come out of the meeting room and there are rumors on my right (figuratively) that they will come back tomorrow at 7am so I might as well go home right now. I learned in the Montreal COP (finished at about 6am) that there is a rhythm to these things. There is word that ministers will begin to leave tomorrow morning so this can't go on too long. If they did reach an agreement and many ministers were gone, the absent ministers would not be around to do press. This is a big deal.

There was actually a rumor last night that this COP could have ended on Thursday evening/Friday morning. Rumors are very common at a COP. The sheer volume is reminiscent of junior high but less personally vindictive and focused on the future of our climate system. This rumor of an early ending was ludicrous but some people stayed around anyway. David Doniger brought up the point that no minister wants to be the one whose capitulation resulted in an early ending. It reminded me of one of my favorite political quotes. This one from Lyndon Johnson and he said (I am paraphrasing) that if you are winning votes in Congress by landslides "you aren't asking for enough." The same is true here. There are too many people who want to interfere with the outcome that an early ending would signify that they did not hold out as long as they could. This means I am going to be up all night.

One thing to look for (and I am not sure this will be a huge first-day story but some reporters here are interested) is the role China has played here in Bali. They showed up with constructive proposals and appear to be taking global warming seriously. Without getting too far into the details it is safe to say they are a far more positive player here than the U.S. Yes, I know that being more constructive than the U.S. at a COP is nothing to put on a résumé but it is still significant because this may begin the process of removing the "We can't do anything because China won't" arrow from the 'delayers' quiver. It was always a disingenuous argument because the U.S. is the world's largest polluter and we, at least in theory, pride ourselves in taking responsibility for our actions. Oh well, China's recent moves on mitigating global warming are worth watching.

I just got word that the plenary session will reconvene at 7 am. This means that draft text that is safe to write about will be floating around a couple of hours in advance. I guess we are close. More to follow, so stay tuned.

Blogging in Bali

2007-12-03T14:34:07Z

Arrived after ?? hours of travel. It was across so many time zones it is difficult to say. I left my apartment at 4:20pm on Thursday, November 29 and I dropped my bags in my room at around 2:00pm on Saturday Dec. 1. The length of the travel time and distance covered along with the culture shock I experienced (which deserves its own entry) is a fitting reminder of how different the atmosphere is in Bali.

Attending the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) 13, are approx. 10,000 people from over 190 countries from governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, media. A vast majority of the attendees are committed to taking the ambitious steps necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. When I say vast majority, I mean everyone except the Bush administration. Yes, their rhetoric has changed slightly, but their actions have not. I am surrounded by representatives from countries who have ratified the protocol, are implementing policies to meet the standards and are figuring out what the next step is after Kyoto expires at the end of 2012.This is in stark contrast to working 3 blocks from the White House and in a city that is home to the most strident climate deniers and delayers. Needless to say, I like this setting better. J

After registering with the UN and I received my credentials - complete with a picture of me from two years ago when I attended the Montreal COP – it was time to scope out the conference and media center. My NRDC colleague Melanie Nakagawa and Alden Meyer from the Union of Concerned Scientists, went to the media center and were pleasantly surprised to find reporters from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Christian Science Monitor, just to name a few.

The media presence in Bali is off the charts. At the Montreal COP in 2005, the AP went through a reporter or two before they sent in veteran Charles Hanley. Reporters from prominent papers did not arrive until the second week and it was iffy if they were going to attend at all. Now the AP has about five people here for the full two weeks and Reuters has someone who will focus on just side events. Now before you roll your eyes, I have already investigated and I can confirm that the reporters are here because global warming is a top tier issue outlets feel they must cover. They are not here because Bali is one of the nicest places on earth. Global warming is an issue we cannot afford to ignore any longer and the media presence here for both weeks reflects that.

All of the talk about the media brings me to the essential question “What does success at this meeting look like?” This meeting will be successful if the countries gathered agree to launch comprehensive negotiations on the post 2012 regime. We have the solutions available to us in the form of energy efficiency and clean energy of various kinds. The world needs to see that we are moving past Kyoto and laying out the next set of actions necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. Given that there is only a small group of people here that have come to delay and distort, I am optimistic.