Sitting in a cavernous reception hall dimly lit by Christmas lights and a projector screen broadcasting President Obama’s announcement of the Copenhagen Accord was not the end to the UN Climate Change Conference that I had anticipated—but really what had I anticipated? It was very late Friday, December 18th, 2009 and around me sat members of the International Youth Climate Movement, environmental organizations, and representatives of non-governmental organizations from across the world who had come to Copenhagen to bear witness to the UN climate negotiations but who had been shut out of the Bella Center, where the negotiations were held, in the final days of the two-week conference. As President Obama’s press conference concluded, there were resounding boos in the audience and blank stares as we sat aghast at the agreement that had just been described

The political outcome that came out of the conference, the Copenhagen Accord, realizes none of our demands and is characterized by a weak pledge and review framework for key mitigation targets that was left empty of commitments as leaders flew home. As news of the Copenhagen Accord spread in Copenhagen, stories on how it was brokered emerged to provide tinder for a wild fire of political drama and finger pointing. Reports suggest that the Accord came out of an unscheduled meeting between President Obama and leaders of China, Brazil, South Africa, and India. President Obama then announced the Copenhagen Accord as a “meaningful outcome,” before it went to the entire body of nations at the conference for acceptance. Then, after an all-night negotiating session, and lacking consensus on its approval, the UNFCCC decided to merely “take note of the Copenhagen Accord.” So, countries may sign onto it as they like, but there is no mandate to do so. The end of January 2010 was the deadline for countries to sign on to the Copenhagen Accord (though countries will not be turned away if they want to sign on later). As of January 31st, 55 countries have signed on, including the U.S, China, and other large greenhouse gas emitting nations, which currently account for 78% of global emissions. While accounting for global emissions is one thing, reducing those emissions is quite another. Under the Copenhagen Accord there is an aim to limit warming to 2 degrees C (an increase that will still leave many island nations uninhabitable), analyses indicate that current proposed targets, if implemented, will still leave us with drastic warming of 3.9 degrees C by the end of the century. Absent from the Accord are details about how deforestation will be reduced, how and how much money will be provided for climate adaptation and how exactly emission reductions will be monitored and verified. The Accord is not fair, ambitious, or binding. An incomplete political outcome was anticipated going into the negotiations, but for most there was still a harsh sting as we watched the results unfold that evening.

The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen was one of the largest events ever held to address climate change politically. Though it was by no means the first effort; these negotiations have been occurring regularly since the early 1990’s. Copenhagen however, saw an unprecedented level of attention as the UN was overwhelmed with people, like me, interested in taking part in advocating for real solutions and witnessing the process that was to lead to a binding agreement. In total, 120 heads of states attended, and brought a previously unseen level of engagement to the issue. All this could have set the conference up for success, though unfortunately that was not the case. Fingers have pointed the blame in different directions. Though for us here in the US, we cannot look much further than our own inactions. In the US Senate energy and climate legislation is moving through at a snail’s pace, despite it being a way to create jobs, spark economic growth, and improve our energy independence.

The disappointing politics is the story most often told, but on the ground Copenhagen was much more than a political chess game. As President Obama’s press conference concluded on that Friday night and the force of the moment set in, a member of the International Youth Climate Movement brought us back. Standing up on a chair he announced that this was unacceptable and issued a call to action—a rally outside the Bella Center. More than eleven million people supported a fair, ambitious, and legally binding treaty, and there we were in Copenhagen watching those demands be sidelined. What else were we to do? Traveling by taxi and train, and dogged by police inquisitive of our plans as midnight passed, we arrived at the Bella Center, a place that had over the weeks become a familiar refuge from temperamental hostel owners, expensive Danish restaurants, and frigid winds. With our photo badges no longer allowing us access, hundreds of us stood chanting and holding signs outside in a last ditch effort to make our voices heard. Despite 2009 being one of the warmest years on record, the frigid Danish air threatened to drive us away, though we stayed warm as we stood close and lifted our voices for the world. As the negotiations continued inside, a Bolivian delegate who heard of our response came outside to offer support and reminded us that, “while it hadn’t been a success on the inside, it had been one on the outside.”

The days and weeks preceding had seen a climate march of 100,000 people, a 7-hour sit-in inside the Bella Conference Center, 1,000’s of candlelight climate vigils globally, and a handful of people who had refused food for over 40 days being joined by thousands for a day of fasting for climate justice. The Bolivian delegate was right, Copenhagen was a magnificent coalescence of people whose demands for action are not unheard. People came from around the world and left with new friends and allies to support their work in the years to come.  More than a means to a political agreement, Copenhagen served as a catalyst for an emerging global community of people committed to ensuring our relationships with each other and the planet are sustainable.

I spent almost three weeks in Copenhagen, arriving days in advance of the conference and leaving several days after it concluded. It was intoxicating to be in a place where the pace and energy levels were so high and where everyone was operating at full capacity–pushing our limits intellectually, physically, and emotionally. There were dozens of times when I paused and looked around me, only to be silenced by what I saw–unable to put words to the scene unfolding.

I see a growing need for our global society to collectively dig deeper into what it means to be a citizen of this planet. Our individual spheres of influence wrap around the world, and yet it is so easy to forget this. In Copenhagen I met hundreds of people from around the world, many whose lives are being affected by climate change in very real ways, right now. Hearing people talk about droughts and rising sea levels back home, it is hard not to think about my own home and wonder if we can change our ways here. Returning home, I at once want to lapse back into the main stream of complacency and to continue escalating my activism, calling out all the atrocities of the world. A middle path will probably result from this, more deliberate and sustainable than if I realized the extremes of either. Like everything though, it is all part of a process and I’m learning, like many of my peers, that lasting change does not come in the form of legislation and treatises, but in the building momentum of people who dare to pursue solutions in the world.

Here’s a short photo slide show I put together of some of my photos, and those of others, from Copenhagen:

For a slide show of more of the photos I took in Copenhagen click below.

One of my photos was featured online in the New York Times collection called “Documenting the Decade.” This photo is part of a stunning collection of photography from readers depicting the highs and lows of this tumultuous start to the 2nd millennium.

This little widget, designed by a UNCA Alum, Asheville’s Drew Jones, and others, is the best visual representation of where we are now in the negotiations and how far we need to go that I’ve seen.

It’s the morning of Friday December 18th, the last day of the negotiations, and everyone seems to be feeling a little down as new documents appear that realize our worst fears about potential targets (limits at 3 degrees and 550ppm are ridiculous). NGOs with the rest of civil society here in Copenhagen have been relegated to reception halls and spacious rooms across Copenhagen to watch the plenary sessions and follow the negotiations from a distance.

I have almost been in Copenhagen for two weeks now and have been watching from the inside and outside of the Bella Center as the UN Climate Change Negotiations proceed. At this point the progress that is needed to have a fair, ambitious, and binding treaty has not occurred. The nations of the world are still stuck in a political gridlock and the transparency of this process for observers is becoming increasingly limited.

Right now I am sitting in the Bella Center, wearing a bright orange t-shirt that says, “How old will you be in 2050?” I am listening to the plenary session broadcasted on screens throughout with clusters of NGOs, young people, and party delegates crowded around. Security guards walk around staring me in the eyes. Outside protester are tying to break-in, we are receiving fragmented reports about what is going on just beyond these walls of what has become a UN fortress. Somehow I have managed to find myself within it, in a surreal microcosm of the world. I am struggling with a mix of emotions in navigating what on one hand seems an incredible access to power but on the other is the reality that the struggles that appear to be contained in this conference center are really much bigger and are found outside and back at home.

The pace of the negotiations is wrenching many of us here in the heart as our frustrations and fears about our futures and others are put on the line with the increased delays in action. The marches outside with thousands and the dozens of actions within the Bella Center are drawing the world’s gaze to Copenhagen and on climate change. It is incredible to me that my country or rather a few key decision makers are able to stall the process. Though really, that is only a simple analysis of the state of things right now. We are working with a process that is flawed (whether or not there is anything better—I do not know). I wrote yesterday on the SustainUS Blog about my inspiration from the amazing people I have met and the development of networks of people that are seeking solutions now. This seems to be the best we have at this point.

The science on climate change is no longer in debate and it is apparent here that we must think beyond our economic and political concerns and realize a moral call to action to address this issue. The images for me that most stand out from the past week are those from when I pass the incredible people who are undertaking the Climate Justice Fast, several of these individuals are now on day 42 without food. They have undertaken the fast because of their loss of what to do in the face of the inaction we see. I sympathize wholeheartedly at this point, and will join them tomorrow for a day of fasting with world leaders and citizens from around the world.

Other moving images from the past week include those from the march of 100,000 in the streets of Copenhagen on Saturday, where people of all ages stood in solidarity for climate action, this image was further solidified when I came back to the Bella Center and saw Bill McKibben of 350.org standing at a computer beaming with excitement as pictures from 350 vigils on that same day came streaming in from around the world. Government action is necessary on this issue but it will only come if the people demand it. Despite some progress recently, the United States still needs to take bolder action for our country’s prosperity and that of the entire planet. Let’s envision a future that is truly sustainable where clean renewable energy powers our lights and people see the impacts of their actions on everyone else worldwide and take action to foster healthy and long-term relations. Despite the daily frustrations on seeking a better way, I am reminded of the words of Kumi Naidoo from just over a week ago, “We can do this, we must do this, we will do this!”

Everyday in Copenhagen at the UN Climate Negotiations brings an exciting roller coaster of activity where the challenges of addressing climate change and the gravity of the situation in which we are present is juxtaposed against daily struggles for access to the conference center and confusion about what is actually happening around us. Word travels fast around the conference center and to the outside, so that those following the negotiations at home often receive information at a similar rate to those inside. This connectivity enables a greater transparency than ever in this process as the public is able to

In the twists and turns of this trip, I have found myself rubbing shoulders with Nobel laureates and making international media for the mere fact that US youth are here in overwhelming numbers to take a stand for bold climate action. This week people who, like me, just want to add their voice to the process have overwhelmed the Bella Center’s capacity. Many who recently arrived for the final week are finding they have limited access to the Bella Center and very little access to the negotiation halls. With observers limited in access to the Bella Center, it may turn out to be a wonderful opportunity for coordination. Among the International Youth Climate Movement we now have a moment to take a breath and plan our next steps. We may see in the coming days that the emerging stories of the young people here in Copenhagen will begin to be articulated as we further unite in solidarity for climate justice in meeting rooms and at dinner tables across Copenhagen. Yesterday a young person from Nepal sat down at a table where I was eating and we exchanged stories of youth activism in our countries. Similar conversations continued in the evening at an event where international youth leaders were brought together to share their stories.

While we are all feeling a bit frustrated with the progress made here politically, we can be reassured by the conversations and networks that are forming, which will provide the necessary action to address climate change. Even Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the IPCC, has reminded us all several times this week that an international treaty will not resolve our climate woes and that the upwelling of people focused on solutions is what is needed at this point.

I have found myself here in Copenhagen working on the communications plan with the UNFCCC Youth Constituency, the US Youth Delegation, and within SustainUS. This has kept me really busy but has been really rewarding as everyday there are new projects and events that we must respond to.

So here are some of the things I’ve done in a nutshell:

I arrived on December 4th, tired from finishing my exams a week in advance but very excited to finally be in Copenhagen. On December 5th the Conference of Youth began…

The first day of COP15 I participated in the handover of the 10 million TckTckTck petition signatures to Connie Hedegard and Ivo de Boer. We also stopped by Nobel Laureate Wangari Mathaai’s press conference and snagged a few photos with her.

As COP15 began SustainUS coordinated with the other American youth at the Bella Center to track policy and hold joint actions. Here we are meeting in the Bella Center listening to a policy briefing by an negotiator tracker…

On Wednesday and Thursday, December 9th and 10th we had a run in with the famously ridiculous climate change skeptic Lord Monckton, which resulted in SustainUS getting international news coverage when he began to call us “Hitler youth.” The incredibly hateful comments that have followed since then from climate skeptics have been discouraging. I cannot understand how anyone suspects that they will convince someone of their views by insulting them with such offensive names and refusing to engage them in a civil conversation.

Thursday December 10th concluded with an event that we put on with the Chinese Youth Delegation to bring us together and discuss opportunities for collaboration among fellow citizens of these two superpowers.

The Global Day of Action on climate change occurred on December 12th. I joined the march in Copenhagen with around 100,000 other people. I found myself in the 350.org group, which was incredibly fun and joyous.

We made the BBC’s video coverage during the march while singing “It’s Getting Hot in Here” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8409331.stm (see time spot at 14 sec).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sustainus/sets/72157622828413691/

Daily blog updates from my fellow delegates can be found here:

http://sustainus.org/blog

Check out www.youthclimate.org for other reports from youth at COP15.

In just a short while, after finishing up my last final exam tomorrow, I will be getting on a plane to Copenhagen, Denmark. I’m headed to the Danish capital, as many of you know, for the United Nations climate change negotiations that are being held from December 7-18. Like many who will attend, this will be my first UN Conference. I am attending with the youth delegation of SustainUS: The US Youth Network for Sustainable Development. We have been preparing our plan for Copenhagen as a team since July and my anticipation for this trip has been building along with it. I will be attending to elevate the representation of young people and our voice at these historic negotiations. Youth have a lot at stake in these negotiations and as a result we are rising up to meet the challenge of our time–ensuring a safe, healthy, and secure future for us all.

In preparation for my attendance, I have been consuming articles about the negotiations, policies, and the international youth climate movement with rapt attention. I have also found myself sharing stages with mayors and speaking before crowds reaching over 300. I’ve given almost a dozen speeches and presentations in the past couple months, from the local Sierra Club to the Western NC United Nations Association. The amazing outpouring of support and enthusiasm I have received, initially caught me off guard. Quickly though, it has reaffirmed for me why advocacy for climate solutions is the cornerstone of my life and has help sustain a new level of personal commitment to this work.

I will do my best to keep you all updated on my view from the ground, as I find my place among it all. I’ll be working with the communications of the SustainUS delegation and the international youth delegation to coordinate communications on behalf of the youth present. This will likely involve writing press releases, holding interviews, and writing blogs about what we are doing throughout the two weeks. You can stay posted at the SustainUS blog, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube or you can also follow my personal blog and Twitter (if that’s your sort of thing).

As leaders ante up their climate commitments and demonstrations amplify, the eyes of the world are shifting towards Copenhagen. The UN negotiations will bring together world leaders and people from all sectors of society. This conglomeration of 15,000+ people in the UN conference (and many more outside) will make for an energized atmosphere where undoubtedly, great things will be accomplished.

Thank you all so much for continuing to inspire me and for your generous support in helping me get to Copenhagen!

All the best,

Ellie

The New York Times reports that President Obama will announce greenhouse gas reductions of around 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. Most nations are proposing 20% or more reductions from 1990 levels by 2020 (note the difference in base years). But hey, let’s applaud the President for his efforts to address climate change in a country where public opinion is declining about the seriousness of climate change  in the face of increasingly more perilous predictions of a warming future.

The Copenhagen Climate Negotiations will begin on December 7^th and continue through the 18^th. President Obama’s arrival will be at the beginning of the negotiations. Historically high-level political leaders don’t show up until the final few days. The President’s early arrival in the conference may bode well for a strong outcome in Copenhagen, as this will give time for other countries to shuffle their commitments around the United States and reach agreement.

While President Obama, is only committing to Copenhagen for a short visit, several Ashevillians will be there the entire time. We’ll be there struggling and striving for an agreement that is on par with what scientists say is necessary. Right now, pre-negotiations have fallen into a sort of stalemate where no one wants to make bold commitments without knowing what the world’s biggest emitters are going to do. Many have already predicted that this stalemate will not be resolved in Copenhagen and that the outcome will merely be a step towards a more comprehensive agreement. We will see if Obama will bring hope to Copenhagen.

This week on November 3^rd, polls will open in communities across America. The ballot may not be filled with Presidential or Congressional candidates and the money spent on the campaigns is substantially less, but voting is still essential. Local politicians shape the communities we live in and should be taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change and to ensure that our community’s energy sources are safe and clean.

A couple events this week have made me inspired by the work of local politicians and the importance of strong communities. The first occasion was the Asheville 350 rally in which over 300 people turned out in a city of 75,000 and listened as the mayor and I issued a call for bold climate action.

The second occasion was at our UNC Asheville environmental club meeting this week where a city council candidate came to ask for our votes and tell us about all the incredible sustainability projects she was already working on in city council.

However notable this one visit is, it was compounded by the fact that she was the third city council candidate to ask to speak to our club this month.

They get it. They know that young people are fed up with seeing job losses, dirty energy, and runaway climate change direct our future and that they will be voted out if they do not seek solutions.

In cities across America college students constitute a voting bloc that if mobilized will change election outcomes. We saw it happen last year. Progress has been made since then with politicians realizing that we are not going away and neither is climate change, injustice, and our need for jobs. The Senate is now debating a climate bill that at least attempts to address climate change. Though it is appalling weak and misaligned relative to what scientists say, and also to the actions of local governments nationwide that have already made and met more ambitious commitments to reduce emissions.

Has your mayor made a climate commitment? Over 1,000 U.S. mayors, representing almost one-third of Americans have pledged to meet or surpass the Kyoto Protocol emissions targets of a cut by 7% from 1990 levels by 2012 in their communities and to urge state and federal governments to pass strong climate and energy legislation (http://www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/). Seattle and Los Angeles have already met this goal and reduced their emissions over 7% because of strong leadership by local politicians and citizens.

Building strong communities is essential to fixing this climate mess we have found ourselves in. Though essential, federal legislation and an international treaty can only provide the tools to foster the development of community sustainability, the rest must come from within. We’ve got to have leaders in local governments that we can talk to and who we trust because they are the ones on the ground shaping our world. So catch up on the candidates or referendums on the ballot this Tuesday, and then go vote.