Kopenhagen: the shift

End of the beginning?
 
COP15 is over, and many went home with mixed feelings: positive, but disappointed, disappointed but positive or negative. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions, of numbness, of frustration, happiness, and many more incredible strange emotions at one time.
For me: i’m still in Copenhagen, trying to sleep more than the last 2 weeks, and trying to gain some weight again. Furthermore, I finally have some time to see the city which is white of snow and empty after so many people left. The last couple of days at the Bella Center (Cop15 venue) has been crazy. Trains were stopped, roads were blocked, NGOs could not go in to the center and more than 130 presidents came for the last 2 days of the conference. In the end, Obama came just for some hours and didn’t had the effect many expected as the negotiations went horribly wrong in the night of friday to saturday: there were problems with transparency and participation and as such, the whole UN functioning has been discussed and almost parties wanted to get rid of the institution. However, saturday as daylight came in, the negotiators settled down, and they arranged a text which will be the start of the next cop. The text basically says: 2 degrees, but according to science from 2016 the aim is 1.5 degrees. 50% reduction of Greenhouse Gases by 2050 and 80% reduction of developed countries. Some mentioning of funds for adaptation for developing countries etc. However, no concrete targets per country are mentioned, neither the sentence of ”legally binding treaty”.
 
But, as I hate to leave people in despair, here is hopeful news: Ecuador’s plan to not exploit petroleum will go through very soon! It will be the first country to do so, and also to combat different problems related to economics, social issues and environment in a holistic manner. Last couple of months I have been working very hard to get this on the table in the international community: have been lobbying and campaigning in Barcelona, here in Copenhagen I have arranged for the Ecuadorian delegation many events to show this amazing proposal and we had reaction: more than 20 NGOs from Latin America show their support., news reports are coming, and even heads of the UNDP say: this is the best proposal I have been working on during my whole life!
As such, I have talked these weeks with: vandana shiva, Al Gore, president Perez, president Chavez, UNDP , UNESCO, delegates of Nigeria who are interested in implementing the same, different media, different NGOs and more. It is the most exciting thing to know that you really are going to have a major role to play in this movement and can change the world.Most important for me is that Ecuador puts itself forward by this amazing proposal and can therefore gain status and power. However, I think many do not understand how they can use this to empower themselves… it will come.
 
Now, the issues rise:arranging conferences for donors, concerts for public awareness, start implementing projects, sending people over who have the capacity in different technology issues, keep in touch with the European governments, start building relations with other developing countries who can implement this idea (Bolivia, Nigeria etc) and much more. This will probably be a life time job, but i think it’s the most exciting one one can get!
 
If one has questions, contact me through: lwarnars@gmail.com
 
Greatings from Copenhagen
 
Lavinia
Dear all
 
Long we have been fighting for a better world. Long have I to tried, even though I’m only 24. And now, we are here in Copenhagen: the biggest media event ever in the world, the largest gathering of presidents and ministers (+ – 130 presidents), the largest demonstrations in the world: a historical event of a movement. 
  
As such, I have been working with Ecuador for the entire project Yasuni-ITT (keeping petroleum underground.  I do several things: I arrange the presentations, press conferences, media contact, suggest ideas etc.  Indeed, I have colaborated by writing and researching the project, since I do my active based masterresearch about it. My research explores through different criteria of international environmental and climate equity wich I set up the initiative, taking inducments as critiques on the Kyoto protocol, CDM, REDD and the Ecuadorian history, power issues and environmental problems into account. As such, these days are very interesting since  and I am now using the background of my research to excert influence on the outcome of the project and its international power relations. In addition, I work very closely with Carlos Larrea, who really has the whole project technical thought and wrote, Deputy Ministers of Ecuador, etc. We work very hard to contact people who can influence. For example, I spoke Saturday Vandana Shiva and she now officially supports through a video the initiative. Also Ms Silva from Brazil spoke at Klimaforum sunday about how great this project of Ecuador is.  

I must say, many people I have talked about the proposal, become so emotional and happy that tears appear at the edges of their eyes. Talking with people about this and that this will happen soon, give people hope. I see tears in their and my eyes to know the future is going to be great and we will change.  What one observes here is a remarkable situation: it seems like you sit in a vacuum: a world in itself independent of the outside world is when you’re in the Bella Center. If you go outside for activities, is the world again as normal and you really get inspired by speakers at Klimaforum (COP alternative of NGOs). Within the Bella Center to see people like Al Gore, Pauchauri, Yvo de Boer, etc and walk past you so that you can contact.  It seems as if power and higher positions in society, almost deleted. Put differently: the gap between ”normal citizens’ seems to be gone. Of course, they are also normal people. It is a world in itself.
 
The negotiations are not going that well. Yesterday, the G77 run away from meetings because still nothing like the developed countries commit, at least, nothing concrete or what nothing looks good causes. To be updated about everything is impossible, there are too many people here and many activities. I barely attend events or meetings and what happened in the meetings is very difficult to keep so you talk in the corridors or on a quick look on the Internet. Internet and telephony is now the fastest way to communicate: you try may times to settle speeches, presentations etc in 5 minutes. The program changes from minute to minute, depending on situations. Yesterday was totally crazy: there were so many people that I could barely run to the other side of the center to arrange things for Ecuador / Youth. This has the additional affect that the UNFCCC distributed additional passes and can therefore only 15000 people inside. Everyone is super tensed, because of this great opportunity for people who are satisfied with their lives. 
 

 
Lavinia

 

Dear all,

Here are some updates on my work in Kopenhagen.

First of all, I went on saturday with the Train to Copenhagen: a special train arranged by UNEP, Internaitonal railway union, DB, WWF and others. This was special because I was there to show a movie about Yasuni-ITT, the Ecuadorian project to keep petroleum underground through an international fund supervised by the UNDP which will be invested in renewable energy, protection of biodiversity and indigenous peoples, and to reduce poverty, deforestation, and inequity. This can be applied by other developing countries which are megadiverse and have fossil fuels underground in natural en cultural sensitive areas. This train was very special as it was a good start and preperation for Copenhagen and to meet interesting people like the head of DB, head of WWF, head of UNEP etc.

In Kopenhagen, there are so many people, one cannot imagine! So many people who want to see change: change in our thinking, behaviour and attitudetowards our lovely earth. But, in the Bella Center, it is hard to have much influence and I felt numb the first few days. Numb as in: not feeling I was working to save our planet/human species as the Bella Center (were COP15 is) is a world on its own. One cannot keep track of negotiations here and you feel lost with thousands of people being inside this center. Luckely the rest of the Ecuadorian team was soon there.

a party was on saturday with all the delegates. This was crazy and you really feel as if you are in a different world as you can talk just normally with people who you normally thought you would never be able to speak to.

Till soon, Lavinia

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