Thank You Denmark

They will criticize the NGOs being withheld from the Bella Center, the Copenhagen Accord is not even close to what the world needs, and from the media coverage it looks like arrests and violence was everywhere.

Bah humburg!

I'm here to say that COP 15 has unleashed the most powerful citizen movement every seen on our precious Mother Earth...and just in time...hang on Maldives, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Cape Verde...the Netherlands knows something about holding back those rising waters and the world has just been served notice that this Climate Change issue is the Real Deal and that we can't afford another COP without the key players sitting at the table.

Those players are the ICLEI activists who plan and implement the smart grid, complete streets and xeriscape plantings in dry neighborhoods. They are the youth activists from Avazz, 350.org, Oxfam and  Sustain US who ask "How Old Will You Be in 2050?  (102 for this activist).  They are the who are on the front lines of feeding the hungry (Save the Children, UNICEF, Tear Fund), and training the village people to organize, to empower and to take charge of their lives by getting job training, by starting and sustaining workable businesses and by empowering girls and woman to have an equal shot at education, employment and leadership.

So here's the question...who's going to tell the US delegation (and China, EU, Australia, South Africa, India, Brazil) that it's the people that are already doing what needs to be done that need a place at the table to move our planet in the right direction and will provide the push needed to reach the masses with what's needed....

3-5-OH, and how to get there.  We have the tools, we know the path and even the big businesses are saying the right things (well, some of them anyhow)...this political will deal is a tough nut to crack but ya know what?.....those guys and some gals (but not many) are way stressed out.

Standing in front of the ICLEI Local Govt. Lounge last week every so often the US Office door would open and watch out , those guys is movin and from the look on their faces they aren't having a lot of fun. Poor delegates...no one told them about the game in the plenary after the work day was over....wonder if that might change their thinking and feeling about people in need, maybe even about themselves.

Didn't get the agreement we wanted?  Exactly what NASA's James Hansen predicted. Total breakdown in negotiations and communication between and among countries, leaders and delegates.

Riding home on the train with two delegates from Indonesia (boleh chakup?) and they said everything revolves around private meeting  between the US and China and that most of the delegates have NO SAY in any of the important discussion.  That's a red flag for this NGO rep.  How the ____are we going to have an internationally binding, just and aggressive treaty if the people that most need the help aren't even part of the conversation?

While playing disc in the Plenary Hall I noticed that all the rows are set up so everyone gets a great view of the back of everybody's head............hhhmmmmmmmm not what good teachers do in their classrooms...look at where kids sit at Hellerup Skole (school) just north of Copenhagen, where I toured with their science teacher.

Notice the shape. Could the way delegates sit in the UN Convention on Climate Change have something to do with the health of our planet?

hhhmmmmmmm.  I also noticed that every time I tried to speak with one or more of the US delegates (to share your beautiful "Hear My Voice" cards) the door was closed and when someone came out they were friendly but could not allow me to speak with one of MY representatives. I was curious about why so many of the other countries had open doors and people were going in and out all the time.

What ARE those people talking about anyway?

Look, I'm no expert on Global Climate negotiations but I can feel when I'm appreciated and welcomed     and something is definitely missing here.

Perhaps that's why I'm a retired elementary school teacher and not a global climate negotiator but now that island nations are at serious risk of being submerged and the African delegates are walking out of their negotiations because they know a 2 degree C rise in temperature means a 5 degree rise in their country...someone's got to say something about how these decision are or aren't being made.

In my Art of Convening training with Craig Neal (www.heartlandcircle.com)  I have been taught and practiced  9 basic principles to bring the most out of meetings and gatherings with people to bring about unexpected results and the highest possible results through hearing all voices, creating a safe place to speak, clarifying intent, and having the essential conversation where this unexpected result can show up if the soil has been prepared.

I want those Indonesian and Namibian and Egyptian and Grecian delegates to feel heard, the way I was heard as one of the Climate Justice Fast group as a valued member of the group. I'm thinking the way these meeting and negotiations are set up might have something to do with their effectiveness. Wonder how I could offer some help. I sure would like to see some more movement in these UN Coventions. The impact that could have could save the planet, so to speak.

Moving on....it's 2:44 am on one of the longer days of my life cause I'm going to be picking up 8 hours as I fly with the sun all day.  Getting picked up by a taxi at 4:15 am and Jane and Michael and Dorte's  home here in Ordrup my lovely home for the past 19 days and nights moving through the Summit. From mild moist fall days to the coldest, snowiest winter they've had in years. Really fun to watch the 2-4 year olds who are seeing snow for the first time while doing my "day on the town" with Ida on Saturday after the emotional "Breaking of the Fast:" with Anna, Sara, Matheiu and the CJF group. Anna's Mom was there an you can imagine her state watching her 25 year old daughter not eat for nearly 44 days. Anna lost 15 kg. and I never saw her once stop working, supporting and organizing...truely one of the Climate Heroes of this Summit and to give you a sense of her depth of knowledge and commitment to Climate Justice, I offer her most recent blog which will fill in many of the gaps in my reporting.

http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/12/19/the-end-of-cop15-and-the-end-of-the-fast-so-how-do-we-all-feel/

Prime minister of Austraila in 10 years????  That's the kind of breakthru we need.

"Taxi's coming he's blowing his horn" and this episode has come to an end...so many to thank, but to you, if this has helped to connect you with the Hope of our Future I rest in peace....and will kick it up a notch at home...a pleasure and an honor to partner with you.

with love always,

Skiing tomorrow....YEAH!!!!!

Paul

Frantic or Peaceful- We Choose/ Global Day of Fasting and Reflection

Hello again from Snowy Copenhagen and the long johns are back in action.  Feels like Minnesota today and I'll be wearing my Twins shirt to spread the message.  Took the morning to catch up on sleep, messages and reflecting on all I've seen, done and what's left to do on my last few days here.

Finally met with Nils, Craig Neal's Danish friend who set up my lodging through his cousin Ida. Such a network I have thanks to my friends. Nils wanted me to meet his friend Lars a retired environmental and energy engineer who worked for the previous Danish administration. We had a fabulous conversation about the negotiations, Danish culture, the way we address issues in the world and making on going connections between Denmark and Minnesota. Here we are at Lars home in downtown Copenhagen.

Just before that I said "Good-bye" to the Bella center I went to one last "side event" it was ICLEI's big event with mayors from all over the world doing the necessary and important work of implementing the energy and environmental programs that are transforming the way we live.  The mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, host for the next COP 16 in 2010 spoke powerfully of the need for ICLEI and local governments to be involved in the negotiations in the coming debates. After he spoke, I thanked him for his efforts and asked him what he thought about having more wellness activities at the Mexican COP....yoga, massage, music, dance. Without a pause he said "I agree completely, more public involvement is very essential." He introduced me to Martha, his environmental secretary and on his way out of the room he said to Martha, "let's have him help to organize that next year."

Anyone for Mexico in December 2010?

Spent a lovely evening with Jane, my kind host, watching all the COP 15 coverage on TV and more computer work  with organizing the Climate Justice Fast big day, working on my return reception and news conference at the airport next Monday the 21st with tireless climate activist Natalie Gille and figuring out how to get to the airport on Monday morning at 4:30 am....Jane is going to drive me there on Sunday evening and I'll check in early and get some rest in the lounge.

Time to go see Al Gore and participate in the Global Fasting Day of Solidarity and say a prayer for our leaders to open their hearts and see the beauty of this new world that we are on the threshold of realizing.

And on the last day of the COP 15, I'll be where I belong. Connecting children in Copenhagen with kids in Edina and Minnesota. The last day of school before the vinterholiday, and now a visit from a Minnesota eco disc ivist...should be fun and finally Sage, our green interactive playscape can be used.

US just announced $100 billion per year by 2020 if the COP 15 can reach an agreement....nice try Hillary, but the $$$$ is needed now, not in 11 years.

Keep the faith and read the letter from Bill McKibben on my Facebook page.

Love in action,

Paul.....blogging a new world your way from the Bella Center in Copenhagen.

Have We Done Enough?

From Grist Magazine and article by Bill McKibben

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-12-13-no-time-for-tears-in-copenhagen

I know I fall into that one..."Have I done enough?" all the time.It seems to come with the territory of taking on a problem that is so big we really don't even understand the problem let alone the solution.

At the same time I am equally sure that the answer lies not in the doingness but in the beingneess as in Human Being and utilizing all of the potential we have to behave in such a way that all of who we are and what we do be guided by the best of what we have to offer to each other. With that understanding I can  once again muster up the courage to knock on the door of the US Delegation and ask for them to read the "Hear My Voice" cards from the good folks in Minnesota cause "you work for us and we care about all people's future."

It's been another day flown by and if I'm lucky I'm going to have dinner (another last supper) with David Koordsma, the biker who was chosen to be the Hopenhagen Ambassador through the Huffington Post.

here's David at work..David is a friend of  my friend Aaron Teasdale from Missoula MT and a hard core biker and climate advocate..during his 21,000 mile bike journey to the tip of South America he did Climate Action education. Check out his winning video on my facebook page.

Back for more soon.

The Final Week Begins

Sitting in the Nooreport Macdonald's with the driving beat of an Abbaseque Eurobeat in the background.

Stopped here to get back to even on the blog before this crucial week kicks off.

Word in the NGO (non govt orgs) community is that beginning Tuesday NGOs will be restricted to far fewer folks to get into the Bella Center. So tomorrow I'll be in begging mode with ICLEI, 350, CJF and any one else who can get me a secondary pass.

The march was beyond belief...a sea of people, sights and sounds like I've never seen or felt before. Estimates range from 40-100,000 depending on your source.  Either way Jane Shay and I made the most of it with our "Minnesotans for Climate Action" banner.

Easily the most gorgeous and homespun banner of the lot...Cindy Sheenan (from Crawford TX fame at GW's ranch fame) came up to say hi.

1 man from St. Cloud and lots of people who knew someone from MN.

Did I mention that we got frontpage coverage in the "Politiken" the major Kopenhavn Sondag Paper...too bad the banner wasn't tight so Minnesota was not readablr...but we know it's there.

The march was long 5-6 miles and 2.5- 3 hours.  Beautiful scenes from different Copenhagen neighborhoods, the setting of the sun from a bridge near the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior with this lovely sailboat with a sail-ant message.

Just before this photo there was a group of young folks all dressed in black with hoods and masks and pretty soon LOUD explosives were going off and Jane and I scurried out of there fast and followed two of the young men who ditched their black garb but couldn't shake us...here they are and I'm trying to get the photo to the proper sources....scared the begiebies out of me and gave me an up close experience of how counter productive violence of any kind is.
We need EVERYONE on board for this effort....if you see them, have a good sit down chat please.

The rest of the march was peaceful with the cold setting in. Had an interview with a Mother Jones reporter with full band background about 10 feet away. When we arrived at the Bella Center, Jane headed for home being tired and I stuck around for the speeches and the surprise of the trip.

Time to leave McDonalds,  catch the rest of the blog in Ordrup, bring on the train once more.

Back home after a lovely meal of instant soup, Danish bread, butter, jam and a Danish apple that would put any Honey Crisp to a taste test.

Folded my laundry and I have no idea after tomorrow if I will even be able to get into the Bella Center for the big week.

Oh, the big surprise. Pretty much had given up meeting Alec Neal (friends Craig and Patricia Neal's son) and Katherine Ball his partner in town to do art and banners for the march and actions this week.  I'm filming the talks last night by Mary Robinson, Deepa Gupta the youth rep from India who is working with us on the Climate Justice Fast and I feel this tap on my back....Hi Alec and Katherine...sweet reunion and spent the rest of the night hanging, visiting the "Yes Men" HQ where they were working, having pizza and playing cribbage with Alec, first time...fun.

Quite an end to a day for the world to remember, wish I could find a photo that showed it all...but seeing our banner on the front page this morning was pretty cool.....as was today...my first walk for fun and to see the hood here in suburban Cop.

Time with Jane in our room,  late for Desmond Tutu but in time for the Queen and my on line interview with the Finnish Media channel and over to the Bright Green Forum to hear Stephen Chu, US Energy Secretary (smart and totally scientific and disconnected with the audience) followed by my friend Rajendra Pachuari from the IPCC and his slightly scaled back message of urgency to the political leaders...."it's now up to them" he told me.

On my way home from town I sat next to 2 Party Members from Indonesia...they were tickled when I could speak to them in their language and from there it was all downhill.

They started telling me the real scoop about being a delegate in the plenary room with the big boys.
Just like the old business model money talks and they said the rest of the conference is about the US and China haggling over the details....how much?  who pays?  what do we get for it?  pretty sickening when the real questions are Who Dies? which nations disappear? and how long til it's your kids?

What is it going to take to wake these ________________up ?

Perhaps 2  young Aussies and a Swede fasting for 120 days total w/o food will make them think...maybe not...it really comes down to feeling the costs and moving together to a higher place.

All signs point towards that NOT happening...what can you offer to make the totally unpredictable happen and happen this week?

Stay tuned, and watch the main event, Bill McKibben and his band of merry 350 kids and a few old farts bonding with the Climate Justice Fast movement and 1,000 youth, and  a few leaders from drowning nations like President Nasheed from the Maldives (tomorrow at 4 pm)...against the large powerful and emotionally devoid talking suits of the 2 largest and richest countries in the world.

they don't stand a chance.....I'm so glad to be here to stand up...a little like the Twins against the Yankees.

Now do you see why I have a hard time sleeping?

it's all about the heart.

Eating Food- Fasting on Sleep/ Freezing Back Home

Good Morning from the place where darkness seems normal...Daniel, one of the long term fasters was using a UV light today....looked good to me.  It's 3 am and there is no way I can sleep so here I lay in my bed communicating dutifully to my blogees.

Saw Bill McKibben (350 founder) on the train today, and when he said he was following my blog I thought I best be on the ball (disc?) and get it done...was feeling guilty for not writing today but was trying to be not so tied to my computer. So this is what I get?

We had a nice chat about COPs in general and the different feel this one has.  Bill said that everything always happens in the last few hours of the last day...ie  the hours after President Obama speaks to the delegates in our frisbee field/ plenary hall...if they only knew.

Obama receiving the Peace Prize today has generated a lot of attention around here, especially from the African partners who are crying for Obama to honor his inaugral promises....please read their impassioned letter:  http://www.1sky.org/files/PACJA_letter.pdf

Of course we also spoke of snow and skiing, our shared passion. Bill left a day early to avoid the storm that sounded like walloped Minnesota....will the hardy Gophers still show up for the Candlelight Vigil this Saturday at Lake Harriet on Saturday at 4 pm? I'm expecting a flood of photos from your actions  ...good luck and remember your wind screen. Confirm your attendance on Natalie Gille's fb page at:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189168529596

Thanks for considering this; bring your families and send your photos to me and 350.org on Saturday evening....we'll get them printed and delivered by hand to John Pershing (lead US negotiator) on Monday and believe me, after this week, he could use a little candlelight energy and good will.

Wear layers and toast a warm drink to us all afterwards.

Did you see the article in the Star Tribune?  A big thank you to MaryJane Smetana who now is following our actions.  Here's the link http://www.startribune.com/local/west/78642807.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUr

The other interesting personal project that I'm working on is to connect 2 extreme bikers.  David Kroodsma was selected by the Huffington Post as their Hopenhagen Designee (and a free trip to COP 15 for he and his bike) . He biked 21,000 miles promoting Climate Action thru out North and South America (see his excellent 1 minute video at  http://hopenhagen.org/hopenhagenBlog)

David is a close friend of Aaron Teasdale my Birke (ski marathon) Buddy Harold's son...he arrives Saturday morning and has already contacted me.

The other biker?  Kim ________ from Australia, he only biked to Copenhagen from Aussieland leaving last August. I met him through Anna Keenan the young (24 yr old) Climate Justice activist who is entering her 35th day on a water only fast and along with Sara (25 from Sweden) and Daniel (30 from Austraila living in Copenhagen), Daniel's only done about 28 days...oh my, Gandhi usually stopped at 20-30 days. They are getting international press, met with Yvo deBoer, the UN Executive Secretary at the UNFCCC yesterday and have requested 10 minutes with President Obama next week.  Time Magazine is scheduled to interview them on Monday.

The focus? To stand with the countries and people who have done almost nothing to cause the problem and who yet suffer the most from the severe consequences of Climate Change, go to www.climatejusticefast.com to see the powerful 3 minute video and learn about our cause....this is something close to my heart and the hearts of many RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), and today I got a chance to share my personal story at a news conference at the Klimeforum in Copenhagen Center City at the People's Climate Summit.

Monday I will have a chance to listen to Bill McKibben and President Nasheed from the Maldives who is leading the charge for the Most Vulnerable Nations in becoming carbon neutral nations and not waiting for the wealthy countries to come to their aid....which we should and must do. With Tuvalu, Kirabati and other Island Nations on the front burner here in the negotiations, Minnesotans can again be proud that our own John Madole and his partner Gene Chase are leading the way towards casrbon neutrality for the Maldives by working on carbon mitigation projects on the North Island of the Maldives. Saw incredibly beautiful and disturbing photographs at the  Klimeforum today from the Maldives and the degrading of the protective coral reefs that surround and protect the islands.

The time is NOW for these island nations!!!

Now it's morning and I can start my Friday...one week til Obama...time to volunteer for 350 and get set for "Minnesotans for Climate Action" and the big march/ action on Saturday....and perhaps a nap this afternoon.

Jane Shay gets in from Belgium (she works with the city of Mpls. and is a graduate student in Belgium) and she will be staying here in Charlottenlund at our gracious host Jane's home.

I'll leave you with one last global local connection. I said hi to some African delegates walking by our area, ended up meeting four of the Niger representatives and one, Dr. Salifou Assane Selny, is a teacher of teachers and said that he would hook up one of his French speaking schools with an Edina school. I put out a feeler and Michele, our Green Mom from Morningside, Edina immediately said "yes we will" to connecting Normandale School (French Immersion) with our projected new school in Niger. Ended up friending Salifou on Facebook and if you check his page you "might" see this photo.

Another frisbee game planned for tonight with some of these Climate Activist Ultimate players, and an ICLEI workshop on how Copenhagen does what it does with it's Bicycle Culture....I'll leave you with an inspiring quote from Van Jones and envision all of you preparing for local Candlelight Vigils on Saturday.

Day 5 of the COP 15 arrives and I'm happy to be here with and for you:

"Now is not the time to shrink from the challenge of saving our only home in the universe...Now is the time to open our arms, expand our horizons, and dream big. To prevail, we will need tens of thousands of heroes at every level of human society." --Van Jones, The Green Collar Economy

sounds like us

Namaste

Climate Justice...It's Everywhere

Wow, you guys are keeping me busy.

Everywhere in the Bella Center is the feeling of equity, to provide all nations with a fair, binding and aggressive agreement to slow the worst aspects of a climate out of control  and to clean up the mess that the industrial countries have made.

Listen to this articulate woman from Fiji speak about the impact of Climate Chaos on her country.

http://webmail.aol.com/29644-412/aol-1/en-us/Suite.aspx

the link wouldn't open here you have to go to the 1 Sky blog here and click on "Message to Americans"

Same thing happened to me last night as I was leaving the Bella Center after posting my first You Tube and group of Bangladesh Delegates were walking out, I said "Namaste" to one and we chatted. Very open and friendly conversation and as we departed he asked "what country are you from?" I answered and he responded again in a very friendly tone of voice "your country is the reason for all our troubles" to which I replied "we are coming to help...and quickly"

The reminders of the blessings that we have lived with become very clear when confronted by such honesty and the building of a "New American Dream" where all people and life are considered paramount in these next few days.

Time to head for work...and try to represent what you want to hear and see....keep the requests coming.

I can't tell you how impactful this feels to be witnessing.

Whatever action you can take this week and next do it. Natalie Gille has set up a Facebook Page for the Vigil this Saturday 12/12 at the bandshell at Lake Harriet at 4pm///go if you can and send images to 350.org for us to deliver on Monday the 14th.

Last night I was sitting in the large hall where Obama will speak next Friday taking in the enormity of this event and a young Norweign Youth, Frikk, came in. I flashed the disc and he was into it....30 minutes of flying fun in the grand hall where the world can, might, must make a new life giving agreement...it was the magic moment of the day for me.


Fasting increases ones appreciation for food and life itself....Jane told me of the perfect cafe with good coffee to enjoy the breaking.

I will do it in honor of our partnership for where we are headed.

It's a Miracle

I never thought I would learn how to get my video on my blog or You Tube.

Chuck Prentice, I hope you are listening......walking out of the Large Plenary Hall which I just discovered,,,,after a rousing frisbee fgame with a 21 year old from Norway (who advanced from a 2 to a 6 in skill level in 20 miniutes) I'm ready to go home after a long day and there sits Valida....video guru of the youthful greens.

She was so kind to show me every step from camera, to imovie to you tube to my blob and here it is 19 seconds of the Will Steger Youth at a photo shoot for Stoneyfield Yoghurt.

VOILA!!!!!



Small step for a man ....huge leap for his video imagery.

Enjoy...there will be more.

time to catch the train for tomorrow I eat...or not....this fasting deal is pretty cool.

Mr Paul delivering the goods!