Final Errands and Time to Pack

Monday November 30,

End of the month and transition week is here. Early morning blogging is my new plan so here's a quick link to the awesome support in my life during the past week.

The photo to the right is part of the wonderful gathering at Sarah and Hamid 's last Sunday for a fundraising brunch....30 people, $530 raised and great conversation and connections as our numbers grow.
I was particulary nice to have all ages present.

Then off to Wendy's, my Power Point guru and our final session to pull together our 3 minute "Edina- The Greening of a Small Midwestern City" hmmmmmmmm how to link that here...it's on my desktop...another question for Reed today at 4:30.

Anyway thanks to Wendy and here she is with my MacBook at home.
How to create a sound track for the video is next.




The past week with schools closed and families connecting around Thanksgiving has been a lovely change of pace.

The main project has been the Minnesotans for Climate Action banner under the artistic direction of Sage and her sister. We're calling it an "interactive playscape" answering the question What Kind of World Do You Want? from the "Five for Fighting" song. The banner on top is detachable for the Dec 12th Climate action march in Copenhagen here's the team from last night.

The evening before we had a potluck dinner and Rosemary, Terry, Sage , Chuck (whose daughter Valida is going to Copenhagen as well), Nicole and 1.5 year old Aiden.

More later and the clock keeps ticking.

A Thanksgiving letter to Our President

Busily preparing for my journey to Copenhagen, mailing banners for use in Copenhagen, getting photos for the "Minnesota Speaks to Copenhagen" interactive banner that we are creating for use in Copenhagen and as usual always listening to MPR (public radio station)....just b/4 popping into the Edina Community Foundation Office to drop off receipts for my journey...the news we were waiting for came in....President Obama will be traveling to Copenhagen for the UN Climate Summit on Dec. 9th.

Thanks to all of you have contined to push our president to show up despite our Congress' inability to complete Climate Legilation. Here is my letter in response to President's Obama's Thanksgiving letter to his "Obama for America" supporters.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, you are all deep inside of my heart as I make this last week before leaving all about media attention and empowering Climate Leadership whenever possible.

Dear Barack,

Thanks for the holiday greetings and thanks so much for announcing that you will be going to Copenhagen on December 9th for the Climate Summit.

I'll be there representing my small midwestern city, Edina MN, urging you and our country to start acting like Green Leaders.

Things like:

flying to Oslo after Copenhagen and saving a trip----good thinking

stop using disposable plastic bottles---demonstrate it by using a SIGG or Klean Kanteen water bottle when you are in the public eye....when aren't you?

Turn the thermostat down at the White House...try 62-64 degrees and add a nice sweater and light fleece hat.

Sasha and Malia will love it...they are the ones who need this Green Wave to form into a Tsunami.

Look me up in Copenhagen...I'll be at the ICLEI Local Govt Lounge at the Bella Center....with the "Minnesota Speaks to Copenhagen Banner" an interactive playscape for creating a new world...you'll love it and I can finally play some disc with you....Michelle has received 2 of my Cool Planet frisbees and I'm wondering how you like them?

Check out my blog and send a message for me to post with my friends, that would be cool.

http://ptfydisc-onecoolplanet.blogspot.com/

...good work on pardoning the turkey...does that mean your T-day meal is going to be "meat free?"

Another easy way for Americans to cut our carbon....Meatless Mondays would also make Americans thinner and healthier.

Swing out Barack, we need some major intervention on this one...17% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 isn't even close to what is needed. 350 ppm ASAP is what is needed for Sasha, Malia and all of us. Let's get busy...last year I was delivering a banner to your home in Kenwood (couldn't get close but Erik Paulsen, my Congressperson said he's get it to you...did that happen? It was about 35 feet long with congratulation messages and urging you to go to Poznan Poland for the climate talks last year.), this year I just mailed 5 banners to Copenhagen for the summit promoting the 350.org message....will we finally meet????

I won't give up til we meet and I celebrate your continued energy smart leadership.

Happy Thanksgiving...see you on December 9th

Paul Thompson
Edina Energy and Environment Commissioner
ICLEI Delegate at the UN Climate Summit
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer- Borneo 1971-73

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are all in harmony"

Gandhi

Paul Thompson
4244 Crocker Ave
Edina, MN 55416-5012
952-920-1547

Cool Planet- connecting people with nature, energy use, and a changing climate.

2 weeks out!!!

Bummer to fly at night but day break will come quickly as I head East for my first trip to Europe. I'm back and living in the future again.

Had our Nov. EEC (Edina Energy and Environment Commission) mtg this evening and Chuck Prentice (friend and whose daughter Valida will be in Copenhagen as well) came and suggested that we send a resolution to the City Council....so we came up with:

"The City of Edina MN strongly supports a comprehensive Climate Treaty at the UN Climate Change Convention in Copenhagen, Denmark which limits the GHG (green house gases)emissions to stabilize the level of atmospheric CO2 at 350 ppm or lower."

GO EDINA!!!!

I was at a Peace and Sustainability Conference at Hennepin Ave Methodist Church in downtown Mpls last Sunday and I mentioned I was with the Edina EEC and he looked up and said "you Edina people are really making things happen aren't you?"

and so we are....today with Cindy's help I even learned how to make a hot link on the donation link to the Edina Community Foundation on this blog and people who can't come to the fundraiser and update gathering at Sarah and Hamid's on Sunday are already contributing.

Breakfast with the Mayor and Dick Crockett from the ECF at 7:30...time to hit the sack...now to find the perfect HD video camera with an external mic jack and good sound controls....I can feel a new avocation brewing.

How do we get Obama to commit to going?

Time to Expand

Friends,

Three weeks from today I will be arriving in Copenhagen to begin an amazing 3 weeks.
Yesterday I had my first interview with KFAI, our project was highlighted on the NPCA (National Peace Corps Association) Newsletter, this weekend I will be doing a short announcement of representing Edinans and Minnesotans in Denmark at "Peace and Sustainability...You can't have one without the other at hennepin Methodist Churdh on Hennepin Avr near Loring Park. I have begun the "Minnesota Speaks to Copenhagen" project to bring our collective voice to the UN Convention and to make sure that yopur voices are being heard in Copenhagen.

Thanks to Mary Brindl for discovering the way to link the blog below to being able to contribute to my journey and cover my expenses. Contributions will be made through the Edina Community Foundation through a special account linked to the Edina Energy and Environment Commission.

My 3 day fast ended on Monday morning and I felt like I was beginning a new chapter in my life with a heightened appreciation for food and drink. I send my love and support to those Climate Justice Fasters who continue to fast for the millions of people who cannot take healthy food and easy access to food for granted....it is for those people who we can all speak up for to be included in the Climate Treaty to come out of Copenhagen. That the treaty be one of fairness and justice for all people and to repair the damage done as we move forward towards building a more equitable and sustainable future.

I will see if I can put the links here to connect you all with the KFAI interview....with thanks to Paulina, the KFAI interviewee from Chile.

Onward...20 days remaining, time to learn You Tube.

Let's build our base and grow our numbers....welcome new followers

Join Me on the Road to Copenhagen!

Click Join Me on the Road to Copenhagen! to donate to help send Paul to the UN Climate Convention in Cophenhagen, Denmark. Read on about what Paul plans to do while in Copenhagen.

Paul Thompson, Edina Energy and Environment Commissioner will be representing Edina at the UN Climate Convention in Copenhagen, Denmark Dec 7-18, 2009

The purpose of the Convention is to draft a new global treaty that will guide our planet away from the worst aspects of climate change by getting countries on course with building a sustainable energy system to lower CO2 emissions and develop policies that support the mitigation and adaptation of the damage already done by rising sea levels, famines, droughts and floods caused by unpredictable weather changes.

The focus of Thompson’s 3-week trip to Copenhagen will be to be the eyes and ears of the negotiations as an official delegate through ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability, http://www.iclei.org). He will be covering the myriad of actions and demonstrations planned during the convention to dramatize the urgency of people already suffering from the worst aspects of climate change.

At the ICLEI Local Government Lounge, Thompson will be sharing the work done by the Edina Energy and Environment Commission in measuring our carbon emissions and share our action plan that is engaging citizens to become “smart energy users” and having Edina lead the way as a newly designated “Green Step City” http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/greensteps

"Through my daily blogs and You Tube videos I am hoping to bring the energy of this historic convention into the homes and classrooms, churches and businesses of Edina and all over Minnesota. At the same time I will be gathering information and building partnerships with other cities from around the globe that are implementing leading edge thinking and technologies around reshaping our world towards 350 ppm of CO2 in our atmosphere."

According to the best science available, 350 ppm (parts per million) is the maximum safe level of CO2 in our air to continue life on our planet, as we have known it for the past 100 years. Currently our level is at 390 ppm and rising fast.

Having organized Edina’s successful 350.org Day of Climate Action event on 10/24 (Sun Current Oct. 29, page 17) as part of the Edina Day of Service, Thompson is well aware of the growing need and willingness of citizens to lower their carbon emissions and move towards a more renewable energy system. About 350’s October 24 th Day of Action Thompson said, "With over 5,200 actions in 181 countries and what CNN called the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history, the citizen movement is fully engaged… we now challenge world governments to catch up with us."

Visit Thompson’s blog site at :

http://ptfydisc-onecoolplanet.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html

Action requests from Thompson:

1. To let Thompson know what message you want to carry to the delegates and world leaders at the UN Convention and what information you want sent back about the negotiations.

2. To make a donation to cover Thompson’s trip expenses and the work of the Edina Energy and Environment Commission go to http://www.edinacommunityfoundation.org/donate-now.html

Day 1 of the Climate Justice Fast

A gorgeous Fall day with friends and my son and a sweet good-bye to a friend and fellow baseball coach and reunion with the past.

The first day is always the hardest and I can't tell you the number of times I thought about food and started unconsciously prepared my body mechanisms to receive it.

As the day passed I got better at catching the early signs..."thanks for sharing body" and moved on to raking, cribbage and even our first spirited game of spheroid catch...that's baseball to a disc enthusiast.

The media for the Climate Justice Fast around the World was quite amazing...check out the website if you are interested....www.climatejusticefast.org 24 and 25 year old youth who get that this is their time to step up for what they believe in.

Also got an message from NASA's James Hansen, the leading Climate scientist who has been out of action with prostate cancer surgery and now looks clean and will be at COP 15.

60 and Sunny tomorrow and November continues to purr and I'd better get some sleep if I want to tomorrow.

Good night.

Day 26- The Fast Begins

Good Morning,

Awoke at 4 am this Friday after my best sleep in 5 days...I've been fighting a nasty bug that has kept me down and out most of the week....but not today!!!!

The slumbering activist awakes to start my 3 day fast with partners from all over the world....more than 100 of us are starting the Climate Justice Fast (www.climatejusticefast.org)It's been an incredibly connecting experience getting at least 20 emails every day from fasters and supporters in Austrailia (where it started), UK, India, Denmark, Spain, Canada,South Africa, HJonduras, France, Germany, Bhutan, New Zealand, the Philippines and the US. It's growing fast (no pun intended) and yesterday in Barcelona where the last negotiations leading up to COP 15 are ending today....the reason for the start of the fast, the news conference was well attended and stimulated a lot of buzz.

A number of the fasters are doing a water only fast through COP 15 or 42 days!! Not something I'm willing to do but I will be joining them for these first 3 days, the first 3 days of COP 15 (Dec 6-8) and the last 3 days of COP 15. I will also be a spokeperson for the fast and it reminds me of my younger days with Skiers Ending Hunger and my 10 and 11 days fasts on Peavey Plaza in downtown Mpls MN to raise awareness about ending hunger and creating the political will to get the job done.

What is it about political will and it never being there on the tough issues that cause massive suffering and poverty (and now climate refugees in places like Tuvalu, Kirabati and soon the Maldives). The Africans walked out of the negotiations yesterday stating that the rich countries need to show up and do their part for the damage caused by our over consumption and inaction on the issue of Climate Change.

From the Climate Justice Fast news release; "Our Governments inaction could well go down as the greastest crime against humanity in history, allowing the world's most vulnerable people, and even our own children, to suffer at the hands of an irreversible catastrophe they played no part in causing"

Strong words but part of what drives me with my missionary zeal is this sense that: "my life has been entirely fueled by the blissful ignorance I had about the lifestyle that I have been given to me because of the luck of my birthplace"

when I first heard the quote "there but for the grace of God go I" rang true to me and lead me on this exciting jopurney that has been my life.

Check out this video and tell me if it moves you to action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jMXJ7jsj-4&NR=1

I invite you to join me in the Climate Justice Fast on Dec 7 and Dec 18 the first and last day of COP 15 and send prayers to our world leaders and negotiators that they open their hearts in listening for the greatest good for all people.

Time for a walk to the Co-op and one last piece of fruit before my fast begins.

May we all know peace and carry that peace into action to reshape our world.

Edina to Copenhagen...not so far

Election Day 2009...remember last year? The whole country...perhaps much of the world was watching America and feeling this amazing change take place. As I walked down to Weber Park warming house to cast my vote for Edina School Board I was thinking about context and how important that is to set the scene for something big to happen.

Well, something very big is happening and like Obama's inauguration in January, I just need to be there.

The UN Summit on Climate Change will be held in Copenhagen Denmark from Dec. 7- 18 and it promises to be full of difficult negotiations, inspiring partnerships, humbling realizations and hopefully unexpected breakthrus. Heaven knows we need some big shifts to align the stars with a new pathway back to 350 ppm of CO2, the science based number referring to the safe maximum level of CO2 in our air to keep the Earth humming along the way it's been for the past few centuries..

the bad news....we passed 350 about 20 years ago and are now hovering dangerously close to the 4th century. so now that I've bummed everyone out here's the hopeful news that can help to create a Hopenhagen out of Copenhagen.

You.

10 days ago tens of thousands of you stood up, climbed mountains, had a cabinet meeting under the ocean surface in scuba gear, sang songs to the Earth and each others and tossed frisbees for the planet.....in 5200 locations in 181 countries...most of the countries that will be haggling out the details in Copenhagen for the most important of all treaties ever signed.

You did that, and now the real work of re-building our precious planet continues....and perhaps you'll come back to see how a frisbee player and retired 2nd grade teacher and a bunch of friends got together with a few million other unique humans to say "NO" to business as usual and "Yes" to building new systems for operating spaceship Earth....we seem to have lost the directions.

check out 350.org and 1 Sky for some inspiring scenes about you and your fellow humans on the move....I'll be back...more context to set the stage...with your help.