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
