Post-Copenhagen Thoughts
Well, we are a few months removed from the Copenhagen accord and I have yet to offer my feedback as to what I actually thought about how things went down in Denmark. I’ve delayed this for a few reasons:
1. The bombardment of information: so many numerous things happening over there to actually conclude that anything actually went on.
2.Overall awe of the event: As many of my classmates detailed in their posts being at the conference was surreal. So many people, from so many different countries–I’m not sure I’ll ever be in a room with that kind of arena ever again.
3.My limited knowledge on the subject waited until the Media sorted it out in a numerous ways so I could come to an educated conclusion.
And I still haven’t. Between the glitz and the glamour of the streets of Copenhagen, to the Ikeaness of the Hotel Loven, to the glowing signs of Hopenhagen no REAL answer has come out of the accord. From what I have gathered, the message sent by the delegates was ONWARD to Cancun, the location of the COP16 (along with high schoolers and college students on winter break–I’m sure the delegates from China will enjoy partying up with Joe Sixpack). So, basically we had a conference about what to do at the next conference. Exciting. No legally binding agreement. Nothing. Observation of an outside document by the UNFCCC and a few billion dollars towards resources. Hooray.
While many may deny that the UEA e-mail link had anything to do with the conference being a bust, I think it did. The American people, at least the way the image the media sent, were gung-ho for fighting climate change. Then FoxNews reports on this e-mail link stating that statistic were not as accurate as people once thought, etc. etc. Media blows up, right-wing America says “hey now, wait a minute, you mean we were right all along.” BLAM. We are sent back to the 1980s. As my wise bubbie would say, “Oy Veys Mir.”
However, not all was lost. For the people who attended the conference for the first time their were minds were surely changed. It was empowering to see such a strong Youth presence at the event, with some of my classmates getting down to their skivvies to protest climate change. Groups passing out how old will you be in 2050 shirts, protesting all around the conference center in order to create media spectacles and perhaps mute the fire that was the right-wing media. Some of my classmates gave up meat after learning of its carbon footprint, some fasted in protest–some have decided to pursue careers in the climate change field.
Me? Well, I did none of those things.When I came to Copenhagen I had already stopped eating meat and pork products. Check one. My career path has been made up since middle school (working in Professional Wrestling in some capacity), and I’m Jewish–we fast for religious purposes. Check two and three So, how did this whole climate change affect me personally? Well, I can say that it I have considered the environment when doing my daily activities–I’d be lying. Perhaps I am more conscious of them, and I’m trying to break some old habits but no one is perfect. I think I am more aware of a consumer level–since that is my main area of study. One thing that I found kind of contradictory with the conference was the millions of pamphlets and papers that were handed out at the conference. Why not get into a partnership with Apple or another handheld corporation to rent iPod touches out to registered delegations and have them be turned in at the end of the conference. Perhaps this isn’t practical–but I could make a separate documentary about how unsustainable the COP15 was–considering the amount of fuel it took to get the delegations there and back, the amount of papers that were printed for the event, and the numerous amount of them I saw thrown onto the floor. If we are not looking for alternatives at the level in which alternatives are supposed to be discussed how are we supposed to become a more sustainable world when the conference itself is not sustainable. Many will find that statement controversial, but hey, controversy creates cash, or in this case WASTE.
Tags: controversy, Copenhagen, scandal, UEA, waste, youth
