Barack Obama Commits to “New Chapter” on Climate Change via It's Getting Hot In Here
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Int’l Youth Conference Tells G8 To Stop Messing Around via It's Getting Hot In Here
The World Youth Forum in advance of the G8 Summit has just concluded; it was an amazing weekend for sharing best practices, planning for future campaigns and taking action on the spot. Organized by the Japan Youth G8 Project, A SEED Japan, and the Japanese Youth Ecology League, the summit brought together close to 250 youth - over 200 from across Japan and about 20 from overseas.
The conference was held in order to provide youth input into the upcoming G8 Meeting on climate change. The negotiations are anticipated to reinforce false solutions of CCS and all together ignore the need for mid-term targets, so the young people here felt it was essential to make our voices heard and encourage bold leadership. The statement adopted at the conference included calls of banning construction... Help Create A United Nations Youth Climate Change Publication and Video Project via It's Getting Hot In Here
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Kenyan Youth Take on Violence, Poverty, and Global Warming - Need a Little Support! via It's Getting Hot In Here
In December of 2006, hundreds of young people converged in Nairobi, Kenya for the annual climate negotiations, COP12. We came with high hopes, but despite being based in a city adversely impacted by climate change, the plight of the African continent was overlooked, and the diplomats accomplished very little. As everyone packed their bags for trips into Masai Mara, the conference became dubbed by climate justice activists as “the climate safari.”
But many of us youth did not run off immediately, because we had met some incredible youth from the Kibera slums, one of the largest slums in the world, and they had graciously offered to take us on a tour of their community. We were shown around their homes and our eyes were opened to the realities of poverty - a world without... BaliBuzz: Plenary Musings via It's Getting Hot In Here
The atmosphere in Bali is intense. Yvo de Boer, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, showed signs of distress moments ago and left the plenary upon accusations of manipulating the process by China, Ban Ki-Moon delivered an emphatic speech urging for the deadlocked countries to find consensus, and the normal degree of diplomacy that operates in this process has decreased along with the time left for reaching consensus. Plenary speeches make explicit accusations to the US for blocking consensus and American speeches are followed with jeers from the audience.
While the particulars of the mandate continue to be discussed, I hope that Canadians back home are engaged with what is happening in Bali and discussing the position of the Canadian government. I have been tremendously unimpressed not... BaliBuzz: U.S. Finally Dragged Kicking And Screaming into UN Climate Deal via It's Getting Hot In Here
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BaliBuzz: Youth Statement to High-Level Plenary in Bali: “This is our last chance” via It's Getting Hot In Here
Yesterday, the International Youth delegations read a powerful statement to the high-level plenary in at the climate conference in Bali. Giving the UN climate conference’s closing statement, it was a defining moment. The incredble speakers were Anna Keenan from Australia, Karmila Parakkasi from Indonesia, Whit Jones from SustainUS in the United States, and Bambou Chieppa (a 13-year old girl). At 4 minutes, the statement was powerful and concise — and called for bold action.
I helped coordinate the drafting of the statement, and it was an amazing experience. Written together by the Indonesian, Japanese, American, Australian, Canadian, Belgian, and French youth delegations, it was a true international collaboration. I am so proud of the inclusive and consensus process we... BaliBuzz: U.S. Finally Dragged Kicking And Screaming into UN Climate Deal via It's Getting Hot In Here
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Update: 10:37am - Session adjourns, developing countries convene via It's Getting Hot In Here
Within the first few minutes of plenary, COP President Witoelar presented a draft decision on an Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention. While Portugal, on behalf of the EU, supported the text, India opposed the current language regarding national and international action, which currently calls for enhanced “measurable, reportable and verifiable nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing country Parties in the context of sustainable development.” The plenary was suspended at the request of China and the G-77/China convened in consultations to agree on a position for the developing world on the matter. ...
Update from Bali: There are climate criminals in the room via It's Getting Hot In Here
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is about to reconvene after a 4hr break. The new text prepared by the president of the COP sets a roadmap for a comprehensive climate agreement to avoid dangerous climate change. But there is one major omission: targets. As we prepare to open negotiations on the new text, the United States and Canada have managed to block and remove any references to concrete targets and time lines for emission reductions. The US and Canada, immune to science and morality, will try to leave with as little as they can. At 8:45am in Bali, Indonesia, history has yet to be written....
BaliBuzz: And the Beat Goes On… via It's Getting Hot In Here
It is the final night of the UN conference. All of the side events have ended and all of the displays have been taken down. Compared to the constant bustle of normal conference pace, the convention center feels like a ghost town.
Yet, the negotiations goes on.
It is now 2am and negotiations are continuing to take place behind closed doors. In the main hall, people are waiting, and some are sleeping, for the final report and close of these negotiations. As rumor has it, that time will not come until at least 5am at the current rate of progress. Outside in the halls, there are intense strategy huddles, camping outside of the negotiation rooms in hopes of catching a hint of how they are going, and finally outright partying complete with rum, wine, and music. Other than the fact that anytime...