December 29
I consume much of the end of the year looks — lots of lists; bits of advice; plenty of kitschy stuff; smartness; and, good fun.
Here’s a look at music that I enjoy seeing each year:
And let’s not forget the universe that we think we know (best to watch this on full screen):
Coolness. Happy new year around the sun!
Peace.
December 27
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
From John Lennon’s Imagine
Always loved Imagine. It’s an anthem for what I hope I do for my children, friend, kinfolk, and strangers I meet along life’s way – help us to remember that problem-solving is more important than taking credit; have a willingness to take risks as a way to make a difference; and, to jump at the chance to imagine positive possibilities. A simple, yet brilliant, song that many of us have performed.
It’s a song for the rest of us, but I hold on to memories of those who have done an exceptional job at communicating the soul of Image: the way Shutter to Think makes it new; Imagina’s global spin on the song; Joan Baez’s makes you think she wrote it as a classic tune (like everything she does); Chet Atkins picks it and makes it groove; Jack Johnson sings the song with heart; Perfect Circle gives it an eerie vibe; the song gets a silkiness from Randy Crawford; and, Gonzalo Rubalcaba throws down a smooth piano flow to makes Imagine sing. Jordis Unga’s live, soulful performance of Imagine is my favorite.
True story – I made myself a cup of Turkish coffee (ibrik, cardamom seeds, and all), geniused Unga’s performance of Imagine, started reading the paper and came across this:
Cool – ran into a little poetry in my life. Could this work – is all it takes is for us to want war’s demise? What if I wanted peace, instead? What can I, and we, Imagine?
Peace.
December 26
Another semester of conversation. We talked and talked and talked – it was joyous. We talked about what was current – race, Afghanistan, fear, politics, Iraq, and music. We talked to each other.
We’re concerned about thousands of American troops heading around the world to build up other nations and to chase criminals. We were both hopeful and dismayed about America’s political and social life – contradictions over campaign promises and actions in elected office; the current role of race in our lives and decision-making; trust of young people’s voices in the future and American life; prisons in Cuba; abuses of human liberties; and, corrupting influences in government. We struggled to create rules for when to allow a person to drink a beer or enjoy a glass of wine. We argued about the proper role of sport in colleges and our collective lives, and had no idea how to stop violence and killings in America, Afghanistan, or Iraq. We discussed love. And, we came to blows talking about music and whether Hip-Hop is dead (again).
Discussions about music always get us hyped. What’s the tune – that jam, sweet piece of music – that you heard this year that made a difference; that you have to share with someone else; that everyone must hear? Here’s our answer:
Anonanimal by Andrew Bird
Ingrid Michaelson’s Sort Of
Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas
Ksenia Lanin is all about I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight performed by U2
Cold Shoulder performed by Adele
Kid Cudi’s In My Dreams
Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On
Sleepyhead performed by Passion Pit
When Love Takes Over by David Guetta
Walk with the Devil performed by Immortal Technique
Al Green’s performance of Let’s Stay Together
Teitur’s All My Mistakes
Carol of the Bells
Milow’s performance of Out of My Hands
Lupe Fiasco’s American Terrorist
A Change is Gonna Come performed by Sam Cooke
American Skin (41 Shots) by Bruce Springsteen
Sam Moore’s Soul Man
Happiness by The Fray
Dashboard Confessional’s performance of Alter the Ending
Green River Ordinance’s On Your Own
Beyoncé’s If I was a Boy
New York by Jay-Z
Mika’s performance of We are Golden
Empire of the Sun’s Walking on a Dream
Fragile by Chrisette Michele
The Aeroplane Remix of Grace Jones’ Williams’ Blood
Amos Lee’s Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight
The Old Forever New Things by The Most Serene Republic
Edo G’s Wishing (featuring Masta Ace)
What Goes Around by Nas
Amadou & Mariam’s Africa(featuring K’naan)
Stuff: Live at Montreaux 1976
Charlene by Anthony Hamilton
India Arie’s The Truth
Love Rain performed by Jill Scott
The Original Cast of Rent performing 525,600
Erykah Badu’s Next Lifetime
Death Around the Corner by Tupac
The Fugees’ How Many Mics
Nature of the Threat by Ras Kas
Immortal Technique’s The 4th Branch
UMI Says by Mos Def
C.L. Smooth & Pete Rock’s They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
Ebonics by Big L
Obie Trice’s performance of Lay Down
Changes by Tupac
Ded Prez’s Hell Yeah
Us performed by Brother Ali
Joe Metro’s Blue Scholars
Animal in Man performed by Dead Prez
Adele’s Chasing Pavements (also an amazing music video)
The Way I am performed by Ingrid Michaelson
Sara Bareilles’ performance of Many the Miles
I’m Yours and Wordplay by Jason Mraz
Live performance by the Forest City Lovers of Orphans
Sweet Summer’s Night on Hammer Hill by Jens Lekman
Phoenix’s Lisztomania
Get Dancinin’ by Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s Listen and I Tried
You’re a Jerk performed by New Boyz
The Lonely Island’s I’m on a Boat
Good Morning by Chamillionaire
Maroon 5’s Won’t Go Home Without You
Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti & Spearhead
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ Home
Le vent nous portera by Noir Désir
Regina Spektor’s On the Radio
The Dynamo of Volition by Jason Mraz
Playing for Change’s Don’t Worry
Mississippi performed by Bob Dylan
Something You Forget by Lil Wayne
Grizzly Bear’s Two Weeks
The People performed by Wale
Bobby Womack’s Across 110th Street
Beyoncé’s performance of Ave Maria
Spaceman performed by our own Dear Abbeys
The New Radicals’ You Get What You Give
Hometown by Adele
Mos Def’s Mathematics
Snowfall performed by Vienna Teng
Sara Bareilles’ Love on the Rocks
Now We are Free by Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard
The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter
Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
Creed’s One
A rendition of Prayer of the Children
Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up) performed by Florence + the Machine
Hats off to the unsung — the folk who write the words; those who put the music they dream onto paper; and, those who hear the sounds, snippets, and beats that make it on tape — who make it possible for the songs we like to have meaning. Finally, big ups to the people who influenced most, if not all, of the grooves listed on this page:
All the best in 2010. Peace forever — forever, ever.
December 24
Wow, we like making lists and creating summaries. I was working on a wrap up to the year via tweets but saw this great digest of the year:
BU Today did a fun semester wrap up, too. But, check out Time Magazine‘s negative take on the decade – “Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade from Hell.” For real? Can you pick a random increment of time and sum up the state of the world for all of us? Ten years of hell? Were there any points of inspiration? Do we really need to put a name on a decade? Can’t we just take it all in as being what it is – life?
I prefer the way our students ended the year – singing and dancing:
Another year around the sun. All the best.
Peace.
December 18
Rachel Weil and Athena Laines – two seniors studying in the College of Arts and Sciences — represented in and around the UN Climate Summit and Klimaforum09, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rach and Athena are back on Comm Ave. Here’s the last post from Denmark (you can also get the rundown on Rach and Athena’s search for eco-meaning on BU Today):
DAY FIVE & six
Our last day in Copenhagen was certainly one of the most action-packed. We got up early to join the ‘Reclaim Power‘ protest, aiming to join activists inside and outside the Bella Center in a people’s assembly to make faster decisions on climate change solutions. The Bella Center, it turns out, is quite far from the city center and the special ‘COP15‘ buses are for badged persons only. Well la-di-da. We finally unite with the march of a couple thousand people shouting about frustrations with the negotiations and capitalism in general (“a ti, a ti, a ti capitalista!”) Here was student activism at its finest, in the most global cause of them all. So global, in fact, that there were many different motives for the march being conveyed. But at the heart of it was this urgency for solutions to a problem not being properly addressed at these conferences.
The protest was met by the most politi (police) that I have ever seen in my life. I heard that about 75% of the Danish police force and army were in Copenhagen for the conference. As activists linked arms and tried to push through over fences and police cars, the patrol became violent and used pepper spray to deter the nonviolent demonstrators. Activist first aid teams were in place, as people came staggering over blinded by the pepper spray or hurt by other acts of brutality. About 250 people were arrested this day, and the NGOs who particpated inside the Bella Center, attempting to get out, were banished from the negotiations for the next few days. As I learned later that day from my friend Frederik, the protest lasted until after dark, but ultimately no one was able to enter the center.
While I am certainly an advocate of non-violence, this issue requires a kind of urgency that is very difficult to convey. Protests, marches, hunger strikes and photo petitions all certainly help the cause and attract new advocates; but we need a kind of demonstration that is can be furthered on a day to day basis. The basic valuation of our future existence is at stake for shorter term political and economic goals that will seem miniscule very soon to the Tuvalus and Maldives of the world. We’re down to the last straws in this conference, and even if miraculously the ‘high-level’ officials and diplomats arriving to Copenhagen in the next 24 hours decide to set a binding emissions target (or the Governator will be back), its going to come down to the people. These talks have exposed a greater public to the urgency of addressing climate change for nations already needing to make adaptations, as well as general exposure for global interest in the issue. So thank you, Copenhagen and your many pseudonyms of the last few weeks, for raising the world’s awareness and engaging a global population in one of the most consequential challenges of our time.
Rachel Weil
Day 5 and 6.December 16 and 17
My last full day in Copenhagen was packed full of stuff. We woke up early to move into a hostel for the last day before it was off to a protest at the Bella Center. It was definitely the most intense protest I have ever been to. People were there from all over the world and chanting was taking place in languages I could not understand. Although there was a few different messages being conveyed, one of the overall themes was “System Change, Not Climate Change.” This protest was about fundamentally changing the way countries interact with each other through trade, through food and through climate justice. As we approached the center, the police started to step up their presence and let us know the center was closed to us. It did not matter to the protests as they tried repeatedly on the count of 3 to push into the center to meet those NGO’s who were trying to meet us on the outside. We left after we realized the “people’s assembly” was not going to meet. I heard tear gas and pepper spray was used both on the protesters on the outside and on the NGO’s on the inside and that it lasted until the early evening without the people’s assembly meeting.
Afterwards, we headed to Klimaforum09 to listen in on a panel talk on Tibet’s struggles caused by both its occupation of China and climate change. They explained how a changing climate was changing the lives of nomads in Tibet. People that were living off the grassland for thousands of years were now forced to look elsewhere for a way of life. The last event for the night was Copenhagen’s Earth Hour. Although Earth Hour is held each year at the end of March, Copehhagen used its Hopenhagen Live stage to bring the event to the COP15 city. It was an interesting event because the lights all over the city did turn off but events continued on the stage, blaring lights and all. I wonder if the organizers thought about the obvious hypocrisy of asking everyone to turn off their lights yet they kept the lights going for the whole hour for different musical acts. Our last day in Copenhagen was powerful, and the next day we were off to catch our plane.
My trip to Copenhagen, during the most important international talks on climate change was the most amazing experience in my life. I met so many different people with many different points of views. I learned a little more about how climate change was affecting those in the 3rd world nations as well as what ordinary people were doing to curb their own emissions. The energy in the city was unlike anything I had ever felt. With talks expected to run late into the night, I would only hope world leaders would take a few minutes to learn from all those who traveled far and wide to be at a city that could serve as a turning point for the climate change movement.
Athena Laines
Saw this comment – on the BU Today site – that adds another point of view to Rach and Athena’s observations:
I also just returned from Copenhagen as an NGO observer; being in the conference was a very different experience from the Hopenhagen events and the Klimaforum, both of which I sat in on for a while. The whole scene was really interesting, especially in the Bella Center and circulating around with people like the head of the UNDP, UN Foundation, and World Food Program. From what I gathered (my group met with Al Gore on Wednesday morning as I was flying out), Al Gore is not very optimistic about the process. As of Tuesday, the ministers still hadn’t decided what form of a treaty they were negotiating at all… so basically they weren’t getting anywhere because it still hasn’t been determined whether the treaty will be one treaty or whether it will be two tracks with the Kyoto Protocol countries on one and everyone else on another. Hopefully in the coming days the heads of state will do something, but beware the results. No matter what happens by tomorrow, they will call it victory; 110 or so heads of state cannot show up and not call whatever they achieve a victory. Look carefully at the substance… it may be called a victory, but may not be at all.
We’ve also been following Rachel and Athena’s tweets. Rach and Athena are back – ask them about their travels and their search for eco-meaning.
Peace.
December 17
Hope you’ve been following Rachel Weil and Athena Laines – two seniors studying in the College of Arts and Sciences — in and around the UN Climate Summit and Klimaforum09, in Copenhagen, Denmark. They represented in Hopenhagen and sent daily reflections back to Comm Ave as our guest bloggers this week. Rach and Athena are on their way back to Beantown, but they got this post off before leaving Denmark (you can also get the rundown on Rach and Athena’s search for eco-meaning on BU Today):
Day four began as a wonderfully festive winter day in Freetown Christiania, Copenhagen’s alternative communal society. This self-proclaimed autonomous township is notorious for anarchist sentiments, squatters, and a market for cannabis. During the COP15, Christiania has been the site of the ‘Climate Bottom’ meetings, addressing the spiritual and more radical sides to the climate change movement. Intense riots have occurred here as well, notably one last night involving tear gas and a massive police presence. Today however, as fat flakes fell on the tents and reappropriated warehouses, people were calmer and spoke of ‘cradle to cradle’ design (aka C2C), designing products to follow natural processes, at the daily meeting. Soup and hot tea was offered at the people’s kitchen, and babies and older folks alike gathered together in the tent.
We wandered further down the bicycle-lined path and found the Christmas market, or Juleloses, a beautiful indoor market of handmade goods, ‘Bevar Christiania’ (save Christiania) pins, charming gnome ornaments (one of which my roommates may be getting as a present) and other holiday wares. People sat around drinking gløgg, a mulled wine that reminded me of a wintertime sangria, eating gingersnaps and listening to new agey Christmas tunes played by a bearded man on a keyboard. The number of smiling babies attached in some way to their parents would make Angelina go crazy. Even a little Jewish girl like me felt the Christmas spirit in a way only a Danish communal market would allow.
Later on we met up with Andy, a friend who has been studying in Geneva and Frederik, a Danish student activist I met also in Madrid. After Greek food (Danish food=meat, thus no sampling fromthese vegetarians) we jumped into the huge crowd at the open-frigid-air Hopenhagen-sponsored Gogol Bordello concert for awhile. We went to a café where Frederik volunteers filled with international activists sharing cups of coffee and hot soy chocolate. Patrons of the café shared their frustrations with the slow pace of the negotiations as well as their enthusiasm about the ‘Southern’ countries (the G-77 et al) really stepping up their game. The leaders and inhabitants of these countries are rising above the tide as the leaders of the climate change movement in a way no celebrity or former Vice President could. Now more than ever I believe that it will be these inspiring nations-who are ignored much too often- that will really ignite this whole climate change thing.
Rachel Weil
Day 4 – December 15, 2009
Today Rach and I decided to get insight into an alternate way of living in a city by visiting the alternative commune of Christiania bright and early in the morning. Only that turned out to be closer to noon. Once we got there though, it was unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced. The community exists semi-autonomously so they help one another out through cheap community food and a self-sustained neighborhood. It had the feeling of times past, before big central governments and the times of police. While we were there, we attended a climate bottom talk on “Cradle to Cradle” idea of building and creating products. From production to destruction, all materials for building are checked for chemical contents and ability to disassembled for future reuse. The idea is applied to create everything from office chairs to buildings. Further exploration of Christiania gave way to a view of a free community of artwork and interesting people with stories to tell. We wandered over to the Julemarked or Christmas Market and found a delightful assortment of trinkets and decorations. I had to stop myself from buying something from every stand. They had things from dinnerware to chocolates and clothing. I bought a gift for my sister and ornament for my tree back home.
Things can get quite pricey in Copenhagen, even with the 5-1 exchange rate with the Danish Kroner. Good meals here (unless you count soup or salad as a meal) on average here are usually 80 kroner or more typically. To make matters worse being a vegetarian has made it even harder. The Danish love their meats, especially herring, their national fish. Surprisingly I have eaten more Greek and Mediterranean food here than I think I have eaten in my entire life, despite being half Greek. Copenhagen is home to a wide variety of ethnic foods much to my taste buds enjoyment. I just am not able to enjoy traditional Danish meals sadly. Also there are so many babies in Copenhagen! I love how parents bring their babies out on their daily routines rather than leaving them home with a babysitter of family member. All bundled up and tucked into their carriages, the babies are the cutest things I have ever seen. Lastly, I cannot get over how friendly the Danish have been. Even though we clearly give off the vibe of tourists despite our best tries not to, we have been greeted with nothing but warm cheer and openness.
The night ended with a concert in the city center and a trip to visit a friend of Rachel’s in an all volunteer café. The band was Gogol Bordello, makers of the song “Start Wearing Purple,” and they packed in the square at Hopenhagen Live. Their infusion of gypsy punk with a violin and accordion made it easy for people to join in and dance in their own funky way. The café we went to had limited offerings but we chatted with a visitor from Germany and shared snippets of the history of each of our governments. He tried to explain their multi-party system which sounded so different. I always love a good political talk. With only one full day left I can’t believe this will all be ending so soon.
Athena Laines
We’ve also been following Rachel and Athena’s tweets. Safe travel Rach and Athena – can’t wait to hear more about your travels and your search.
Peace.
December 16
Hope you’ve been following Rachel Weil and Athena Laines – two seniors studying in the College of Arts and Sciences — in and around the UN Climate Summit and Klimaforum09, in Copenhagen, Denmark. They continue to hold it down for us by sending daily reflections back to Comm Ave — they’re guest blogging this week. Check back for more notes from Rachel and Athena.
DAY THREE
On Monday, the city led us astray as a demonstration blocked all buses from running and a military marching band intersected our path and captured our attentions. They were leaving from the Amalienborg winter palace of the Danish monarchy, followed by police and camouflaged men. Were these choreographed processions gearing up to meet the anarchical demonstrators in an age old tradition vs. progress stand off? Only in my head. But what a city of contrasts!
During the day, we were awed by the newfound “eco-celebs” of the climate change movement. At Klimaforum, the “people’s climate summit” happening in conjunction with the COP15, 350.org‘s Bill McKibben and President Mohammed Nasheed of the Maldives got the crowd riled up chanting “350.” 350 has become THE number of the climate change movement, and the level of CO2 concentration being equated with survival. (see later photo). McKibben pointed out: “In the 350 world, there was poverty, there was war. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked physically.” He emphasized how 350 is a number directly from respected scientists, and its adoption as a global movement is historical in many senses, as evidenced by the 350 international day of climate action photos taken from around the world.
President Nasheed, delayed in arriving, has been a political prisoner and a political activist for years. As an ‘intellectual heir of Gandhian positions,’ Nasheed has taken creative action to express the need to address climate change’s effects in the Maldives. Translation: his cabinet held an underwater meeting on Oct. 24th, scuba gear and all. This guy takes out all stops. He is truly an environmental hero; an honest to goodness rock star.
Today the G-77, or the 77 poorest nations represented at the COP15, walked out on negotiations, claiming that the rich nations have to take the first step. This may have slowed the talks, but these brave 77 are those who will be first affected by climate change due to the actions of other more wealthy nations. If the last few days have taught me anything, its that climate change is global, and negotiations need to focus on the needs and concerns of the most vulnerable, not those wielding the most political power.
Rachel Weil
I peeped tomorrow’s posts – great stuff. Thanks for holding it down Rachel and Athena. Peace and safe travels.
December 15
Rachel Weil (CAS ’10) and Athena Laines (CAS ’10) are holding it down, this week, in and around the UN Climate Summit and Klimaforum09, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rachel and Athena have sent daily reflections back to Comm Ave, and we want to make sure you check them out on this blog. Check back for more dispatches.
DAY TWO
Day two allowed us more daylight, but only marginally. Our ventures brought us first to the IISD(International Institute of Sustainable Development) Development & Climate Days, a series of panels about issues and concerns related to the COP15. As the delegates of the 21 and under generation, Athena and I listened to discussions about adaptation; a reality many countries will have to deal with in the near future. Project leaders from Bangladesh spoke about the problems of having extreme droughts in some areas and intense storms in others. The Nepalese representative spoke about the fires due to lack of melting glaciers in the Himalayas. (Thats right- they’re already gone.) The countries all shared the need for refuge for their soon to be refugees. NAPAs and LAPAs, national and local adaptation plans of action, are now being negotiated and in some cases enacted in these countries already facing their worst nightmares.
Later, we met up with Inge, a Danish friend of mine I met studying abroad in Madrid. She was offered a position as an attache for the COP, but could not, as she is currently writing her thesis. Nevertheless, she gave us her perspective on things- noting how lively the city was for a Sunday night and the heavy population of tourists. She works in a fair trade shop/cafe, and gets endless questions about the COP goings-on. As she searched for the word vigil, she expressed some cynicism about the huge environmental footprint the conference is making. I have questioned this many times personally, considering all the people flown in this weekand the increased pressure put on this relatively small, waterlogged plot of land. While I will battle with this eco-guilt for awhile, it will all be worth it for a solid, binding emissions target.
We’ve already witnessed many different perspectives of climate change and approaches to solving the crisis. To me, this is the best thing about being here in Copenhagen: observing and interacting with different groups and individuals, seeing the top down (government) and bottom up (grassroot peoples movements) approaches, while not forgetting those in the middle (the regional level emphasized in Prof. Selin‘s Global Environmental Negotiations class). This is systemic change being addressed here, and we can’t afford to forget anybody.
Rachel Weil
Sunday, December 13
I was still adjusting to the time change while I was sitting at the cutest tea shop ever, sipping on some herbal tea and eating a chocolate scone. We took a bus to the first stop of the day, the COP15 Development and Climate Days conference set up by the International Institute for Environment and Development. Public transportation is very expensive here, with buses costing 21 kroner (~$4) and metro and trains costing a minimum of 31 kroner (~$6) The conference was pretty interesting and at times intense. The theme of the day was adaptation to climate change. I struggle a lot with this topic because up until recently I feared that the world would focus too many resources on adaptation and not enough to prevent the worst effects of climate change from happening. The talk helped me realize just how much was already happening and opened my eyes more to the struggle of third world countries that are battling droughts and floods. This became very evident in the second session with “high level” panelists from organizations such as the World Bank and UNEP. They had a representative from Bangladesh who ended up stealing the show when he discussed the people who are suffering in his country already and he hopes that other countries will help those who are having trouble helping themselves. His words were the most inspiring especially when he talked about how the UN is made up of nation-states, not “water states” and that whole countries will disappear and completely lose representation because they will be underwater unless countries make a strong commitment to curb carbon emissions. I was moved and so was everybody else in the room. He was the only one from all the talks to get several rounds of applause while he spoke.
After the conference we walked around the city some more on our way back to Klimaforum09. We entered a church where we found out former Archbishop Desmond Tutu had spoke earlier. The church had a beautiful clean look to it. Although the walls were a plain cream color, the inside perimeter was lined with giant statues of saints. Afterwards we got some crepes and entered an exhibit on the arctic set up by the WWF. In the center was a mostly melted sculpture of a polar bear. I was excited to see it because my sister had told me about it and told me to go see it. The ice sculpture was melting away to show the skeletal frame they had inside, another symbol of the loss we’ll have if humans continue on our destructive path. Next we walked passed the city square again with its giant globe. This time I noticed their tree was being lit by bicycle power, or at least it is part of the time. As a side note, that is another thing about this city; it is very bicycle friendly. Bicycles have their own lane throughout the city and even their own stoplight. Since the lane is often raised a bit, it led a few trips and almost falls during my often clumsy walks in the city. I spend most of the day wishing I had a bike to ride around because it would make traveling so much easier.
To end the night we rode Copenhagen’s Ferris wheel, a big feet for me since I tend to be terrified of heights. It was worth the extra stress for me because at the top was a beautiful view of a city teaming with people, even on a cold night Sunday night. On a quick stop over to see the last event at Klimaforum09, we heard a woman from eastern Uganda talk about how climate change had totally changed the way the women farm there. No longer did they have two regular growing seasons. Instead, they are replaced by flash floods and months of droughts. At first she though it was God’s work but after attending a seminar in Kampala, she learned about climate change and wanted to come to Copenhagen on behalf of Oxfam to share her story about the effect it has had on her life. When we checked into our room on the boat later that night we realized that we would be in very tight quarters for the next few nights. It did not matter how small the room though. I passed out after a very long and tiring day.
Athena Laines
Thanks for holding it down Rachel and Athena! Looking forward to your next post.
December 15
We are proud to have Rachel Weil (CAS ‘10) and Athena Laines (CAS ‘10) as part of the Boston University contingent to the Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, this week. Rachel and Athena will be providing us daily reports while at the summit, and we will be featuring them on the Dean’s Blog! Check back tomorrow for more reports!
Saturday, December 13
Getting onto the plane, I was a bit anxious. It didn’t help that we were probably the youngest people on the plane much to Rach and my surprise. Flying is not my forte. Luckily it was a smooth ride on both our ride to Reykjavik and on our way to Copenhagen. Upon our arrival, it hit me; I was no longer on American grounds. I was now in “Hopenhaven,” a town where the hopes and dreams of millions of people from all over the world were resting on. Ad after ad pressed a sense of urgency and an image of climate action into my head.
After getting lost for a bit looking for the our so called “Ship15,” I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was located in popular tourist part of town next to the famed Den lille havfrue or Little Mermaid statue. Next to it was a powerful statue, probably placed as part of the conference, was another statue titled “Survival of the Fattest.” It shows a fat woman holding scales riding on the back of a starved African. It symbolizes the wealthy nations getting a free ride on the backs third world countries while pretending to do what is best for him. It was a powerful message that I carried with me throughout the day.
(image from www.hopenhagen.org)
Our first mission was to find some food so we wandered the streets a bit with a guide book that I borrowed from a friend as our only compass. We happened upon Kongens Nytorv (King’s New Square), the biggest square in the city. The food was expensive but we found some good Thai food and I found a lovely statue at the Christmas market of a kid rolling a snowball, a gift for my mom. We then met up with Rachel Leon, BU alum and form Environmental Student Association president. Her trip was waning down but she was filled with excitement as she talked about her involvement in the day’s protest. The three of us spent the night walking around the city and exploring some of the exhibits set up around the city. We went through climate maze of sheets filled with people’s comments from all over the world. It was set up as part of the Seal the Deal campaign set by the UN earlier this year. While I was reading it, it reminded me just how global the issue is and how people all around the world have high hopes for the conference. Rachel gave us a tour through parts of the city on our way to our first trip to Klimaforum09, labeled the global civil society counterpart of the official UN conference. We stopped by a small boat set up by fisher folk to promote fisherman who will be hurt by climate change. With loud trance music blasting in the background, I warmed my feet and took in the feeling of comradery. Probably the most striking image of the day was the giant globe set up in the city center, home base to the Hopenhagen Live events. Surrounded by bright green cubed rooms, the gigantic globe scrolled the one line hope and dreams of that people submitted from all over the world. The rooms themselves contained everything from souvenir shops to an exhibit about what cities are doing to become more sustainable. More intense trance music was playing on a giant stage set up in the square. The night was cold but the city was filled with bright lights that amazed me. The city looked like one big Christmas town, with buildings outlined in lights. I thought of New York’s Time Square only the lights were much more strategically planned to highlight the architecture of the city. Some buildings like the Magasin du Nord, a department store, looked like a gingerbread house with all its lights. I also began to see just how different the people of Denmark are. They are so friendly and nice and the city is so safe. Bikes are usually not chained no one is afraid it will get stolen. It is so different from Boston. Not a bad first day.
Athena Laines
December 14
We are proud to have Rachel Weil (CAS ’10) and Athena Laines (CAS ’10) as part of the Boston University contingent to the Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, this week. Rachel and Athena will be providing us daily reports while at the summit, and we will be featuring them on the Dean’s Blog! Check back Tuesday for more reports!
We knew something was up as soon as we stepped off the plane. A multicultural throng of people greeted us in front of a banner reading: “Welcome to Hopenhagen.” After a layover in oh-so modern Rejkjavik airport at 6 am, many thing could seem surreal, so I went with it. Advertisement after advertisement tied companies and organizations to cutting carbon emissions or fighting climate change. Coca cola had its own Hopenhagen campaign with indie-looking graphics. A distressed, greying Barack Obama was pictured next to an older Angela Merckel in an Tcktcktck ad campaign for 2020: Reflecting on what they didn’t do at the COP15. The only publicity not conference related was a bunch of scantily clad Dolce & Gabbana models, but they were probably climate refugees, right?
As we traveled around the city, searching for our massive ship hotel, we saw a city already aligned with many of the principles being touted by climate activists: fervent bicycle use (with separate lanes and traffic lights, no less!), copious recycling bins in public and private establishments, and collective “people’s kitchens”, serving low cost organic and local food. Its the perfect place to set an example for the rest of the world. Especially at this time of year, when the Danes seem full of Christmas cheer and glogg (mulled wine).
The largest climate change protest unfolded this day, with a reported 100,000 in attendance, and 900 arrested. The “flood” of people, many dressed and painted in blue, marched to the Bella Center, where the COP15 is being held, and ended in a vigil being held around the world for the climate refugees in conjunction with the organization 350.org. The protest was all around the news, as many of you in the US probably saw. People coming together, peacefully for the most part, sending the message that its time to confront the growing emissions problem, for our generation and future generations.
Rachel Weil
