Encounter with a Hero; an Honest to Goodness Rock Star

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.