Following a harrowing 26 hour journey that placed me snowbound in the Washington D.C, Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel at 2:30 a.m., I decided to provide my own Washington Post before heading down to the lobby to pick up a Sunday edition of the Washington Post. My ordeal in getting here began with flights from Copenhagen to Warsaw to Newark. I was then forced to transfer to an Amtrak train to D.C. since Dulles International Airport closed due to the blizzard. I wrote this post on the Warsaw to Newark connection.
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After waiting several hours in the press briefing room for an official announcement of the-already leaked-"Copenhagen Accord", I finally threw in the towel about 1:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The ever dwindling media contingent was then down to perhaps a dozen souls. Several were waiting-out their final Copenhagen hours in the press room before catching early morning return flights directly from the Bella Center.
Many members of this accredited international media corps were incensed that President Obama never gave an official briefing to them. Even though we were in the epicenter of the negotiations, our dynamic information was being pulled from the internet. Unnamed officials were feeding information directly to the AP and White House press corps. It appears that this was a political decision because the "Copenhagen Accord" had only been agreed to by the U.S., China, India, and several other key players. The G-77 and E.U. had not yet agreed as President Obama was already heading back west aboard Air Force One. Obama was likely in no position to face and answer the many remaining questions from the on-site media. Was it really a legitimate "Accord" without the G77 and EU?
As I walked out into the frigid dreary early a.m. hours, a hearty protest group-numbering in the hundreds-rhythmically chanted "The Atmosphere Does Not Compromise." A significant police presence separated the protest group from those of us departing the Bella Center. A long walk down a fenced alleyway directed me to a stairwell leading up to the Metro platform. On the platform, I returned to overlook the protest group below. Their chant theme had changed to "Shame On You Obama".
The sense of most-or shall I say all-of those with whom I had spoken before departing the Bella Center was disappointment-mostly at U.S. unwillingness to agree to more aggressive emissions cuts and greater funding for poorer nations. Nevertheless, the "Accord"--although weak-is a start.
Following a three-legged journey via metro, train, and 15 minute walk, I arrived at my Copenhagen hotel about 2:00 a.m. Cold and tired, I snuggled under my down-feather comforter and clicked on the news. BBC was broadcasting the E.U. press conference being held live in the briefing room I had left little more than an hour before. The E.U. was announcing its reluctant agreement to the "Accord". "It is not perfect...There are many weakness...[but], there are also many strengths." They declared it an important first step in unifying the global community behind a necessary global effort to address our climate crisis.
Was COP15 in Copenhagen a success? In my view-Yes. There are many measures of success. In this case, I agree with the E.U. Nations from around the globe have come together to fully recognize that the climate crisis extends beyond borders and boundaries. It extends beyond ideologies and political affiliations. All Heads-of-State echoed a similar theme - our planet needs to be fixed if we want to leave a sustainable Earth for our children, grandchildren, and those as yet unborn.
The disagreement is no longer about the science - that is clearly documented from decades of data collection and analysis. There remains a climate change debate, but, that debate has shifted to economics and fairness with complex moral implications.
I obtained an early "draft" of the Accord.
"The Heads of State, Heads of Governments, Ministers, and other heads of delegation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen...Have agreed on the Copenhagen Accord which is operational immediately." I present a few statements from the Accord as bullet points.
• Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
• We recognize the critical impacts of climate change and the potential impacts of response measures on countries particularly vulnerable to its adverse effects.
• We agree that deep cuts in global emissions are required according to science, and as documented by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report.
• Adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change and the potential impacts of response measures is a challenge faced by all countries.
The appendices of the Accord- "Quantified Economy-Wide Emissions Targets for 2020" for developed countries and "Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions of Developing Country Parties"- remain blank. Much work needs to be done
The Copenhagen Accord-for all its weakness-is an extraordinary first step. COP15 was a success.
Well this is a good step towards stopping global warming. What I dont understand is why anybody in their right mind would protest actions to save the environment. The facts are there, that global warming is real. It is rediculous that people would say "The atmosphehe doesnt change." Thats false. Im almost positive is varies slightly throughout the year, and because of global warming, it is changing, and not for the better. If anything, they should be protesting to speed up the process and protest to have governments agree upon actions quicker. Copenhagen did seem to be a success though. Global warming has been brought to attention and most countries agree it needs to be dealt with. Now the next step is we need to actually act upon it.