2020 Climate Solution Meshwork

http://2020.global.gaiaspace.org/global/

A global initiative to create greater coherence and impact in the key areas related to climate change, ecosystems and global transition.

I hung out a lot in Klimaforum at the meshworks arena. This was an interactive and participative networking and agenda setting project. It continues long after COP15 to help people find each other and projects of mutual concern. Have a look at their website and register - then play around with the little icons to see what connections you can make with others.

Marcus

Back home in Devon now. Train, boat, train (and just a bit of cycling). A luxurious way to travel quite a long distance!

Was the trip worth it? Well for me, an environmental campaigner for whom climate change has become the overarching mother of all issues, absolutely. Dipping into events at the Peoples Summit has also pushed ‘climate justice’ much more into my face. At work, I focus on the impacts on damaging change on nature, but I am now much better equipped and motivated to to parallel this with a massive sense of global injustice about where the impacts are going to be felt hardest and most devastatingly.

With three days to go at the official climate negotiations, the time for posturing rapidly shifts to a focus on leadership for real change - for a safer climate. Will Obama et al  pull it off, who knows?

Back home in Britain, I suppose at least I sense a real tipping point. Given the deep cynicism amongst us all about politics, the contrary nature of humanity, the vested interests at play, that more than half of Brits support real change here at home is a great sign.

Plenty more to do on all this in 2010.

Mark

From me, some final reflections: I wore a blue ‘milli-band’ (see previous photo) from the Bristol 350 action weekend until Copenhagen. A sort of promise to myself - many of my students at University can also be seen sporting these.

On reflection I was inspired by the deep understanding of the issues by the youth and the people from the ‘poor’ counties. Also their creativity, spirit and values. I was deeply dismayed by the ‘official’ positions, lack of brave leadership and ‘what’s in it for us’ attitude of the leaders of the ‘rich’ countries.

Climate Justice seemed a new and spreading demand with the idea of reparations and not aid. Will we see an emerging new global governance based on new values or will we see increasing unease and tension as waves of climate casualties and climate refugees become a norm over the next decade?

I have learned a lot,  about global politics and the health of environments for both people and the flora and fauna, by taking a risk and making this trip,

Marcus

The Pølser sequence

It’s street food. Much maligned but we eventually found a stall selling the famous frankfurter like sausage in a BROWN roll, with home-made chutney (Remoulade) and reports even of a new organic Pølser stand in Copenhagen!

Some random travel photos we didn’t get a chance to post

Another small blogging cycling combo we met a few times on our travels.
Team pic for: thecarboncycle:

Jesse’s arrival in Copenhagen. Saturday (12th Dec) morning  - we overlapped by two hours - together with her fellow Warwick ‘People and Planet’ students, Owen (pictured) and Charlie (has puncture and still 10 miles away)  - she takes on the reporting relay now.

The Warwick student cycling group, Jesse (Marcus’s daughter), Owen and Charlie are in Copenhagen until Thursday mid-day.  Visit their blog at http://warwickcycle2copenhagen.tumblr.com. We will repost any big developments at the people’s summit and good photos onto this site.

Marcus and Mark

Dear Marcus and Mark:  I was talking by phone to Helen this morning and asked her to send us good reporting on Copenhagen which is sadly missing from the local mainstream press [USA], and she mentioned your trip and blog and there it was on Google.

I wish we had gone to Copenhagen too, looking at your photos of the non-governmental meetings.  We went to a UN Habitat conference in Vancouver many years ago and I will never forget the energy and commitment of all the NGO groups.

So thank you for going and sharing the experience and we will be watching and spreading news of the blog here,

Janet & Rod
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Janet Crane     Freebairn-Smith and Crane
Planning, Urban Design, Architecture
442 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA

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