Jessy Tolkan speaks about the extreme frustration that U.S. treaty delegation is NOT listening to the voices of U.S. students. Tolkan is nationally recognized youth leader with the US based Energy Action Coalition

Copenhagen Update from Earthbeat Host Mike Tidwell:

As of Wednesday morning the international treaty talks have turned chaotic and discouraging. The summary: The United States is emerging more and more as the country blocking any meaningful progress. Despite efforts by activists worldwide to highlight the importance of 350 parts per million as the only safe level of carbon in the atmosphere, the US is doing its best to persuade all nations to abandon any talk of science-based reductions and simply wants to collect all the currently weak emissions reduction pledges and just crank out a watered-down treaty most convenient for America.

The scene here at the Bella Center in Copenhagen has been tense. Hundreds of activists and delegates walked out earlier this morning to protest the restriction of access. Many leaders of American climate NGOs are either already denied access to the center or will lose access soon. It’s a disgrace. Friends of the Earth activists and others have spent the morning sitting down in protest outside the center.

Security here and throughout the city is intense. Police dogs outside the center. Coming through the airport-like x-ray machines, I was asked to demonstrate that my water bottle was not poison by taking a swallow in front of security representatives.

I’ve talked to several leaders of the climate movement – including Gillian Caldwell of 1Sky and Jessy Tolkan of Energy Action – and everyone is sort of in a mixed state of anger, panic, and sadness. How can the US be so intransigent? Obama actually telephoned the presidents of Bangladesh and Ethiopia Tuesday to basically try to charm them away from science-based demands.

Danish diplomat Connie Hedegaard, official head of these treaty talks, told delegates yesterday you can leave on Friday in “fame or shame.” Tragically, the latter looks more likely at this point, although miracles can happen.

There appears to be some progress on rainforest protection today, according to the New York Times. But the two other main issues – financing clean energy development in poor nations and rich-nation commitments to serious emissions cuts – are totally unresolved.

I think Greenpeace International best described the current situation in the press release excerpt below. Also keep turned here to Earthbeat Radio for our continued coverage of the conference.

Onward,
Mike Tidwell
Earthbeat Host & Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Greenpeace International statement Wednesday morning from Copenhagen:

“This situation is ridiculous and unacceptable to the millions of people around the world demanding that heads of state agree a climate saving deal this week.

“The talks are still stalled – because the industrialised country Ministers appear to have left their political will at home. Let’s hope their heads of state don’t forget to pack theirs” said Kaisa Kosonen, of Greenpeace International.

At the heart of the problem was the US’s insistence that governments abandon any idea of science-based, legally binding targets and instead try to simply add up any targets on the table and make that the overall outcome for the talks.

The US was also trying to toughen obligations on developing countries, whilst trying to get away with a weaker obligation on themselves.

“The US, the world’s richest country with the largest historical emissions is holding these talks hostage. If Obama doesn’t put new targets and long term finance on the table this week, he will be the leader remembered for causing a breakdown in Copenhagen and guaranteeing climate chaos,” said Damon Moglen of Greenpeace US.

The UN Climate meeting is underway in Copenhagen. Outside, massive street demonstrations and alternative forums outside the Bella conference center focus the energy of tens of thousands of activists. Inside, developing countries push for action against the foot-dragging of the U.S. and a handful of wealthy countries.

In this special edition of Earthbeat, host Mike Tidwell reports from Denmark. We hear from representatives of the thousands of activists who have been locked out of the center. Then, the stirring words from the President of the Maldives Islands, Mohamed Nasheed and the founder of the group 350.org, Bill McKibben about the desperate need for true action on climate change.

More posts and updates will be coming, so keep tuning in right here for updates all week!

Indymedia Denmark is running a radio show daily with reports and interviews from the street in several languages, as well as a continuous loop of past content.

Image by Adam Welz for 350.org, used for media permission, all rights reserved

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The United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen, Denmark is underway. Joining host Mike Tidwell to discuss what’s occurring during the official meeting is author and climate activist Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org. And from the floor of the Copenhagen talks themselves is Jennifer Morgan, the director of the World Resources Institute’s Climate and Energy Program.

Peter Barnes joins us to discuss his views of the current status of climate action. Peter is is with the social justice group On the Commons based in San Francisco. He’s also the author of the book Who Owns the Sky? and a supporter of a cap and dividend way of combating climate change.

Then, we get a view of what’s occurring outside the official U.N. Climate meeting from George Marshall, the founder of the Climate Outreach and Information Network from Wales, UK and from the Copenhagen meeting itself is Jihan Gearon of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

Image from © Greenpeace / Christian Åslund all rights reserved

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Thanks in most part to those fires, Indonesia is the world’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter standing right up with China and the U.S. Joining host Mike Tidwell to discuss the devastation to the area – and its consequences for our climate are Greenpeace forest activists Rolf Skar in San Francisco and Chiara Campione in Italy.

Then we hear about a rock that naturally traps carbon dioxide right out of the air. It’s kinda like the ‘anti-coal;’ we speak to researcher Sam Krevor of Stanford University’s Energy Resources Engineering Department.

Host Mike Tidwell then speaks directly to President Obama on how leadership could drive the United States into a clean energy future, if only he took the reins and lead the nation. Read that commentary here.

Music by Jacco Muller – Viento del Desierto. Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

Image copyright John Novis for Greenpeace, all rights reserved.

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Al Gore’s long-awaited follow up to ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ is in bookstores. ‘Our Choice’ is a master plan for fighting climate change. Joining host Mike Tidwell to talk about the book is Joe Romm. Joe is the author of the website Climate Progress and the author of the book Hell or High Water.

Then speaking of high water, we review a lawsuit by victims of Hurricane Katrina against the oil companies that they say contributed to the ferocity of the storm. We speak to Hannah McCrea, the author of the website Warming Law, and F. Gerald Maples, the lead attorney in the case.

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The connections between population and climate change go far beyond the recent comments by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Kathleen Mogelgaard of Population Action International speaks to host Mike Tidwell about how giving women the control they want over the size of their families ends up being a win-win for them, and the climate.

CNN called the recent 350 Day of Action “the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history.” We speak to 350.org founder and climate hero Bill McKibben.

Then, host Mike Tidwell reviews the latest climate news and views, including his recent op-ed in the Baltimore Sun.

Image from Hyderabad, India’s 350 action, used courtesy of 350.org.

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