It's Week Two

It's week two, and this is what we've been preparing for. Last week we focused our efforts on identifying the role that the U.S. would play at COP15. The results are in… we have overwhelmingly found it to be sub-par. The two most critical areas where increased commitments are crucial to human survival are (1) emission reductions, and more immediately (2) financial aid for vulnerable nations. Based on recent meetings between US youth and our leading climate negotiators, we are able to say (sadly) that there is about a 0.01% chance of increasing our existing mitigation targets, which stand at a whopping 4% cut in 1990 emissions by 2020. However, IF (and only if) we are able to show the Administration that the American people support the financial "bail out" of our island and African nations, THEN Obama would be willing to put more than a lousy $10 billion/year for three years on the table at COP15.



As young people (many of us without steady income, perhaps it may be difficult for us to reason that $30 billion is not sufficient aid... let me share something that I heard on Friday from Sudanese chairman of the G77 Lumumba Di-Aping, "Ten billion dollars will neither buy food nor coffins [for the African people most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change]." After noting this, let's think of recent time when our government was able to generate MASSIVE funding... the war... and my personal favorite, the $3 trillion bailout of US banks and bankers! Now, I would like to think that the government would be able to assist in bailing out our nearly doomed developing nations, as well as our future, if it can muster up the finances to secure the safety of our bankers.

According to Jonathon Pershing, secondary negotiator for the US at COP15, this sort of financial commitment will only be considered if overwhelming American support is displayed. Pershing clarified that he wants the same strong, science-based climate treaty that our youth delegates are calling for, but our numbers are not enough; we simply have not expanded or diversified our movement enough. Let’s be honest… this is true. In order to ensure the survival of our dear friends in these troubled nations, as well as our children’s future, we must be turning out larger numbers in our movement. We need our parents and our friends from high school who we’ve lost touch with. We need our faith groups and local community members, as well. WE HAVE TO REACH BEYOND THE CHOIR!

I understand that all of this is inconvenient. I do. More than anything, I hoped that I could leave Copenhagen carrying news of a strong-binding climate treaty, but I’m afraid this will not be the reality. We have to remember that our generation is not only facing humanity’s greatest challenge, but also its greatest opportunity.

Here are a few words to live by (that you will certainly be hearing more about): YES WE CAN. YES WE MUST. YES WE WILL.