From Hong Kong, via Nokia
After spending Saturday at CPH airport, reading the major UK weekend editions, and now checking the press releases and general comment into which I am plugged, I think we must conclude that we're going to have to do "this" ourselves.
It would have been easier with an agreed Accord, including cuts, fundng and so on, but we can't wait. No need for panic, we do have e.g. REDD in the picture, but nothing much has changed, especially in Oz.
Pleased to see the first round of ASI grants out, but we have a very long way to go. 2010 will offer a serious opportunity for us to move our society forward, but now is not the time for a faint heart.
Thanks for looking over my shoulder - I intend to do a couple more posts in the next few days to clean up the housekeeping, but then a short break before we get back into it.
Cheers
Pete
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Thu FLASH: Oz cleans up Fossils
Just joined CAN briefing for the afternoon. (informal plenary speeches REALLY unconstructive and boring.) They use 'etherpad.com' as an online work pad, allowing up to 16 people to jot ideas as they occur, in real time.
Walked in and grabbed CAN ECO news www.climatenetwork.org/eco
to find that Australia cleand up at FoD yesterday. 1st for heavying Tuvalu and other pacific islands to accept 2'c rise and 450ppm, "or else"; and joint 2nd/3rd with Canada and Japan for failing to even keep up with the US's meagre crumbs from the table.
ECO also gave Rudd a rap for supporting the two tracks (Kyoto AND the proposed "Copenhagen Accord"), but noted our pathetic 5% target, and lack of tangible finance numbers.
As the US has joined UK and France in supporting the US$100BN p.a. by 2020 idea.
CAN has a couple of folks in Bella, who said that the delay this morning was due to a Friends of the Chair mtg going on. FoD nominations delayed as day is yet young (1500)
Fossil of the Year was easily won by Canada.
The speeches.
General feeling - echoed in The Guardian - was that Obama's keynote was pretty ordinary, very US-oriented, and didn't push the bounds of already-known US thoughts. US will put in 10BN of the 100BN p.a.
Lula said that Brazil is roughly self-sufficient, and willing to make some sacrifices to achieve more ("Brazil IS committed to helping developing countries").
China was mostly usual noise - nothing really new - supporting transparency (a;ong with the US).
Lesotho (LDC) expressed severe disappointment with current progress, and pushed for consultations to continue after COP. No one spoke for AOSIS or G77.
Walked in and grabbed CAN ECO news www.climatenetwork.org/eco
to find that Australia cleand up at FoD yesterday. 1st for heavying Tuvalu and other pacific islands to accept 2'c rise and 450ppm, "or else"; and joint 2nd/3rd with Canada and Japan for failing to even keep up with the US's meagre crumbs from the table.
ECO also gave Rudd a rap for supporting the two tracks (Kyoto AND the proposed "Copenhagen Accord"), but noted our pathetic 5% target, and lack of tangible finance numbers.
As the US has joined UK and France in supporting the US$100BN p.a. by 2020 idea.
CAN has a couple of folks in Bella, who said that the delay this morning was due to a Friends of the Chair mtg going on. FoD nominations delayed as day is yet young (1500)
Fossil of the Year was easily won by Canada.
The speeches.
General feeling - echoed in The Guardian - was that Obama's keynote was pretty ordinary, very US-oriented, and didn't push the bounds of already-known US thoughts. US will put in 10BN of the 100BN p.a.
Lula said that Brazil is roughly self-sufficient, and willing to make some sacrifices to achieve more ("Brazil IS committed to helping developing countries").
China was mostly usual noise - nothing really new - supporting transparency (a;ong with the US).
Lesotho (LDC) expressed severe disappointment with current progress, and pushed for consultations to continue after COP. No one spoke for AOSIS or G77.
Friday, December 18, 2009
11:57am: The Plenary finally starts...
but we wonder what that actually means. We have just heard that Obama has scrapped his day's schedule and is meeting behind closed doors - aided and abetted by Japan - to move things "forward".
Finally, Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen welcomed delegates to the informal plenary. Unfortunately with so many thousand people apparently watching, the web feed is very intermittent, so we only get every third word or so - but at least we can say we were 'ere 8<)).
He appeared to be followed by Ban Ki Moon, Chinese Premier Wen, Lula da Silva (Brazil), and then Obama took the stage.
We turned off the video and hoped for the best. Then a techo came and rebooted the server...
Interestingly President of Iran, Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was at the same time delivering a Press Conference on the other channel, which made for a surrealistic experience...
Meanwhile, we have wifi up, and here is a snap of my new Canuck mate, waiting for the action to start...
I have been reading some of the Australian press - pretty poor coverage, if I may be so bold. COP is NOT a catastrophe, there is real progress, and there is a desperate desire on the part of all the Heads of State to go home with something worthwhile. Amazingly, the chance of an Australian double dissolution doesn't seem to be affecting things here.
Finally, Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen welcomed delegates to the informal plenary. Unfortunately with so many thousand people apparently watching, the web feed is very intermittent, so we only get every third word or so - but at least we can say we were 'ere 8<)).
He appeared to be followed by Ban Ki Moon, Chinese Premier Wen, Lula da Silva (Brazil), and then Obama took the stage.
We turned off the video and hoped for the best. Then a techo came and rebooted the server... Interestingly President of Iran, Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was at the same time delivering a Press Conference on the other channel, which made for a surrealistic experience...
Meanwhile, we have wifi up, and here is a snap of my new Canuck mate, waiting for the action to start...
I have been reading some of the Australian press - pretty poor coverage, if I may be so bold. COP is NOT a catastrophe, there is real progress, and there is a desperate desire on the part of all the Heads of State to go home with something worthwhile. Amazingly, the chance of an Australian double dissolution doesn't seem to be affecting things here.
Fri: plenary broadcast
sorry, no photos - too hard to insert on the Nokia!
Well, it's now 1107am, and the broadcast shows a melee of back slapping and great goodwill, but of course, nothing's happening. All the delegates are milling about. It allows time for reflection...
I awoke this morning to the BBCWorld report featuring a report from a reporter in Australia: inter alia, "Australians are a nation of deniers and skeptics, more interested in protecting the 'quarry of the world' than doing anything really substantive to address climate change. From its measly 5% taget and failed ETS, Australia slumbers on, while its Prime Minister acts as a Friend of the Chair in COP..." and so on.
So, take THAT, friends and relatives, from the pommies!
Worse than a Fossil, this is a pretty bad blow to our reputation, and I'm afraid it is cutting a bit close to the bone.
Hmm, i'll try to report more positively in the next blog, if the proceedings actually get underway.
Well, it's now 1107am, and the broadcast shows a melee of back slapping and great goodwill, but of course, nothing's happening. All the delegates are milling about. It allows time for reflection...
I awoke this morning to the BBCWorld report featuring a report from a reporter in Australia: inter alia, "Australians are a nation of deniers and skeptics, more interested in protecting the 'quarry of the world' than doing anything really substantive to address climate change. From its measly 5% taget and failed ETS, Australia slumbers on, while its Prime Minister acts as a Friend of the Chair in COP..." and so on.
So, take THAT, friends and relatives, from the pommies!
Worse than a Fossil, this is a pretty bad blow to our reputation, and I'm afraid it is cutting a bit close to the bone.
Hmm, i'll try to report more positively in the next blog, if the proceedings actually get underway.
2nd Thu: movie premier
Badly typed on my Nokia...
Last night we went to the Geological Museum and saw a film premiere. "Hope in a Changing Climate". Good effort, took 15 years to make about the successful restoration of the Loess Plateau in NW China. The producer was there, as well as the World Bank, and a bunch of delegates from Rwanda, Ethiopia and Greece which have adopted the same approach.
Food and drink was good, movie excellent - and they gave out PAL copies later on, so it was all good.
Last night we went to the Geological Museum and saw a film premiere. "Hope in a Changing Climate". Good effort, took 15 years to make about the successful restoration of the Loess Plateau in NW China. The producer was there, as well as the World Bank, and a bunch of delegates from Rwanda, Ethiopia and Greece which have adopted the same approach.
Food and drink was good, movie excellent - and they gave out PAL copies later on, so it was all good.
FINAL Friday: Obama to the rescue?
From my Nokia... (typo alert!)
There are big expectations that today "Hope nhagen" will deliver. Read ENB for the best update, on the ISD site. We are milling around CPH in the best snow to fall on Europe in four years (!). Without our wifi, it's extremely expensive - not to mention difficult - to keep up with what's going on. Our train was held up for 20 minutes underground, while Obama's entourage go organised...
Canada has apparently won the Fossil of the Year - bearing out the US for honours.
Today I am wandering around with a Canadian CER advisory lawyer, looking for a plenary web feed so we can watch the procedings.
It got too hard so we fell for coffee and danish (what else!), and my friend met a Toronto-based lawyer who he knew, while we stood outside the Deloitte auditorium, waiting for the feed to start.
(Dave has gone home, although his plane was Obama'd for an hour at the airport this morning.)
There are big expectations that today "Hope nhagen" will deliver. Read ENB for the best update, on the ISD site. We are milling around CPH in the best snow to fall on Europe in four years (!). Without our wifi, it's extremely expensive - not to mention difficult - to keep up with what's going on. Our train was held up for 20 minutes underground, while Obama's entourage go organised...
Canada has apparently won the Fossil of the Year - bearing out the US for honours.
Today I am wandering around with a Canadian CER advisory lawyer, looking for a plenary web feed so we can watch the procedings.
It got too hard so we fell for coffee and danish (what else!), and my friend met a Toronto-based lawyer who he knew, while we stood outside the Deloitte auditorium, waiting for the feed to start.
(Dave has gone home, although his plane was Obama'd for an hour at the airport this morning.)
2nd Thu - ICLEI presentation on Copenhagen
We finally ended up taking refuge in a beautiful building down by the river, at the Kopenhaven Kommune - where ICLEI staged a presentation on Copenhagen's plans to be Carbon Neutral by 2025. Very impressive, and a great vision. Details may be at (I think) www.kk.dk/climate - or not(!)
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