COP Day 6: Saturday, December 12

Update Sunday, December 13 5:04 pm

"It is ironic that we are waiting for one country to decide before the international community can move forward." Statement by the island nation of Tuvalu

Moment of my day: A very tired Becca (our delegation) asked if I had my blueberry. She meant BlackBerry. I laughed and laughed and laughed. Becca, thank you for making my day. Safe travels home!

Appeals for actions - Emotions run high

Saturday I had planned to be a protester. However, imagine me with my very thin blood so excited to spend hours out in the bitter cold. Not since the Inaugural was I so NOT excited to be out in history making events due to the cold. But I was prepared. Dressed in my 350 gear, I was ready to join the legions of people marching in support of Climate Change. However, we were told (1) due to volume of people outside, they were not sure if they would let us back in after the folks inside reached 15,000 and (2) they might secure the building due to security concerns and nobody could go in or out. SO, I chickened out and stayed inside the Bella Center.

I am glad I did.

Tuvalu once again appealed to all nations in an emotional plea for action. Mr. Fry actually admitted that he wept earlier in the day and choked up while giving his speech. The text is below. I choked up myself.

"It has been said in the media that I am trying to embarrass the country of Denmark. This is not my intention at all. Madame President, I know that you tried to visit Tuvalu, though you did not make it. Had you visited, I think you would understand our position. Our entire population lives within two meters of sea level.

"I understand that we are waiting for the U.S. Senate. It is ironic that we are waiting for one country to decide before the international community can move forward. President Obama was currently in Sweden accepting a noble prize, whether rightly or wrongly. For him to honor his noble prize, he should address the greatest threat to humanity, climate change, and the greatest threat to human security,  climate change. This is not just an issue of Tuvalu… millions of people around the world are affected. This is not just Tuvalu.

"Over the last few days I’ve received calls from all over the world, offering faith and hope that we can reach a conclusion on this issue.

"Madame President, this is not a media trip for me, I have refused to take media calls on this issue. As a humble servant of the government of Tuvalu, I have to make a strong appeal to you that we consider this matter properly. I don’t want to cause embarrassment to you or the government.

"I want to have for the leaders an option to consider a legally binding treaty. We’ve had our proposal on the table for six months. Six months! It’s not the last two days of this meeting.

"I woke this morning, and I was crying, and that’s not easy for a grown man to admit.

"The fate of my country rests in your hands."




Plea from woman to woman

One of the later speakers, Burundi, appealed woman-to-woman to President of the COP Connie Hedegaard, Minister for the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. "You have been chosen by women of the world, like Mother Mary; chosen to save the world. Men run away from problems. And there is not an easy solution. As a woman, you need to use every skill that you have to come out with a fair and equitable agreement." I was smiling to this one. Loved it. My ongoing joke is that we as women must fix climate change as all the men will run away! This is women's work! ;)




Candlelight vigil

Inside the Bella Center, we held a candlelight vigil that was actually outside. Attending the vigil was Madam Mary Robinson, former Irish President and U.N. Human Rights Commissioner; Bill McKibben, 350 founder; and Archbiship Desmond Tutu, 1984 Nobel Peace Price laureate.

 

Moment of the vigil - last statement by Archbishop Tutu. He called on developed countries to "pay up!" But in his commical presentation, he reminded us all that people marched and the Berlin wall fell. People marched and apartheid ended. We can march and end climate change. It gives me hope. And after all, we are in Hopenhagen.

Coverage of the protests and riots

Since I was not outside for the protests, I only could watch the TVs inside and learn about it from the press. Here are a smattering of articles covering the events.

• Copenhagen demonstrators push negotiators to act, Grist
  
  
• More than 200 activists detained Sunday, COP15 site
  
  
• Industrial Nations Criticize Draft Climate Pact, Wall Street Journal
  

 In all, it was a peaceful demonstration with only a few extreme folks destroying it for the rest of people.