By Eli Allen, SustainUS Delegation
It has been interesting to contrast the messages of the international youth and the politicians coming out of the UN Climate Change Conference. We as youth realize that in the plenary halls and the small contact groups our future is literally on the table being negotiated. In response we are adamantly demanding in every way possible that our future is nonnegotiable, that it must be secured. The International Youth have marched through the streets of Poznan and put on a game show to show the discrepancy between how much we have spent to bail out our banks ($4.1 trillion) and how little we have spent to fight climate change in the developing world ($40 million). We as youth have provided assistance to Small Island States, which have the strongest stances on climate change, but lack the capacity to adequately influence the negotiations.
In every possible way we, as an International Youth Delegation representing over 50 nations, are trying to make the case that the time is running out to reach a decision. But to be honest, many of us are frustrated. Youth have been acting as the conscious of these negotiations for the past 16 years. Some of us were born into this discussion. Yet our governments still have yet to reach an agreement that will preserve our world for us and future generations.
It is frustrating because we as youth conceive of this problem much more clearly than the politicians doing the negotiating. Last night at a lecture Ricardo Lagos, the former president of Chile, said, “Some politicians only think toward the next election. We want the ones who can think toward the next generation.” Before a 1988 plebiscite to decide on whether the regime of Augusto Pinochet was to remain in power, this man appeared on national television, pointed his index finger at the camera and accused the dictatorship of committing mass torture, murder and human rights violations. Many did not expect him to live until the next morning. Instead, Pinochet was soundly defeated in the vote and forced to resign.
Richard Lagos, former President of Chile, speaks on the path “From Bali to Copenhagen”
Currently, we are sadly lacking this type of visionary politician. The type of politician that will look beyond the momentary movements of the stock market and realize that the long term health of the economy is completely dependent on a stable climate. In the heart of the discussions taking place on the plenary floors, there is a clear preoccupation with the next election. Each country is trying to take the least responsibility for a problem that requires collective action.
The problem with democracy is that all the incentives spur our leaders to focus on the most immediate issues to the neglect of the far off crises. This is why it is us, the youth, who are the true leaders on this issue. Our elected leaders are divided by what is the most politically expedient thing to do. It is rather us as youth who are united by a shared vision for a sustainable a prosperous future. This is why our presence here is so crucial and our task so urgent. Over the next week we will be projecting our unified voice into the negotiations. Our leaders must realize that they are accountable not just to the next election, but to our future and the following generations. We will do all we can to make this message heard.
