It’s Getting Hot In Here

[cross-posted from Project Survival Media]

I just came back from an earth-shaking vigil tonight in Copenhagen. This is the twilight of my time here– with only one day left in the conference, nothing seemed to come of it. It has seemed to fail. Many of us organizers have also started to lose hope in anything fair or binding to come out of this process.

Yesterday, I witnessed my good friend, Josh of the Rainforest Action Network, get bludgeoned in the face by police officers. He, along with the rest of us, weren’t trying to get into the Bella Center. We weren’t compromising the safety of World leaders inside. We just wanted to access the street across the bridge, where those who could not get into the center were waiting for us. Where we would have converged, we were going to hold a “People’s Assembly,” to create the kind of treaty that we would have wanted to come from our leaders.

But, the police would not let us cross that bridge. We attempted to negotiate with them. They told us that if we were to pass, we would risk arrest down the line. We accepted this, and attempted to walk past them. But, they blocked the way, and started beating those they could reach. After a while of scuffling, we started to retreat. As we did, they circled around the activists in the front, trapping them. They started to wail down on them gratuitously Continue reading ‘The Twilight of Copenhagen’

Last night 19 people sat down in the conference center were the UN negotiations were held and began reading the names of over 11 million people who have joined the call for a fair, ambitious and legally binding deal. I stayed with them in support for what turned out to be one of the most memorable nights of my life. Realizing that hundreds of people were reading our liveblog, posting comments of support and watching the webcast made me realize the power of these names of people from around the world.   In solidarity, Canadian youth sat in at the Prime Minister’s office and today, US youth held a sit in at the State Department continuing the read the names of the 11+ million people who have joined the call for a fair, ambitious and legally binding deal. We need to keep finding ways to be sure these voices are heard. Call for solidarity events have been resonating around Copenhagen and coming from activists in US (here and here.)

Can you hold a solidarity event? Below are just a few resources that may help you out.

Finding the 11 Million Names
You can download the names here. This isn’t all of them, but enough to keep you busy for a long time. If you haven’t signed the petition, you can do that too!

Selecting a location
Right now, the Obama administration is stalling the UN negotiations because the US Congress hasn’t passed a climate bill. A great place for your event is your Senator’s local office. Our Senators needs to realize that their failure to take action is affecting people far outside their state- and that their constituents want to see action.

Invite the media
Collect your local media contacts and send them a media advisory about your upcoming action. Shorter than a press release, media advisories function as an invitation, detailing the date, time, location and other logistical information for attendees. Media advisories can be sent by e-mail or fax, depending on the journalist’s preference. Be sure to call and followup with the reporter to make sure they received your advisory, answer any questions and so you can convince them to come.

At the event, give press the press release from the Copenhagen sit-in as well as a press release for your own action. You can use the Copenhagen release as a good template. List local contact info on your release. After the event send the press release out to your local contacts that were interested but couldn’t make the event.

At the event
As press come, have one person greet them and get their contact information. This will help you track what media covers your event and helps build new contacts for the future.

Begin your event with a short introduction about why you are there and what you’re reading. Identify one or two people to deliver a brief statement at the beginning. This should last no more than 10 minutes. Then begin reading the names. Read them for as long as you planned- either for a given time period, until you are asked to leave, or until you are removed. Be sure your group has agreed on a plan in advance. You are standing in solidarity with over 11 million people worldwide and our goal is to let these names be heard by those who have the power to make sure the US supports a fair, ambitious and legally binding climate deal.

Some helpful resources
This was just a basic couple of hints. Below are a few more resources that may help you out. Thank you for joining us.

Sierra Student Coalition Media Guide and Event Planning: http://ssc.sierraclub.org/resources/organizing-basics/getting-started.html

Ruckus Media Guide- http://ruckus.org/section.php?id=18

If you are having a solidarity event, please email us at rapidresponse@powershift09.org.

Earlier this afternoon, leaked documents from the UN climate Secretariat emerged that demonstrate conclusively what we’ve been saying for months: the proposals now on the board would increase the planet’s temperature more than three degrees, and drive the concentration of co2 in the atmosphere above 550 ppm.

Download the document here.

The leaked documents—which have the name of 350.org founder Bill McKibben scrawled across the top, for reasons we don’t know—make it clear that any claim that negotiators are aiming to hold temperature increases to 1.5 or 2 degrees are sham.

“In one sense this is no secret—we’ve been saying it for months. But it is powerful to have the UN confirming its own insincerity,” said McKibben.

The actual numbers for the current proposals are almost certainly even higher than the leaked document concludes. Climate Interactive, using an MIT software model, currently estimates we’ll see temperature increases of 3.9 degrees and a co2 concentration of 770 ppm by the year 2100.

For a secret bonus chuckle, check out the very end of the document, which says that the estimated temperature rise of 3 degrees “will reduce significantly the probability to stay within a temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius.”  You think?

Greenpeace Rescue Unit on Scene!

Washington, D.C., United States — Greenpeace activists and emergency vehicles descend on the Chamber of Commerce in response to a climate emergency.

This global warming crime scene was quickly taped off by Greenpeace activists as a hostage negotiator attempted to make contact with the group. Tension mounted as the negotiator and activists attempted to convince the Chamber to “put down the coal, step away from the climate talks, and set the world free.”

The Greenpeace climate crime unit intervened at the scene of the crime, confronting the lobbyists who work for the very industries who create and profit from criminal climate destruction.

The Chamber and its clients have a history of climate crimes, and clearly their motive is to maintain the obscene profits of their clients. Already, an estimated 300,000 people die every year as a result of the global warming that the Chamber’s clients contribute to.  In the coming year, it’s crucial that President Obama not allow climate criminals like industry lobbyists to handcuff progress on global warming.

Continue reading ‘Climate Talks Held Hostage!’

The sit-in has concluded.  The protesters were ‘detained’ and removed from the hall, and made to sit in a small holding room.  Then they were given the option to leave, or stay and get arrested.  Since no press was on hand, and no one was there to witness the arrests, they left the building.

Activists read off names of 11 million+ global citizens calling for real climate action

Keep planning more actions in solidarity.  We’re brainstorming!

Previous live-blog comments below…

Continue reading ‘Live Blog: Sit-In at the US State Department, Reading names of 11 Million Petition Signers’

Bill McKibben, Jessy Tolkan, George Monbiot, Daryl Hannah, and many other amazing leaders speak from a dream podium in Copenhagen.

Click HERE for the official GOOD COP15 website!

Pressure is clearly building on poor countries to back down from strong climate targets here in Copenhagen. At a powerful press conference this morning, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu accused Australia of setting up a private meeting with a number of small island states and trying to bribe them into accepting the 2 degrees C target that would mean extinction for their islands.

At a press conference that is just wrapping up at the UN climate talks, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu had a clear message for the world: ”Survival is not-negotiable.” After showing a powerful video of devastating flooding in Tuvalu, the President made a strong appeal for a real deal that meets the latest science: ”Our future rests on global action to address climate change and we must have a set of safe guards based on sound science. We must ensure that global temperatures peak at well below 1.5 degrees Celsius. It means that global greenhouse gases must stabilize at 350 ppm. These safeguards are non-negotiable.” Continue reading ‘Australia is Trying to Buy off Small Islands at Copenhagen Climate Talks’

Photo Courtesy of 350.org. Whit Jones updates the world from inside the Bella Center

1:54 More to come – don’t think that this is the end of us.  Over 150 people watching live stream.  Thousands of people know what’s going on. Thanks everyone for joining us, please continue to leave comments below.  Gotta run before I get swept away!

1:51 Security ready to crack down. Jeh is giving an impromptu speech, paraphrasing “we have been told by the Secretariat that if we risk arrest, we could jeopardize the ability for ALL of civil society to be involved in coming days.  We have come to consensus, despite reservation, that we will take our concerns outside and take it to the streets.  We are calling for mass civil disobedience, and solidarity actions around the country.  Join us.”  Applause!!!

1:44 Spoke too soon.  Security showed up, appointed person liaising with them.

1:43 No signs of security yet.  Live Web Stream is going strong and being are contacting us from all over the world.  This is truly incredible.  Thank you for all of the support.

1:33 Members of civil society being run out of different corners of the Bella Center – security is definitely making a sweep.  Sitters are clear they aren’t trying to make trouble for security, just trying to make sure their future is secured.

1:25 Security circling corridors.  Team has sat back down and is waiting to see what happens… Reading of names picks up again, still bringing the voices of 11 million people into the Bella Center.

1:12 Team meeting to figure out plan for night.  Things are getting quiet around here, but your comments and tweets are keeping it energetic!

12:56 We have a Live Stream set-up now. Hear from the folks sitting-in themsleves: http://www.powershift09.org/live

12:30 Solidarity sit-ins called for.

12:00 We made it to midnight! As the conference center begins to empty out and janitors start tidying up the space, we’re joined by an unexpected guest – a little snowman from the storm that’s hit Copenhagen this evening. We’re also proud to announce that since we’ve officially hit Thursday morning, some of the young people here have begun their day of fasting in solidarity with the Climate Justice Fast. Interested in helping out the effort and joining the likes of Cate Blanchett, Vandana Shiva, and Mary Robinson? Fast in solidarity with those sitting in the center and calling for climate justice all around the world! Continue reading ‘LIVE BLOG: Youth activists sit-in, refuse to leave until negotiators listen to 11 million voices calling for a fair, ambitious, and binding deal.’

Following the heroic sit-in by international youth delegates in Copenhagen on Wednesday, waves of similar actions organized in the following days put immediate pressure on world leaders to enact a real, fair and binding climate deal.

I’d like to see that story written tomorrow and Friday by mainstream media.  As Andrew Munn called for earlier, solidarity protests are a huge way to increase the pressure on developed countries, notably the United States.

I’ve been up late planning an action in DC for tomorrow (Thursday) because the Action Factory was hugely inspired by the work that everyone in Copenhagen has been doing.  And we’ve been super impressed with the way you’ve been able to tell the story.

If others have solidarity actions planned, this useful tool is a good way to share what’s going on.  http://crowdable.net/ We’ve been successful at building this movement because we’re all working on the same thing, and when we do things together, we tell a unified story and make them big.

Check out the live stream of activists in Copenhagen and engage in the conversation.

http://powershift09.org/live