Eli from Copenhagen

Let’s start with the gut feeling. To be honest its a little hard to write an update when you feel like nothing productive has happened over the last two weeks. Watching the plenary / negotiation sessions for the last three days has amounted to watching countries’ repeat their positions (and the intractable differences between them) on repeat. Sort of like that bad dream that you keep having over and over. You just want to scream “I get it – you all disagree.  Now pull yourselves together and protect the future.” It’s a perfect example of a time when the politics of the possible fail worse than miserably to do what is necessary.

I’m not exactly sure what I was hoping for coming into the conference. As a “dedicated realist” I had given up hope of a real deal months ago yet somehow somewhere in my heart I thought that maybe the grown-ups had something up their collective sleeves to protect our future.  Seems like they didn’t. The mood during Obama’s long-awaited speech summed it up. Obama came on, said more or less exactly what he has been saying for months, and then left. I can’t tell you what I wish he had said but I can tell you I wish it had been something different. I love and trust the guy but but I couldn’t help but feel let down.

The hope all along for me has been that despite the mindless bullshit in the public negotiations, negotiators might be paving a real way forward in private. That the US and China might announce a new agreement today (Friday). That countries might announce a breakthrough on MRV. That some country somewhere might step up to the plate. So far … just silence. Maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow to news that makes this post seem silly. Hope so.

This week has been sort of a crisis of ideals for me. On one hand I always do my best to be reasonable – I’m the guy in touch with the politics who firmly understands why Obama’s hands are tied by the Senate. The guy who appreciates that he is trying but understands why he can’t offer anything remotely in line with the international community (let alone the science). On the other hand I can’t help but wonder why the science doesn’t even seem to matter. Why the fact that our failure to act is (literally) going to destroy entire countries (see AOSIS) doesn’t even seem to matter. Why the fact that Yemen’s best option may simply be to relocate its entire capitol due to lack of water doesn’t even seem to matter. I can’t help but feel sick to my stomach in spite of the fact that I “understand the political realities.”

I’ll put something more coherent together once I have some time to think, but for now I can’t help but just feel cold, tired, and demoralized.

One thought on the bright side: A huge shout out to Rep. Jay Inslee, Rep. Tim Ryan, and Rep. Steny Hoyer for being true champions. They took time away from the Bella Center to have dinner with a group of US youth, and I have to admit that I left feeling much better. Not only did they take the time to talk to us – Inslee actually reached out to invite us to meet and talk strategy. A Congressman inviting a group of youth to dinner? And they say we can’t change the world. Inslee is the kind of guy who makes me feel okay about our Congress. To quote my friend Ben, “The real question for our organizing in 2010 is how we make 100 more Jay Inslees.”

Save the Date!

They’re Saying Get It Done in Copenhagen!—But What is “It”?

by John Mulrow. Reposted from Dateline: Copenhagen

Copenhagen City Hall becomes "Hopenhagen" for COP15. But what are we hoping for?

Every single blog or website dedicated to the Copenhagen climate negotiations has embedded the “Countdown to Copenhagen” clock on their homepage – including Dateline: Copenhagen. The clock has ticked down to zero.  There are now less than 13 days before the 15^th Conference of the Parties wraps up. Since arriving in Copenhagen and listening to opening ceremony speeches and engaging in conversations with COP15 attendees of all types (youth delegates, environment representative for Qatar, NGO climate activists, and Copenhagen residents included), my idea of what will come of these two weeks has taken a different shape than before.

Up to this week, my vision for a Copenhagen outcome was defined by the statements from the big names: the UNFCCC’s Yvo de Boer, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and U.S. President Barack Obama, to name a few. The sentiment of these statements was repeated in speeches and on signs and flyers all over the COP: “Seal the deal”, “Get it done!”, “successful outcome”, “long-term solution.”  Mr. de Boer even referred to the Copenhagen outcome as a Christmas Cake – an agreement with layered details on emissions targets and finance for mitigation, adaptation and technology transfer. And the icing on the cake would be “a shared vision on long-term cooperative action on climate change and a long-term goal.”

All of these terms dodged the true, original purpose of COP15: A legally-binding international treaty to follow-up and improve on the Kyoto Protocol. For the ordinary person, the term “legally binding” can be just as vague as all the other fluffy terms being thrown out. So I spoke to a lawyer who clarified things for me a bit. A legally binding treaty is essentially written into the laws of each ratifying country. It includes rules and regulations for monitoring countries’ compliance with the treaties and sets penalties for non-compliance. These penalties could take many forms including fines and UN sanctions. 

Much of the momentum going into COP15 was created by the statements made at G8, G20 and other major economies meetings and by bilateral statements such as those made in the past month by the United States, China, and India. These are political agreements. These are political deals that have been sealed, these are things that governments have already gotten done, these are the cakes that have been baked. A legally-binding treaty is the “it” that has yet to be forged and ratified by the parties to the UNFCCC. Among all the COP15 hoopla, this is where genuine ambition should be directed and it’s the goal that all those hoping for climate stabilization should have their sights on.

Water Group Update 11/31/09

The water group discussed plans to set up our first rainwater capture system on the compost site at Synergy. For the second structure we are thinking of working with Nick (the gardener) and Synergy to provide a capture system on the roof of synergy. Some members of the water group will be window shopping for water capture tools and supplies on Friday the 11th of December (so if anyone knows any ideas about cheap but effective supplies or places to by such supplies talk to Andrew or Siddhartha). We are currently discussing which weekend in January that we will be constructing the first the system.

Tomorrow, Tuesday December 1st, at 12:00pm the water group will be conducting a water taste test in white plaza. We will also be advertising for the showing of Flow (For the Love Of Water) the water documentary at white plaza. The showing will be at Roble Theater in Roble Hall at 9:00pm.

Student Chapter in Serbia working towards the success of 350.org

During the International Conference of Energy and Environmental Protection (14-16 October), Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Union University and Association of Geophysicists of Serbia, including two SEG Student Sections, organized program related to the Day of Climate Action. Each day, students were presenting lectures to youth of different ages and held quizzes, testing the knowledge of the participants.
On the first day (title: “Young people for the future of the big Planet”), our guests were two groups of kids – children from British kinder garden and group of children without parents (as the most vulnerable group of that age), both from 4 to 6 years old. Kids were looking at presentations about the planet Earth, Day of Climate Action, presentation about how water is flowing through different layers (ground, rocks and sand)

On the second day (title: “Sorry, ma’am, I am in hurry to attend the lecture of Ecology!”), we had two groups of children from elementary school (age 12), which were organized to actively participate in presentation about Earth, Day of Climate Action, plate tectonics, magma, volcano activities. After the presentation, a 20 min quiz about what the children learned was organized.
On the third day (title: “Hi, Planet, I am here, just have to finish my studies first!”), our guests were two groups of children of age 16 – Secondary School of Geosciences and Secondary school of Architecture. Both groups saw movie presentations about Climate Changes, CO2, impact of geological factors, and a short quiz after that.

This project that we organized were a complete success because

• Children were very interested in the topics and very happy to be involved in our program, and
• At the end of the Conference, we made an agreement with the kindergartens, the elementary schools and middle schools to have our students as lecturers and guests two times per month, where we will have presentations for children.
  It is also important to note that Minister of Environmental Protection and Land-Use Planning of Serbia was our guest, supporting our action.

The second stage of celebration of the Day of Climate Action was held on 24th October, in Houston (US), during the Annual Meeting of SEG (Society of Exploration Geophysicists). Four representatives of the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Union University and Association of Geophysicists of Serbia invited all students and professionals to join the action. On Saturday, one of our representatives, president of SEG Student Section of the Faculty Sasa Smiljanic, presented a lecture on this topic in collaboration with the student chapter president of Stanford University Indrajit Das, while other members of the team distributed T-shirts, notebooks and pencils with logo of 350.org. (pictures attached.)

 

 

Sasa Smiljanic (President of the SEG student chapter Serbia)

Indrajit Das (President of the SEG student chapter Stanford and member of Students for a Sustainable Stanford)

Water Group Update

We will be holding a water tasting event on the Tuesday of dead week, December 1st, at lunchtime (12-1pm). The experiment will test whether tap water tastes any different than bottled water: we will put tap water in three bottles – two of which are different brands of bottled water, and one which is marked tap water – and ask people if they can taste the difference. (Talk to Siddhartha and Daniel for more information). There will also be a showing of Flow, the water documentary, that same night (location/time TBA, talk to Andrew and Akwasi for more information).

New Winter class: CEE/EarthSys 109 Green Buildings and Behavior

Sustainers: Answer this call to action and forward widely!

A partnership between the Woods Institute for the Environment, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Sustainability and Energy Management, Students for a Sustainable Stanford, and the Green Living Council is bringing you a new Winter course focused on TRAINING you with industry best practices in resource conservation so that you may IMPLEMENT a core part of the University’s strategy to REDUCE its greenhouse gas emissions:

CEE/EARTHSYS 109: Creating a Green Student Workforce to Help Implement Stanford’s Sustainability Vision (alternate name: Green Buildings and Behavior)
Mon/Wed 2:15-3:45 PM, 60-120, Jeff Koseff (Faculty), Fahmida Ahmed (Staff), 2 units, S/NC.
Examination of program-based local actions that promote resource resource conservation and an educational environment for sustainability. Examination of building-level actions that contribute to conservation, lower utility costs, and generate understanding of sustainability consistent with Stanford’s commitment to sustainability as a core value. Overview of operational sustainability including energy, water, buildings, waste, and food systems. Practical training to enable students to become sustainability coordinators for their dorms or academic units.

Featuring lectures by experts from the Precourt Institute for Energy, Civil & Environmental Engineering, School of Earth Sciences, Sustainability & Energy Management (home to energy, water, transportation, IT and sustainability programs), Residential & Dining Enterprises, The Stanford Recycling Center and more!
——
The class will offer limited enrollment.  To apply:
1. Write a 1-page single spaced essay on why you believe campus sustainability is important, including any relevant experience you can bring to the class and any other special qualifications you may have (a lottery will be held if necessary).  Please include your year and major in the header.
2. Save it as “Lastname,Firstname.DOC” and send it to CEEES109@gmail.com by Friday, December 11, 2009.

If you have any questions, please email CEEES109@gmail.com.

Stanford (and the Earth) need your enthusiasm for sustainability.  We know you’re out there–let’s put your talents to good use!

Another Group R Update

-Bad news: next waste audit won’t be until January…Good news: There may be a nice big photo of it in Stanford Magazine!

-With Copenhagen coming up, we wanted to bring some attention to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with product lifecycles. We’re thinking of bringing some local businesses to White Plaza during lunchtime on a day in dead week. These businesses would provide products/services promoting the reduction of new material use. The one we’ve thought of is shoe repair. (We’d love additional suggestions!…Leave a comment) They could provide coupons or free stuff or something, and there’d be educational materials provided by Group R.

Sustainability + Fun

http://thefuntheory.com/

This website has examples of creative methods people have used to change behavior.  One idea was to make a staircase with piano keys for stairs, encouraging people to skip the escalator.  Another approach was to install a speaker in garbage cans that makes a sound of something falling down a deep pit, encouraging people to dispose of trash instead of littering.

They make boring parts of life fun and healthier.

What kinds of ways can we make sustainable practices fun for people?

Water Subgroup Project Update

After weeks of thoroughly exploring different project options, the Water Group has settled in on several main projects for this quarter. We are currently in the process of applying for funding from the Green Fund for projects on:

1. Rainwater capture and use for gardening
2. A conference of policy forum on Water Policies in the West

More details on these projects to come next week.

In the mean time, check out this cool competition on water efficiency innovation: http://www.imagineh2o.org/ Imagine H2O will be coming to campus on Thursday (October 29) at 5:15 to discuss the competition.