Week Fifteen: UNFCCC Post Six

It is a historic time. I feel incredibly proud and lucky to have been part of the delegation that went to Paris. While my presence there obviously had nothing to do with the negotiations, I like to think about someday being able to tell Norah about being part of the movement that finally decided we needed to do something about the changes that we caused ourselves. I like to think about being 72 years old in 2050 and her being 38 and us sitting down for a conversation about the week 35 years ago when I left her and Dada behind to be a part of something historic. To talk about the huge changes in our world that are part of her reality that were never part of mine. Her no carbon-emitting vehicle, her house that is powered entirely by renewable energy, her lack of options to purchase single use packaging, her recycling container that is larger than her garbage container and fills twice as fast, her awesome job in whatever field she has chosen that is making a positive difference in our world. I don’t spend much time thinking about her as an adult, wanting to enjoy each moment as they come, but her adult life and the life of any children she chooses to raise were on the forefront of my mind during this entire class and experience in Paris. This agreement is absolutely about the generations that are to come and while there is still a long way to go and lots of hard work to make the necessary changes, I am so pleased the world seems to be moving in the right direction.

Thanks so much, Jessy, for an amazing class and an amazing experience!   

Week Fifteen: UNFCCC Post Five

I came back from Paris with such hope and trust in our global community. The agreement that could come out of Paris will never be perfect, but it could be the important first steps in a global shift to a carbon free economy and more sustainable lives. Being out of the US and in a place where the questions aren’t ‘Is there climate change?’ but instead ‘What are we going to do about climate change?’ was a refreshing change. The Climate Generations area were full of people already making substantial efforts to both mitigate and adapt to the changes. There were still calls for more action and more justice, but overall I found the climate of the conference to be positive the week I experienced it.

And then I come back home and start to hear the same climate contrarianism that is a hallmark of our politics in the United States. Ted Cruz on an NPR interview stating that climate change isn’t a conspiracy but instead, ‘This is liberal politicians who want government power over the economy, the energy sector and every aspect of our lives.’ I just don’t understand why we even give a voice to those opinions that aren’t based on facts but cherry picked scientific findings that are later debunked. He tries to claim he is following the science by saying, ‘Well, I believe that public policy should follow the science and follow the data. I am the son of two mathematicians and computer programmers and scientists.’ As if scientific reasoning is passed down genetically.

Enough already. This is enough time and energy spent on Ted Cruz, but I just find it disheartening that we still allow that kind of rhetoric. Grrrrr.

http://www.npr.org/2015/12/09/459026242/scientific-evidence-doesn-t-support-global-warming-sen-ted-cruz-says

Week Fifteen: UNFCCC Post Four

I’ve really started to get into finding alternate media sources who are making the case for climate change action in creative ways. A few of my favorites:

Dear Future Generations: Sorry by Prince Ea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLJscAlk1M

This video was shown during a presentation I went to by Scotland’s Youth 2050 Climate Group. They were an impressive group of 20-30 year olds trying to fill the void post college by organizing a volunteer group to work on the issue of Climate Change. I thought the video was an impressive visual and vocal perspective on what kind of future we are leaving to the next generations. The video was part of an ending speech by the vice-chair of the group, Elizabeth Dirth, who passionately followed up the video by saying she is no longer going to accept apologizes from world leaders, only actions.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Climate Change Debate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjuGCJJUGsg

Sick of the climate change ‘debate’ being framed as a 1:1 issue, John Oliver staged another debate with 3 scientists arguing against and 97 scientists arguing for climate change. Brilliant.

‘Layers’ poem by spoken word artist Terisa Siagatonu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7glgz-mUwm0

I was lucky enough to see Terisa perform this live during the UNICEF Youth Ambassador’s presentation I went to. When you only have so many words in poetry, the ones you use must count and every word in this one counts! 

Week Fourteen: UNFCCC Post Three

I was fortunate to sit in on a session presented by UNICEF Youth Ambassadors from all over the world. These were young students who have taken direct action to educate themselves and their peers, families, and communities on the effects of climate change. They came to COP21 with their direct calls to actions for negotiators to both include youth in the decision-making process and to listen to their ideas. These youth are coming from places where the effects of climate change are more immediate and devastating than in most other parts of the world, such as the Philippines, where the speaker’s entire village was wiped out by a typhoon in 2014 and she wasn’t able to go to school for months. Another speaker from central Africa said he is having to spend most of his energy finding and bringing back water for his family instead of spending that energy on going to school. Yet despite these challenges, these students are committed to stopping and fighting the effects of our changing climate. They have more intimate knowledge of the effects of climate change than I or any of the students I teach ever will. But it is their drive to make positive change that I will bring back with me.

I look forward to spending the rest of my time finding more inspiration in the youth that are attending. I plan on bringing back their stories and passion for change to share with the students I teach. For, as one of the students said, “What concerns everyone must be solved by everyone.”

Week Fourteen: UNFCCC Post Two

My favorite places/times/things in Paris so far:

The markets: it makes me wish I got to stop by a market with fresh produce, meat, and cheese on the way home and get the ingredients for dinner. I also wish I spoke French so I could learn more about what is available.

The long meals: while I couldn’t do it for every meal, it is quite nice to sit and slowly enjoy a meal while enjoying the conversation and the people I am with. Maybe it is just because a dinner like that with an almost 4 year old is impossible but it is a great way to get to know people better while ending a long busy day.

The stateliness of the city: I’ve lived in a big cities before and while I am done with that phase in my life, I do wonder what it would be like to see a new cathedral or arch or otherwise large and beautiful building at every turn. From Notre Dame to Sacre Coeur, the grandness of these buildings is just amazing.

Everyday life: Seeing glimpses of people’s everyday life in a big city…from the line of school kids walking somewhere with their teacher and their backpacks to someone carrying a 5 foot Christmas tree while riding a bike, watching how people go about their everyday life in this big city has been enjoyable.

Time to myself: No matter where it is, time to yourself is precious when you are a mom. One of my favorite times was when I sat alone in the morning at a café having coffee and pastries and watching the world go by. While I miss home and my family, this opportunity to have an experience on my own has been refreshing.

Week Fourteen: UNFCCC Post One

There is so much to write about from my first few days in Paris…but I am going to focus on the irony present in so many moments so far. I think finding irony in moments helps me to shape my expectations and find the humor in serious situations. Here are my favorite ironic moments so far:

-At Sciences Po in the high tech and expensive Media Lab…our main speakers power point didn’t work and they couldn’t get it to project on the main screen. Their expertise and knowledge of their topics was amazing and I was so glad to hear the information. But not to have the media available in the Media Lab? Ironic.

-During Jon Church’s talk he discussed how it was George W Bush’s inaction and the US’ inability to ratify the Kyoto protocol that propelled a lot of Europe into action on climate change. I wonder if anyone if anyone has ever told W about those unintended consequences!!

-At the Climate Generation area, there were a number of people purchasing water in plastic bottles. How are we ever going to create real change if we can’t even convince the people at the conference that is a bad idea??

-Kari also brought up the major financial sponsors of the conference, including Air France, EDF, and BNP, all major polluters or power companies or financial institutions. I found more on the possibility of ‘greenwashing’ in this article: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/43986518-9426-11e5-b190-291e94b77c8f.html

Week Thirteen: Policy Briefing

It was quite remarkable to hear the breadth and depth of research that my classmates put into their white papers. I haven’t taken a cross discipline class like this in a long time and it is one of the things I have come to appreciate the most about the class. There were so many topics that I either would have never thought of investigating or, before this class, have any interest in pursuing. The military’s stance on climate change? For someone who usually ignores what the military is doing, I am now incredibly interested in how this issue will play out for them. Climate displaced people? Before this class, my uninformed assumption was that this type of climate change effect was still a ways off. I am really interested to see how my and my classmate’s topics play out in the next two weeks.

It is also hard to believe I am one day away from leaving for Paris! There are so many reasons why I am excited for this trip, both personal and professional. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of the CSB/SJU delegation and am looking forward to our experiences!