Thursday, December 17, 2009

As the World Turns...

Anyone remember that soap opera? It was one of the less "popular" ones. I myself was an All My Children (thanks Papa) and General Hospital (thanks Jen & Jor) addict. So, I can't comment on the plotline of As the World Turns but i think the beginning had a spinning globe and an hourglass - maybe not? in any case, the point is As the World Turns is a fitting name for the soap opera taking place at the Bella Center. As we last left our cast of characters:

African and Small Island Nations walked out of negotiations! will developed nations meet their demands and get them back?
The President of the COP resigned 2 days before the conference ends! Does this mean there is no hope?
Protestors raided the Bella and were met with tear gas and violence. will they try again?
Friends of the Earth was locked out of negotiations and won't take passes offered by the UNFCCC minister. How many passes would be "enough"?

In our next episode we find out:
Will China agree to transparency in its emissions reporting?
Will the developed nations agree to raise more than $100 billion a year?
Will Kyoto survive?
Will there be a treaty?
Will the US swoop in at the last minute and save the whole world!? (hint of sarcasm in that one...)

oh the drama!
oh the suspense!

To find out what happens - tune in to the last day of the conference live:
http://www9.cop15.meta-fusion.com/kongresse/cop15/templ/ovw.php?id_kongressmain=1&theme=unfccc

though these last 2 weeks have felt in some ways like an international soap opera i am not making light of the importance of tomorrow! It is vital that we end this conference with a FAB deal!!! too much time has gone by, too much momentum has been gained and too much rests on the outcome to end now. Failing to come out with something tomorrow is just not an option.

there are so many conflicting reports right now, my head is spinning! It seems on one hand that nations like the US and China acknowledge that Copenhagen is too important to leave empty-handed where the developing countries feel hopeless that the best offers by the developed nations just aren't good enough. It's a tough call - the developed nations are looking at this from an economic standpoint and the developing nations look at it from a survival standpoint. where is the middle ground between those points?

i will cover what i can as soon as i know - oh to be a fly on the wall at Bella tomorrow...

well all i can say is that if soap stars manage to be married 7 times, have 10 affairs, find their evil twin, be buried alive, shot, suffer amnesia while stranded on a deserted island after falling off of a ship, and still manage to come back unscathed- surely As Copenhagen Turns can manage to create a comprehensive climate treaty with more than adequate financing to support LDCs while reaching target emissions levels of 350ppm, creating green jobs, sustainably developing, and preserving ecosystems & cultures all in a legally binding framework, right?

tune in to find out...

1 comment:

  1. Melissa -- Great post -- really captures the drama! It must be frustrating to be so close, yet so far from the center of action there. We are on pins and needles here in Montana to see how the day plays out there. Still hoping for a miracle... Thanks for the websites for the conference action -- Dan

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