Leaving...

As I start packing I have to reflect a bit on the last two weeks and the past few days.... Today, I had a meeting with a top Baucus aid and my shirt was inside out... But, the meeting was very good, it was super casual and it was a nice way to start the day. Then I went to the Copenhagen zoo which was awesome, there were many cool animals. It made me miss the zoos back in Minnesota and the gift store at the Copenhagen zoo was dismal.

But, back to the conference, today many heads of state are here; "119 heads of state and government are participating in the climate summit in Copenhagen, ranking the summit among the world's largest ever, and the largest outside New York. The 119 heads of state and government represent countries that account for 89% of the world's GDP, 82% of the world's population and 86% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Included in the 119 countries are the 20 largest economies and the top 15 greenhouse gas emitters in the world." (unfcc.int) I think that that figure alone makes this conference unprecedented and even if nothing comes out of this evening, we can be hopeful that many countries voices were heard that may not have been before. I think it was very beneficial for all the NGOs to network and learn about others working on the same issue all around the world. I hope that the US now understands their role in tackling climate change and that we can overcome all the climate skeptics and their false statements. I think it is important for every person to do everything they can to help live more sustainable lives and do everything they can to help encourage others to do the same. Even if the political will doesn't seem to be there we can still change the status quo, consider the women's suffrage movement, the end of African apartheid, and the civil rights movement. There are still many questions (some are laid out nicely in Melissa's blog here) going into the last hours of the conference.  I still have hope that we can i reach a global agreement next year.