The Journey in Photographs

Now that the travels of the SESEF student delegation are officially over, I feel it is the ideal time to recap the events which have come to pass. The photographs below tell much more of our adventures than I could ever share through use of words alone. It is my hope that through the application of powerful visuals, this incredible experience might be allowed a greater sense of reality to the community back home.




After seemingly infinite hours of travel, we arrived at the Copenhagen Airport in a state of severe disorientation.

Pictured: Luke & Ashley








The first experiences we had in Copenhagen would ultimately foreshadow the entirety of the trip. That goes to say: experiencing public transportation was one of the key aspects to this field study.

Pictured: Jessica, Luke, Tara, Deon, David, Katie, & Ashley

Our first full day in Sweden we traveled to meet the hospitable Mayor of Landskrona who provided us with informational books about the city.

Pictured: Ashley, David, Beth, Mayor's Wife, Mayor's Grandchild, Mayor, Beth, Jessica, Tara, Deon, Alex, & Katie

At the introdutory luncheon, Mr.Johnson offered the Minnesota flag to the Swedish students as a token of our appreciation.

Pictured: Katie, Beth, & Mr.Johnson

I spent much of the first day of the conference exploring various parts of the Bella Center. The area displayed was one of the busiest in the center, serving as a path between the large forum center and more specialized meeting rooms.

This is one of the two huge plenary rooms where the official business of the Convention was carried out.

This is the largest of the open delegate working spaces. I often found myself typing furiously in this sea of laptops with individuals from at least four distinctly different world regions surrounding me. It was an incredible place to sit in awe and soak up the sheer magnitude of the conference.






The official SESEF Delegation Photo.

Pictured: Beth, Alex, Katie, Jessica, Deon, Tara, Ashley, Beth, Luke, & David

This is a display of a usual morning at the COP15. We congregated in the forum, discussed the exciting events of the day, updated the blog, checked email, and scampered off to whatever side events or plenary sessions provoked intrigue.

Pictured: Deon, Jessica, Mr. Johnson, & Mr. Johnson

The conference encompassed a huge variety of side events from all ends of the earth. At this particular event, I was able to witness a traditional dance from a woman of a small island nation. Her performance, rich in cultural identity, was a powerful mechanism for reminding people just what is at stake if we don't work to combat the effects of climate change.

I also had the chance to hear the powerful words of the Intergovernmental Panal on Climate Change (IPCC) as they discussed plans for their Fifth Assessment Report.

One of the most influental people attending the conference was Rajendra K. Pachauri: the highly regarded chairman of the IPCC.

Some of the other delegates and I attended various scheduled youth events. This particular event in diplay entailed the creation of a "rainstorm" to call attention to the youth's demand for climate justice.

Throughout the course of the conference, interviews were collected from a wide variety of people wherever the opportunity presented itself.

Pictured: Katie

Occasionally we became the subject of an interview as well. At this time, Deon and Katie were being interviewed by people who wanted a youth perspective on the controversial riots at the conference.

Pictured: Deon






We had the opportunity to skype with students back at SES during their classtime. In this photo, David is conveying something of importance to classmates back home.

Pictured: Jessica, Tara, Ashley, & David

The last day we attended the conference, riots broke out around the perimeter of the conference center. One of the Swedish students named Amanda exemplified the general mass of people attempting to exit the building with her look of anxious confusion.

Pictured: Amanda

We learned how to effectively pass time while riding trains, waiting for trains, or simply waiting.

Pictured: Tara & Jessica









I (clearly) took pictures to pass the time on our various adventures with public transportation.

One of the days not at the conference was spent in the beautiful city of Lund. We toured a cathedral, roamed the streets, and enjoyed the festive sounds of the Santa Lucia concert.

Pictured: Ashley & Luke

The holiday spirit could be seen everywhere we went in Sweden. In the transit center, we stumbled upon a group of students singing the traditional holiday music.

We spent an afternoon taking in the sights of Copenhagen.

In the city, we congregated at the Copenhagen Live Center and scoped out the happenings.

Pictured: Jessica, Deon, Beth, Alex, Tara, Luke, Ashley, David, & Katie

After presenting at the Midwest Youth side event, we had the opportunity to network and make some valuable acquaintances.

Pictured: Ashley, Mr. Johnson, Alex, David, Katie, Will Steger, Beth, & Luke

Although this educational experience was wonderful and wholly enlightening...
Pictured: Luke & David

...we were eager to return home for the holidays after so much time spent in transit.

Pictured: Katie

Expedition Copenhagen In Three Words

Expedition Copenhagen Will Steger Foundation delegates wrap up the UN climate negotiations In three words. (The SESEF delegation makes an appearance at 50 seconds.)

Music provided with permission by May Erlewine.

It is good to be home. God Jul! (Merry Christmas)

--Katie PS.

Final Thoughts from COP 15

Maja's dog, Nelson (named after Nelson Mandela!)

Check out Maja's incredible photography at her website here.

The following is an entry that I wrote on my blog on our last night of the trip (or at least what was supposed to be our last night!)

Today marks the end of one journey, but the beginning of another. Maja and I just spent the past hour talking about the contrast between American and Swedish family, politics, education, etc., which is always fun. But now it is 11pm, and I am beginning to realize that it is my last night here in Landskrona, Sweden. Tomorrow we board the train for the Copenhagen airport at 7am, and I will be returning home in Minneapolis at 5pm, while it will be 2am here in my jet-lag Swedish time :\ We have been making Jul (Christmas) candy all evening, and her aunt, cousin, and brother all came over for dinner. We lit the fourth advent candle tonight, too. Is Christmas really in 5 days ö

I have been proudly singing this traditional Swedish Christmas song around the house lately:

Goder morgon, Goder morgon

Både herre och fru

Vi önskar eder alla en fröjdefull jul.

(Good morning, good morning

Both ladies and gentlemen

We wish you all a peaceful Merry Christmas.)

But anyway, here is a my more-extensive-than-intended field study reflection of this trip, in which I have attempted to describe how the Conference shaped my understanding of climate change and climate change politics, as well as how the cultural immersion shaped my experiences in Sweden:

COP15 Field Study Reflection

This is it, the end of a great adventure, yet the start of another. It is good to be home at last, after 2 unexpected days of travel and 4 crazy flights.

Thank you for your support along our journey!

God Jul,

--Katie PS.

Travel Update - Part 2

Greetings, we are updating from the Copenhagen Hilton compliments of KLM. If you know someone who works for KLM please give them our thanks for working SO hard to get our group home before the holidays. Remember that the most up to date information can be obtained by calling the school 952-431-8750 as we may not have internet connections along the way.

Basics: We will be arriving in two groups with each group landing at MSP on Wednesday around 10:00 am. Both groups will arrive via London and Toronto (our next hotel stay) with one group routed through Ottawa.

Details: Tara, Ashley, David, Deon, Lucas, B. Johnson

Copenhagen -> London via Scandinavian Airlines SK 503 (departing tomorrow noon)

London -> Toronto via Air Canada AC859 (our overnight flight) arriving Toronto Tuesday 10:25 pm (and spending the night)

Toronto - > MSP via Air Canada AC7941 arriving MSP at 10:37 am and needing a ride home

Details: Jessica, Beth, Beth, Katie, Alex, C. Johnson

Copenhagen -> London via Scandinavian Airlines SK501 (depart tomorrow 7:45 am)

London -> Ottawa via Air Canada AC 889 arriving 2:55 pm (our long flight)

Ottawa -> Toronto via Air Canada AC 459 arriving 5:07 pm (and spending the night)

Toronto -> MSP via Delta DL2509 arriving 10:03 am and needing a ride home

Off we go again.

Travel Update

Just a quick post to let you know that our flight to Amsterdam and the flight from Amsterdam have been cancelled. We are working with KLM to reschedule around a crazy set of flights here in Europe because of a snowstorm the past two days. People are getting to the states from every possible airport.

We are currently stranded in Copenhagen but will know more within the hour. Most reschedules are getting home a day late but it is possible that we may be home later yet. Parents should call the school after noon for the latest update. We are working from both ends to get back in groups. Wish us luck.

The Country of Sweden

Sweden, a primarily secular country, a capitalistic society, an Eden of culture and progress, is where I was honored to learn and live for the past two weeks. At my home stay in Landskrona, Sweden, I had the opportunity to talk to a local college student. Her name is Tanya, and she is a friend of my home stay family. We were able to talk about many issues and benefits in the country of Sweden.

After World War II, Sweden was very welcoming to immigration, but recently it has become more and more of a problem here. Most immigrants come from places such as Iraq, Iran, Albania, and other countries suffering from war. These people all flood to the same neighborhoods in cities, causing some problems with the locals. While most people in Sweden don’t mind the immigrants, others have grown to dislike these new residents. As Tanya put it, people see these ethnic neighborhoods as slums or so called bad areas in town. This causes most people to avoid areas or towns with immigrants and these ethnic neighborhoods. Strife with immigrants has prompted a new political party in Sweden, whose aim is to close the borders to immigrants.

As some parts of the Swedish government are trying to close borders, other parts are a great help to the lives of the Swedish people. I was amazed to hear from Tanya that every part of school is free This means that school lunches are free, school trips are free, and every course fee is free. Some even get paid money each month to go to school. This system is extends to colleges and universities. The government has made school a resource available to each and every citizen to produce a well-educated population. Beyond school, heath care is free and insurance is nonexistent. Women are always paid from the government when on maternity leave from work, and the husband is paid during this time. The negative side to all of these benefits is that residents must pay high taxes and the cost of living is also higher.

This country, like any other, has issues, but it is also a beautiful and progressive place. I believe I can speak for the whole delegation when I say we will all miss this country and culture.

COP15- this is it.

Throughout this entire journey of COP15, party members and NGOs alike have been saying that this is it, this is our final chance to make a meaningful policy for climate change that will work effectively with the shrinking amount of time we have left. Unfortunately what we want is not always what we get.

Although no major policy was formed out of COP15, five counties with major economies drafted their own policy to help combat climate change. The US, Brazil, India, China, and South Africa all signed an agreement with good intentions. Their agreement has no specific plans on cutting emissions, only that they will not let global temperature rise 2 degrees C. This may not sound like much but it is a huge step in the right direction. During the Kyoto Protocol, the US and developing nations butted heads, but now the US is on board with India and China, and not in disagreement with them like they were in the past. "This is a consensus that will serve as the foundation for global action against climate change for years to come," stated Obama, obviously pleased with this outcome.

Many small nations and developing nations are very displeased with this outcome. "This is a declaration that small and poor countries don't matter, that international civil society doesn't matter, and that serious limits on carbon don't matter," said Bill McKibben, the head of the environmental activist group 350.org. "The President has wrecked the U.N., and he's wrecked the possibility of a tough plan to control global warming." Some people believe that this agreement is just the same as if nothing had come out of COP. Either way you choose to look at it, the US and China as still the big emitters and because they have not agreed to binding limits on their emissions nothing is going to change.

Museum exhibits and current lessons

Due to the massive amount of public interest in the Cop15 negotiations a much larger crowd than anyone had originally anticipated arrived at the Bella center this morning to hear speeches from many of the worlds most powerful leaders. Party members and press were giving additional credentials to attend this mornings sessions; however only ninety of twenty two thousand Non-governmental accredited observers (NGOs) were given the additional pass needed to enter the conference today. This unforeseen event allowed the other SESEF delegates and myself the chance to experience what else was happening in Copenhagen away from the Bella Center. I used this opportunity to surround myself in the interactive atmosphere of Denmark's National Museum. One of the most fascinating exhibits was dedicated entirely to indigenous people from all different parts of the world. The exhibit was divided into sections and each section contained information and artifacts on the indigenous people from one country or a specific area of the world.

All of the cultures featured in the exhibit were under the threat of westernization or had already disappeared entirely from the earth. One section in particular caught my attention as one of the most endangered groups of people on the planet. The native pacific islanders are a group of people we heard a great deal about and from at the COP 15 conference. Because of rising sea levels due to climate change they are being forced to leave their native lands. More specifically, their land is slowly disappearing. Cultures are shaped around their environment; if you take away the environment you take away the culture. The exhibit could only offer brief snapshots of entire groups of people who had already disappeared forever. I can only wonder how many more cultures will be added to this exhibit in the next century.

Meshwork

One of the neat things available at the KlimaForum (The People’s Summit) is a meshwork. As the Klimaforum meshwork information sheet states, “a meshwork is a way for people and organizations to self organize around a common framework - online and face-to-face - to locate and develop action relationships and exchange knowledge and resources to make a greater impact.” Most recently, the meshwork process was used in Brazil to develop a framework for achieving an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020. The Klimaforum Action Areas are as follows:


1. Communication of the environmental
challenge
2. A just/sustainable climate deal
3. Equity
4. Sustainable energy technology and
energy systems
5. Sustainable utilization of resources and
food
6. Sustainable agriculture, forestry and
fishery
7. Alternative economics and sustainable
development
8. Sustainable lifestyles
9. Education

In one of the KlimaForum halls, tables are set up for each of these areas and anyone who is interested is invited to sit down and contribute anything they can to the discussion. I was able to participate in the education area. Education is one of my favorite topics, and of huge importance to the future of climate change policy and results. Jessica and I spoke to the woman there about SES, and she was extremely intrigued. She was especially impressed by how involved we told her the students were in developing projects and the fact that out wind turbine project was passed down from student to student over the course of four years and was still accomplished. We recorded this and a few other concepts on post-it notes, which were added to the meshwork case study and idea board. It made us proud to be contributing to a global web of knowledge. The next day, Jessica and Tara went to the meshwork area again, and the women we had spoke to referred them to some students from a school in Denmark, with whom they were also able to exchange ideas about environmental education and the greening of schools. This meshwork was a great opportunity to meet other people that have similar interests, and hopefully the information we shared will benefit those we met.

There is also an online climate solutions meshwork that anyone can participate in. Users create a profile that lists information such as location, interest areas, and projects. When “synchronize” is clicked, the meshwork identifies other users with similar information so that users can contact each other to collaborate on ideas and projects. It’s a great program for anyone interested in, or already doing, environmental work.

http://2020.global.gaiaspace.org/global/pg/dashboard/

The ups and downs of Public Transportation

In both Landskrona and Copenhagen we have the wonderful opportunity to take advantage of their efficient, user friendly public transportation system. Each day we take advantage of the train that leaves at promptly at 8:22 and usually reach Copenhagen around 9:30. It is an impressive travel time considering the distances we are traveling.

Unfortunately the train´s most ideal arrival times do not always played out. With problems like mechanical difficulties, weather, coordinating tracks with other trains, and the speed at which riders can board, consistency is sometimes difficult to find. As an example, our train leaving Copenhagen central last night was delayed by 20 minutes. The trains were so overloaded that when the last stragglers who attempted to squeeze into the last bit of standing room space began blocking the doors the train was disabled and delayed from leaving for some time.

Today, President Obama will be attending the COP15 meetings. His arrival will shut down the entire system for an unknown amount of time. Our group expects delays and a little hard work from both our group, and the train system, but we will still be heading to Copenhagen to view what sessions we can (round of congratulatory applause!).

German Business

The Germans are the world's leading carbon dioxide neutral country, and they have a thriving business market. If Germany can have carbon neutrality with a thriving business, then why can’t America? During their presentation the German Business for Climate Protection or BDI initiative was open in listing the many ways that they succeeded in accomplishing their carbon neutrality.

1) They created climate friendly coal plants using carbon capture and storage.

2) They created climate friendly transport such as electric trains.

3) They build new houses that reduce carbon dioxide emissions down to nearly zero. Something as common as insulation can reduce a home's carbon emissions.

The German Minister of the Environment expressed his views on how the COP 15 was coming along in short bursts. In one such burst he said, “If we were to try to achieve CO₂ neutral business through renewables then we would rely heavily on contraction (a declining global cap which would be set on worldwide carbon emissions) and convergence (moving over time over towards equal per capita carbon emission rights). We need a short term goal or we won't see investment in CDMs or other business technologies. We also need a long term goal to keep the investments rising. I think that an effective protocol would use a ranking of countries that produce carbon products. If we were to do this then China would be the largest CO₂ emitter because they export coal, computers, and other technologies. If we were to rely on CDMs then CDMs will have to change because they (CDMs) will not save us as they are now.” Through other remarks made by the German minister it was clear that Germany’s goal for COP 15 is for an agreement in which all countries would adhere to one standard, and to make the protocol larger than what is being proposed right now. He said that COP 15 is a big chance for the United Nations to press forward on carbon emission targets later saying, “We have a moral duty to be successful!”

One of the business speakers made clear that it is in the interest of all nations to be at the forefront of eco-friendly business, because, along with industry, these are the markets that will generate employment in the future.

Project Survival Pacific: Voices of the Pacific

Written by Deon and Jessica

On Monday as we walked into the main hall of the Bella Center we passed yet another person handing out sheets of paper. At the conference, you learn to keep your hands down or in your pockets to avoid being given countless documents you'll never look at again. Yet this particular woman mentioned something that sparked both the attention of both us and we took the paper. It was an announcement calling us to a side event in which eleven young people from Pacific nations were speaking. Being interested in the voices coming from both youth and vulnerable nations, we attended the event at 2 pm.

It began with an announcer who gave basic facts about Pacific nations. There are 8.6 million people living in the Pacific, and over 1000 languages are spoken there. Many Pacific nations are very close to sea level. The highest point in the Maldives is 4 meters above sea level, and on Kiribati it is just 3 meters.

One or two representatives from each of 9 countries spoke about specific issues their nation was facing. Almost all of the representatives talked about facing saltwater intrusion and therefore a freshwater shortage. This can be directly linked to a rising sea level, which comes from melting glaciers, a result of an increasing global temperature. Freshwater shortages lead to food security problems in many of these nations, and they can no longer profit from agriculture. Many of the nations also are hit with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and storms, which also contributes to their inability to produce enough food.

During this session there were also many unique surprises. A few of the speakers performed a traditional dance, which was very neat to watch. We were also served coconut ice, which is a typical (very delicious) treat in many of the island nations. Towards the end, two of the speakers performed fabulous poems they had written. One particularly poignant line by the young woman from the Caribbean islands read, "that money you make, it's killing our children."

One of the issues that Deon has been focusing her research on at the conference is equality, so this session was especially meaningful to her. Jessica has been focusing some of her research on the Alliance of Small Island States, so it was a natural interest for her as well. These small Pacific nations are begging the developed countries to help them. They are emitting very little carbon themselves, yet they are being affected most strongly. The constant theme that everyone spoke about was his or her right to survive. They want their land, culture, people, and identity to survive. The young woman from the Maldives pleaded, "We are usually very happy people. Don't take our happiness away."

One country to look at is Papua New Guinea, which holds 5% of the world’s biodiversity. 75% of the country is covered in forests. 80% of the people rely on the forest for their livelihood; a local called it ‘the people’s supermarket’. Without this rich land and biodiversity, many of the people would suffer. In Papua New Guinea, the first of what may be many “climate change refugees” have already begun experiencing displacement issues. These refugees are people that have been forced to relocate because their village or home is no longer inhabitable. Forced migration, relocation and displacement are all problems the Pacific nations are faced with due to sever unpredictable weather, rising sea levels, coastal erosion and unreliable growing seasons.

Tuvalu, another small island, has become increasingly more noticeable at the conference. The country’s negotiators have said that “it is an irony of the modern world that we are waiting for some senators in the U.S Congress to conclude their discussion before we can proceed”. Tuvalu and other small island nations are willing to do anything they can in order to reach a binding agreement at COP15 that will require all nations to cut their CO2 emissions and support technology transfer in developing nations. Reaching such a contract at this point is the one thing that all the small island nations are hoping for. This truly is the last thing the world can do to help suffering in the Pacific island.

SES Presentation with Will Steger at the Klima Forum

Wednesday evening we had the amazing opportunity to join the Will Steger Foundation in a presentation at the Klimaforum on, why send a youth delegation from the midwest? Will Steger was of course present, as well as MN State Representative Kate Knuth. The evening started off with an introduction of the Will Steger "Expedition Copenhagen" team and their mission in coming to Copenhagen. The team is comprised of delegates from all over the midwest; young students who specialize in topics such as forestry, mitigation, and financing. For months prior to the COP, each delegate in their respective states worked with youth in their area to raise awareness about the Copenhagen meetings. They did this by visiting high schools and planning a day of events on the international 350 day on October 24th (check out 350.org for more information). Their mission in coming here is to represent the youth of the midwest to the leaders of the world. They are here to add a presence to the youth climate change movement, as well as pressure our government to take action in the face of climate change.

After the introduction of the Steger "Expedition Copenhagen" team, it was then our honor to do a presentation on our school and our own mission in attending these meetings. Beth Shulz and David Garcia began by introducing our school and our school's mission and focus. Then Katie Paulson-Smith took the floor and spoke about YEA MN and the youth action in MN, along with some of the opportunities she has had through her mentorship class at SES. I then spoke about our mission in coming to COP15, how we were able to get here, and the preparation that took place before our departure. Luke Nagel finished it off by speaking about the unique cultural aspect of our school and our connection with our sister school in Landskrona, Sweden, the outreach that we are doing while here in Copenhagen, and our plans for outreach upon our return home. All in all I think we did an outstanding job in representing our school to the 50-70 people in attendance and soon to the many viewers on youtube. It was quite an honor to present about our school along side Will Steger and quite an amazing experience.

Following us were a few other speakers including MN State Representative Kate Knuth who spoke about climate change and policy. The number one thing that I took out of their presentation is that the midwest plays a key role if there any progress at all to be made on climate change policy in America, with several midwestern states having key "swing" senators. We as citizens of a midwestern state have the responsibilty to connect with our legislative representatives and let them know what we think and what we support. We are responsible for whether or not our country will pass climate change legislation or not, so it is very crucial that we work together in a common purpose. All who attended this meeting would say that it was a refreshing meeting with a lot of hope and excitement. It was a call of respect for the youth and all the work we are doing here in Copenhagen to educate others and let our politicians and leaders know that we are watching and we do care.

Developing Views

While attending a plenary meeting (before having to leave because NGOs were not allowed to attend) I was able to hear the multiple comments made by representatives of developing countries. Some striking comments that were made, including those from a majority of the AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) that said there is no time like the present to come to an agreement. The most powerful comment came from the representative of Gambia. “Time is not on our side, we have to act now…Gambia is a very vulnerable country and wishes us to act now to save what we can while we still can”. Some of the developing countries wish to stay under the Kyoto protocol because apparently they would still be considered a developed country, thus allowing them to release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere along with gaining financing and technologies from developed countries. Some statements were also made by Nigeria and Niger concerning the countries in the Saharan region of Africa affected by global climate change, stating their vulnerability along with adaptation or mitigation problems.

Another comment that was met with many curious eyes all pointing to one direction was made by the Syrian Arab representative who proposed that the most effective action would be to implement provisions from the Kyoto protocol, along with a recommendation that resources be mobilized for use around the world. The same representative made clear that he hadn’t heard anyone speak of land degradation, or desertification.

A speaker representing the Climate Action Network (over 500 NGO’s) decided to make a short speech. She said, “The survival of our race as people is non- negotiable we need to accept the mark as the industrialized age by saving our species not by killing it… now will you emerge as heroes, as people who will do something or no?” No statement made as much of a ruckus as a statement made by Amira Karim, a woman from Singapore representing the YOUNGO (Youth Non-governmental Organizations) constituency. “This is not the time to say ‘yes we can’ it is the time to say ‘yes we can, yes we must, yes we will’!”

The Importance of Ice

Perhaps many of you have been wondering about how climate change affects us here in the United States. We have written and told you a lot about how small island nations and developing countries are affected, but what does climate change really mean for the US? It's true that a lot of the US will not see direct affects of an increase rise in temperature but one state, Alaska, has already been suffering from an increase in temperature in the last 50 years. Today I was able to sit in on a meeting that was put on by the United States and learn a little more about this situation.

Alaska, which has only been a state for 50 years, will suffer the most from climate change; and not only the environment but the people as well. So far Alaska's coast has been changed considerably by erosion and flooding brought on by lack of ice in the fall and winter. Normally, the ice covered sea surrounding Alaskan communities on the northwestern coast blocks storms and high water from reaching the land. Because of a rise in temperature by 3.1 degrees over the past decades, this ice is either no longer present or forms later than it used to. This ice used to protect indigenous peoples villages on the coast but most are now threatened with survival because of the impact of decreased ice, intense storms, and flooding destroying their infrastructure. Many remote, off the grid communities are having to be relocated so that these people do not lose their precious culture. These communities want to stay together but the possibility of relocating is often difficult because this costs so much for our government.

Currently, not much has been proposed to help these communities in the long term, but there are some short term options. Mainly so far, rock walls are built along shores to act as a buffer to the waves, but still this is expensive, costing around 25 millions dollars for a completed project. There are many plans to move communities but only the future can tell if these plans can be carried out to save these indigenous communities that add to the meaning of our native country.

This picture is of the small indigenous village of Kivalina, Alaska which is experiencing loss of sea ice. Coastal erosion threatens the safety of their fuel storage tanks. Without these tanks the village cannot survive the winter and without the ice surrounding the community, it is very hard to travel to and from the area. An eight mile sand strip as the only way to get to the community by land. A community like this would suffer a great deal without the ice if they ever needed to evacuate because they have practically no where to go.

Climate Smart Smorgasbord

Today, myself and the other SESEF delegates joined the Swedish students in a "climate smart" (low carbon) potluck lunch hosted by our host high school in Landskrona Sweden, which is the city where we are living for the duration of the confrence. The participants were divided into groups composed of students from both schools, and each group was asked to prepare a traditional Swedish Christmas dish for the fifty or so people who attended the event. The goal of the potluck was to create the most carbon efficient and environmentally friendly meal. Many groups focused on foods packaged in recyclable material as well as foods that were produced near the place where they were put on the market, so as to support the local economy and reduce the amount of carbon that entered the atmosphere during the transportation process. My own group and serval others chose to walk to the store where they purchased the food and carried our food in reusable cloth bags to avoid the use of paper and plastic bags. One group was especially creative and cooked their food on a stove that had already been preheated during the preparation of an entirely different meal, in order to avoid wasting energy to preheat another stove. The most Carbon efficient meal was served cold and emitted no carbon in the preparation process. This idea of climate smart, small carbon footprint eating fits right in with the Swedish lifestyle. Things such as energy efficient, and in some cases energy free heating and cool methods, as well as the use of public transportation and healthy low carbon footprint transportation such as walking and biking have all been adopted by the average Swedish household. Climate smart living methods are also seen everywhere here in Copenhagen as well, particularly at the Bella Center, the official site of the climate conference. Everywhere I go in this massive center a recycling system is in sight, the cafes here serve minimally packaged food that appeals to every ethnicity and lifestyle in order to encourage the people to eat at the conference center to avoid using energy for transportation off site for meals. While the energy use here is still great, everyone is still doing their part to offset the carbon footprint of the conference.

A tax on meat- a vital element to a cost-effective climate policy

Yesterday I sat in on a European Union session discussing how climate policy must address the rising issue of land scarcity and what options we have for failing marginal lands. What caught my attention was a lecture during the session by Dr. Fredrik Hedenus who called for an effective tax on meat.

Taking a step back, this proposed tax on meat would be filed under the category of "Methane Mitigation". Methane is a leading green house gas, second only to CO2. Unlike CO2, methane is not clearly linked to an energy source, and its emitters are few and very dispersed. This makes mitigation very difficult. In a recent analysis report released by the Copehagen Consensus Center (C.C.C.), they recommend a efficient global methane mitigation portfolio be produced by the year 2020. This portfolio would include sectors like rice, livestock, solid waste, coal mine methane, and natural gas. Potential benefits could reach net highs of 1.4-3.0, costing anywhere from $14 billion to $30 billion.

Hedenus noted that Methane sources are non-point emission sources and, as stated earlier, this makes it difficult to control and regulate than CO2. Our best option then, is to begin with the strongest most defined known source, livestock. Hedenus suggested that, because these are non-point emission sources, we must implement output based policies. The C.C.C. estimates that benefit-cost ratios could reach approximately 2 through a beef meat tax in OECD countries. This tax would reduce global emissions by 30-70 million CO2 ton equivalents per year by GWP calculations over the next 100 years.

Lots of “Hot Air” from Sweden and others

Sweden, where we are staying, along with Finland and Austria were one of the first groups to receive the very prestigious “Fossil of the Day Award”, which is awarded to the country or group that makes the worst climate decision at the day’s meetings.

http://www.fossiloftheday.com/

At first I was shocked that these Nordic countries received an award before even the US. I had been riding around on Sweden’s fantastic train system and walking through towns filled with bikers thinking how nice it would be if the US could be this green. But when I looked into it, it all made sense. It all comes down to land use, which has turned out to be the highlight, and the pitfall, of negotiations so far.

Managing land use is the quickest and one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions, particularly in the short term. It also happens to be one of the most difficult things to measure. It took me a little while to figure out for myself just what was going on because some of the methodology is very complicated, but I tried to simplify it as much as possible for this blog. I know many people reading this blog are busy, but I would like to plead to you to take the time to fully understand the issues at hand, because they are much more complex than they seem. The public likes to have definitive numbers and statements that they can quote, but it is dangerous to oversimplify. I had the misfortune of listening to several excellent presentations by some of the leading researchers in the field of climate modeling, only to come to the Q and A section and hear the reporters in the room ask nothing but questions about the recent email hacker scandal. I was incredibly frustrated, and I could tell the scientist on the panel were very annoyed that these reporters would waste their time giving attention to a subject that, if they really understood it, they would realize has almost no importance. I will stop ranting now, but first must encourage you to take time to understand the issues presented here. Ask me questions if something doesn’t make sense, and don’t just take my word for it, go out and find a real, accountable source.

In order to calculate reductions you have to know what you are subtracting from. There are two basic methods for calculating a baseline for reductions; historical levels, or projected levels. Historical baselines are taken from the trends of previous years. Right now most countries are calculating their targets as some percentage below 1990 levels. Baselines can also be calculated using projected, future emission levels. CO2 emissions would be predicted using a “business as usual” scenario, and any emissions below the projected increase would be credited as a reduction.

But predicting the future is risky business. A country’s future emissions can be impacted by a whole host of unforeseeable events, such an economic recession. So consider for a moment what would happen if the predictions of future emissions turned out to be too high. Basically, it amounts to handing out free extra carbon credits. Nations could do absolutely nothing, nothing more than “business as usual”, and be credited for reductions! They could even increase emissions and be credited for reductions! Even if the predictions are completely accurate nations would still be increasing emissions, just not at the frenzied pace they predicted, and thus being credited for increases.

The term for this loophole is “Hot Air”, because the credits don’t represent any real work, and are thus just a lot of hot air. What’s worse is if a carbon trading system is set up nations with a lot of “Hot Air” could sell it as carbon credits to countries trying to reach their reduction goals, thus making the reduction promises of developed nations just a lot of hot air.

Sweden, Finland and Austria have backed an EU proposal that would allow credits for preventing deforestation to be allocated based on projected levels of logging. Basically this means that they could continue to log their forests, emitting GHG’s and destroying carbon sinks, and still be credited for reducing emissions. Sweden, Finland and Austria have significant standing forests and could reap some very significant financial benifits from this deal. They were awarded a second place “Fossil of the Day Award” for attempting to convince the rest of the world to pay them for cutting down trees.

Al Gore

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1. For only being at the Conference for 5 hours today, and having to wait outside for the first hour, today was a pretty amazing day. Our day began, like I said, outside in 0° C weather, and of course this was the day I decided to wear a skirt. The line stretched on for a mile, and seemed to consist of all of the lines that we had waited in on this trip combined. But throughout the hour-long wait, we spoke to an extremely interesting woman, Lisa Beal, the director of Environment and Construction Policy at Interstate Natural Gas Association of America. This was her twelfth COP; she had been attending since Kyoto. (Interview Inventory coming soon)

2. When we finally made it through security, Tara and I scurried off to a side event about “renewing the face of the earth,” in which faith-based approaches to climate justice were discussed by a panel representing the World Council of Churches and Caritas Internationalis.

The dialogue’s purpose was to bring ethical principles and voices of faith to the climate change negotiations and examine various faith-based perspectives on policies and action promoting climate justice. An interesting concept that Joy Kennedy, a member of WCC Working Group on Climate Change, brought up was that we must replace our “theology of dominance,” with a “theology of humility” for sustainability, and we must recover who we are as human beings. One man remarked from the audience that we must redefine “rich” to mean a positive relationship with Earth. Also, the president of Caritas Europa, Fr. Erny Gillen, stressed that we share “the human condition” with all other people on this planet, and thus “we are responsible for our brothers and sisters, here and elsewhere, today and tomorrow.”

3. The third and final happening of my day at the Conference was the most thrilling, but since a picture is worth a thousand words…

The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme under the Arctic Council issued a new report synthesizing the latest scientific findings on the Greenland Ice Sheet, “The Greenland Ice Sheet in a Changing Climate”. The report is a preliminary product under the Arctic Council project “Climate Change and the Cryosphere: Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic” (SWIPA) and has been produced by some of the world’s leading experts and synthesizes peer‐reviewed scientific material up until the spring of 2009. It was presented by the Arctic Council Chair, Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Per Stig Møller, and the lead author, Professor Dorthe Dahl‐ Jensen, at the UNFCCC COP15 side‐event “Melting Snow and Ice, a Call for Action” on December 14, 2009 at the Bella Center. (See more)

Three conclusions:

1. The Greenland Ice Sheet is losing ice mass and the glaciers are discharging more ice. The Jakobshavn Isbræ has retreated 15 kilometres in the past 8 years.

2. Recent projections of global sea level rise, including contributions from the Greenland Ice Sheet and other land‐based ice and thermal expansion of the oceans, indicate that a global sea level rise of around 1 m may occur within this century. Scientists suggest that beyond a certain point the Ice Sheet may enter an ‘irreversible’ destabilization leading to complete melting.

3. Climate change could bring new business opportunities to Greenland, but also hamper traditional subsistence activities.

Stay tuned for more Gore (he`s speaking at the Conference again tomorrow, so maybe we can reschedule our lunch date?)

Top 5 things I've learned about Swedish Culture

1. Friendly to Foreigners and Natives Alike.
The first thing I noticed when arriving in Sweden is that the people are very nice and welcoming. We've had many opportunities to sit with strangers on trains and buses and they are always willing to talk and get to know you. Once I got to sit with this Swedish girl and after a few minutes of being on the train she was playing cards with myself and two other SESEF delegates. We then learned that she was on her way to the airport heading for Austria and then on to northern Italy where she was to work as a ski instructor for a few months. These types of experiences as well as interactions with my host family and friends as well as strangers on the street, have contributed to my overall impression of their general hospitality.

2. Candy the Crazed Obsession.
I haven't met one Swedish person yet who does not like candy, nor have I gone a day without some kind of sweet or chocolate. One day I got by with only having one piece of chocolate but when I arrived home my host father was prepared with three dishes filled with swedish gummies and licorice along with three boxes filled with Marzipan covered in chocolate and, to top it off, a bowl filled with chocolate bars. When you walk into any grocery, movie rental or convenience store there is always a HUGE wall of what they call "loose candies" and all of the candies are at one price to make it even easier to purchase. Candy as a common treat, not even mentioning the wonderful and delicious variety, definitely stands out as a necessity in Swedish culture.

3. Healthy Eaters.
Although they love their candy, Swedish people also prize healthy food and hold their health to an extreme importance. In my host family's home there is not even a microwave because they fear it will be a temptation to eat more conveniently and not cook every meal. Their refrigerator is always stocked with vegetables and a multiple assortment of fine cheese and pork products along with other, more organic foods, and their cupboards are stocked with teas and large assortments of flat and leavened multi grain breads. I have also noticed that they tend to eat in smaller portions multiple times a day and whenever they are hungry instead of grabbing the not commonly seen bag of chips or soda. They are more likely to grab a thin slice of flat bread, a slice of Christmas ham and make a "sandwich" with mustard on top (an example of a type of healthy snack my family eats often). As a side note, it is not common to see a fast food restaurant in the cities. Usually there is one or two in train stations, and a few more in malls and airports.

4. Public Transportation.
In Sweden there are two ways that teenagers and many adults get around town, walking/biking, or public transportation. Due to the layout of the cities, especially Landskrona, walking and biking to your friends house or the store is the number one used means of transportation. At all times are people on the sides of the road, even when the weather seems unbearably cold. They even have a separate sidewalk of sorts for bikers because it is so commonly used. So biking and walking are the number one means of transportation to get around the town, however if one needs to travel to another city it is most common to use public transportation. From my observation, I would even go as far to say that more people take the train then drive. It is cheap and very efficient, with few (if any) layovers in other cities. The train system is also very cheap and accommodates all kinds of people, with passenger cars designated for animals, and talking, as well as standing sections for train hoppers, large seated cars for first class business travelers, and silent train cars for the common book worm or sleep deprived student. The bus system is also very effective with four or five different routes throughout Landskrona. There is a bus at every stop every 7-10 minutes during busy times and usually a bus is waiting at the train station when a train pulls in on time. Most families only have one car, maybe two out in the country, so this also helps drive up the number of people who are dependent on the public transportation system.

5. Spatial Conscience.
In the cities, space is very crucial, and not many people own large homes. In my home every room is used everyday and has purposeful uses. On the main floor there is one family room where the family gathers and watches TV, a kitchen and dining area where all meals are cooked (this is the center of the home), and a small closet they call a bathroom. Upstairs there are two bedrooms and a small sitting area at the top of the stairs for a study. There is also one small community bathroom with the only shower in the home. Underneath the house is a small basement with a living room to watch movies (the teenager hang out spot) that is connected to a laundry room and a small office (aka my room for the time being) and one other bedroom. The square footage of the house is small and the house is connected to many other homes, yet it seems so full because every inch of the space is used effectively. Another home I visited had a similar layout. It was only when I visited the countryside that I saw larger homes, but even then they are used to the maximum effectiveness. In one of the country houses I visited they split the house. One half was for living purposes and the other side was their home run store for interior decorating. Another example of being space conscience was when my host father was looking in the local newspaper and saw a home had been newly built and was very skinny. It had been built where an ally between to buildings had been and was selling for a few million krona. Space is very important to the Swedish. Like we learned at the architecture exhibit, we need to build up to accommodate for our population, and that is exactly what they do.

Saint Lucia

All of Sweden seems to be decorated for the holiday season. In almost every window there is a lit candelabra or star. The towns have strings of lights going across the streets and shops has gorgeous window displays. All this bright decoration light seems to cheer up the cold nights. In fact, today marks an important festival of light overcoming darkness. 

Today is Saint Lucia day, a long-standing tradition that is celebrated throughout Scandinavia.  Saint Lucia was born in southern Italy, in the third century A.D. Here is her story, found at http://www.newsweden.org/luciahistory.htm :

"According to the Sicilian legend, Lucia's mother, a wealthy lady, had been miraculously cured of an illness at the sepulcher of Saint Agatha in Catania. Lucia, a Christian, persuaded her mother in thankfulness to distribute her wealth to the poor. So, by candlelight, the mother and daughter went about the city secretly ministering to the poor of Syracuse. Unfortunately, this was during the last great persecution of Christians in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. The pagan young man, to whom Lucia was engaged, took a dim view of this distributing of her dowry, and denounced her to the prefect, Pascasius, who ordered that she be seized and tortured. Miraculously, when neither boiling oil nor burning pitch had the power to hurt her, she was blinded and slain with a sword. Her martyrdom is recorded in ancient sources and in an inscription found in Syracuse."

In Swedish households on the morning of December 13th, usually the eldest girl in the family portrays St Lucia, by wearing a white robe with a red sash and a crown of candles and evergreen. She serves her parents Lucia buns and coffee.  Schools and towns also choose "Lucia's" (often the prettiest girl).  Other girls may be maids, dressed in the white robes and carrying single candles, while boys may carry stars. 

We spent the day in the town of Lund today, and this evening we were able to witness a Saint Lucia day singing performance in the town square.  The choir sang beautifully.  Some songs were in Swedish, and others were in English.  The final song was the Santa Lucia song.  Its English lyrics are as follows:

Night walks with a heavy step

Round yard and hearth,
As the sun departs from earth,
Shadows are brooding.
There in our dark house,
Walking with lit candles,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Night walks grand, yet silent,
Now hear its gentle wings,
In every room so hushed,
Whispering like wings.
Look, at our threshold stands,
White-clad with light in her hair,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Darkness shall take flight soon,
From earth's valleys.
So she speaks
Wonderful words to us:
A new day will rise again
From the rosy sky…
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!