Drops during COP 15 by Yiting Wang

In the wake of Wednesday 16th riot, the police had pushed back the crowd. I was walking toward Bella Center trying to get in, a guy with a little video camera stopped me and sked me to say a little sth about what I think the solution [to our climate crisis] was. I replied, in gasps, that I think we need to put ourselves in each other’s shoes. We need to understand that we are one people in different forms;our lives connected. He asked me where I was from. I said China. He waved one of his hand whiling the other still holding the camera, “thanks for the Chinese wisdom.”

I don’t know if it is particularly Chinese. I just always remember a peacemaking guru who only sleeps for four hours everyday, once said that we are all one. I just cannot agree more.

Thursday, 17th. The banner says “change the system, not the climate.” It was in a warehouse that turned into a working station for people who can no longer enter Bella Center. Mekel was delivering a speech within Bella Center. Heads from the governments of the world was doing that one by one. I had no interest in listening. I thought they were all to symbolic and not constructive at all. I realize how hard it was to reach an agreement when at least a few of the big potatoes did not have the sincerity and bona fide; how hard it was to really change the system.

Tuesday 15th. Robert Swan giving a speech about his expeditions to both Poles. He was the first man to traverse both Arctic and Antarctic by foot. He is now taking young folks to visit an eco-base he set up in Antarctic each year. He ended the presentation with one quote from himself (pretty snobby I have to say): the greatest challenge to our climate crisis is that we think someone else will do the job.

Monday 14th. I was representing our team to discuss possible venues for youth from the States, India, Japen and China to get together to deliver a joint voice. It proved to be politically difficult as well. First, the Japanese counterparts did not show up. Second, the day after that most of us would not be able to get into Bella Center. Third, the Indians want to have the Indian and Chinese youth talking to Indian and Chinese delegates, in one room, pushing our government and stand closely by the island/African countries (to kill Kyoto and have sth more radical—which was strongly disapproved by both governments).

While sitting on the floor in the absence of wine, we ignored the first obstacle and went crazy with the second one. Reed the American guy proposed that we use radio transmitters to deliver youth voice inside from outside. He said he knew a friend in Copenhagen who invented the bike system(or sth like that) who might have access to such devices. He admitted, very seriously, this idea was crazy but he can always do what he wanted to do without too much idea of how to do it. I proposed what I thought would be fun but less risky – having youth inside holding their computers in a circle, skyping in with youth outside and saying what they want with both voices and images. We all agreed and thought hard of places outside where we had wireless. Later another Indian Friend Linkesh joined and showed us a song he just wrote about Bolivia and their brave commitment as a developing country. We all sang together in a circle:

/Every day their stalling and//they’re saying the same old things again//hm-hm-hm//But one bright country stands apart,//they’re sayin’ things close to my heart.//They’ve got a plan with hope in hand,//They’re sayin’ c’mon let’s just start…//Bolivia//, I wish I was Bolivian//Just one degree temperature rise,//300 ppm in the skies,//cent per-cent emissions down by two thousand forty//Does anyone know the price of waiting//fighting, hating, procrastinating,//hm-hm-hm//My future stands in front of me,// while people here make history,//I hope and pray that it will be,//what the world’s children wish to see…//Bolivia//…//We’ve got to take the boldest steps//there’s work to do; clean up the mess.//hm-hm-hm//My future looks me in the eye,//says to me the time is nigh//It’s time to see the world agree,//time for responsibility!//Bolivia//…/

We dismissed in the urgency of going to the US-China youth joint press release. There was almost no follow-up after that, except I invited the Indian friends to come to a dinner that was just meant for the Chinese team. I will talk about that in a second.

Thursday 16th. This dinner was just intended for the Chinese team and the Danish organization Energy Crossroads who gave us the chance to participate in COP 15.One team member had a very clever comment on this dinner, which in the end was joined by the Indians and Africans (sorry I had to use the general term, I did not know where in Africa they came from)—when the old generation used “Pingpong Diplomacy” to break the ice between China and the U.S. during the Cold War, we the younger ones used “Chinese food diplomacy.” I dont think it was our intention to have any diplomacy. It was just a very natural gesture for us to invite friends from afar that happened to have chance to gather on the land of fairy tales. If, just a naive thought, everyone in this world could be as native as the the young ones, we probably would have maintained better harmony.

One thing I maintained after COP 15, however disillusioned it could be, is to stay ideal, stubbornly ideal, passionately ideal, naively ideal. With vision and intention, things can be done.

Yes the adults will always tell us “it is more complicated than you can understand.” We should be aware not to grow up with unnecessary sophistication that gets simple things complicated.

Red Flag Up, off the peak of today's demonstration (by Yiting Wang)

Just follow my pictures of my day today. It was supposed to be the last day NG

Os can get into Bella Center. I was to enter around 1 o'clock to atten an side event on women as agent of change. I knew something would be going on outside Bella around noonish, somthing big and heavy. I went anyway, despite that my colleague who I was taking the secondary pass from, called me not to as she was almost pushed into the river outside the entrance in the demonstration crowd. Why not come? Despite the heavy snow, if the world is burning, I am burning with it.

At metro station, the sign said "demonstration is ongoing." The train did not stop at Bella Center anymore. I had to walk one more stop.

A Beijing based film producers was shooting a documentary about China's role in climate change. He was following two folks from the National Reform and Development Committee. He just included me all along in his filming asking me to talk about my state of mind--why I am here in Copenhagen, why I am going to the Bella Center knowing the fact there is a demonstration, etc.It was my first time jumble along in front a video camera. I spoke very fast, in bad English. I was cold and hungry.

NGOs outside Bella Center shot at the Middle East folks to go back home and quite oil. I don't know if they are the solution. But people were angry.

There was drumming behind the the politi cars, the whole road was blocked.

Standing quietly, cold and hungry, I waited outside the entrance for almost an hour. The police had not let single one NGO in. I was about to leave and the English film maker called me to wait for him for a few more filming and questions.

Meanwhile, I took pictures of a group of vegan/vegetarian advocates. They have been here everyday since the start of the conference, morning to evening. They handle out flax bags that say go veggie and videos of all sorts of celebrities talking about when they went veg-- and scientists like James Hanson on why.
Despite the TV screen, they are a quiet group, composing mostly of Asian women, sometimes dressed in animal customs. I decided to include them in my blog today, as in violence and chaos, they offered us peace and elevation.

Well I had to mention them.

This also spoke to me as my frustration of not being able to have much vegetarian meal choice during my days here has reached to a point of intolerance. Within Bella Center, the only veggie choice is salad (sometimes they provide cheese which I dont like) and ocasionally you have cold egg or humus sandwich. In Burger King, only one veggie burger with only veggie in it, no protein. In a Chinese restaurant takeout, they only have veggie fried spring roll as your veggie option. No protein. And I have not seen tofu anywhere. Yes cheese, but usually with meat. I am not a pure vegetarian; I eat fish. I'd have left with cheese and very expensive nuts here as my alternative. I was told you got understand this is northern Europe.

I am for one time, proud of where I am in the U.S., when we are provided with many vegetarian options (regardless the heavy marketing of soil products led by the soil plantation industry). Meanwhile meat consumption is soaring in China, reaching 53 gram per day in 2005. Yet it is small compared to 70-130 g/day in developed countries. But China is by far the largest meat producer in the world (China Daily). Folks at home are all rather concerned about me not eating meat rather than limited fish. I find it hard to prove to them my energetic and clear-head (or maybe despite my forgetfulness of personal belongings) spirit and healthy happy being.

Marching ahead, because there is 'No Planet B' (by Si Tingting)

COPENHAGEN: Coming from a country which had held the Olympic Games and has the world's most crowded train station, I had seen a crowd of over 100,000 people several times in my life, but never such an exciting crowd as the one I saw at the Climate March in Copenhagen on Saturday.

An estimated 100,000 environmental activists representing 515 environmental NGOs from 67 countries descended on downtown Copenhagen to call for "climate justice".

The demonstration began at 1 pm and people marched for 4 kilometers from downtown to the conference center. Although my mobility was confined by the huge crowd for a long time and I was too far away from the celebrity speakers at the center stage, I was not at all bored. I was surrounded by music, hot dances, inflatable snowmen and people dressed as dinosaurs, pandas and polar bears, and most of all, flashy banners with really smartly coined slogans.

While many people shouted out slogans, a lot more spread the message with the global language: music - Afro, dub reggae, funk, indie, salsa and more. A shabbily-equipped band, with a dozen people armed with whistles, drums, steel pipes and flutes, had together worked out the most motivating tune I have ever heard. There were also people blowing the battle horn to say "the war on climate change is on".

I couldn't say that I met the oldest protester in my life at Saturday's demonstration, but I definitely met the youngest one. Nine-month-old little Hakki, who lay flat in his stroller, busily looked up and down, checked left to right at the dramatic demonstrators around him. His spokesperson, his father, told me he wanted the kid to be an eyewitness to the biggest demonstration in most Danish people's memory because "it matters to his future."

Above all the fancy background and the cries of too many voices, one message cannot possibly be heard.

Climate negotiators! Stop the "bla bla bla" and make immediate progress to achieve "a real deal" because there is "no planet B" - those were the most widely seen messages on thousands of banners.

However, there are still groups here asking for the rights for people in developing nations to look up to the lifestyle of those in developed countries and the rights for developed nations to continue with business as usual.

The presence of these groups put me into deep thought, as I heard the heart-wrenching stories in the past week from people from small islands such as the Maldives and Fiji.

These countries are experiencing rises in ocean levels, more hurricanes and increased tropical epidemics like dengue fever and malaria. Their people will be most disappointed if a dealis not delivered at the end of the conference.

Right now, there is such a disparity between the climate proposals that different nations have brought to the negotiating table, it may be impossible for anything to happen in the coming week but more dialogues in the future.

But people that are most vulnerable to climate change can wait no longer for more dialogues and the world should stop spending so much time and money to achieve a watered-down climate deal.

I finally decided to leave the so-far most exciting event of the Copenhagen climate conference after I heard two gunshot-like "bangs" and the ensuing sirens after two hours of march. I was afraid something ugly might turn up that day.

Later I learned from the news that the climate march turned violent when a group of protesters, dressed in black and faces covered in masks, shot fireworks at police officers guarding the Foreign Ministry.

Future Generation Day (by Li Li)

UNFCCC approved YOUNGO (a youth constituency under UNFCCC) in COP 15. Two focal points were elected as the major liaisons. One is the China Youth COP 15 member Li Lina and the other is from a Singapore youth NGO. Any youth activities will be submitted to the UNFCCC secretariat through them.

Yesterday was also the Future generation Day. Youth hosted all sorts of demonstrations and activities within Bella Center.

This is the shirt that everyone in the Bella Centre is wearing to symbolise the Future Generation Day.

China-US Youth workshop at University of Copenhagen

This is a call to the Japanese Government for taking actions.

This is what it looks like after 4days.

Copenhagen demonstration with hundred thousand people (by Marina Tse)

On 12 December 2009, we gathered in Christianborg Slotsplads with the crowd.

It was the Global Day of Climate Action. Hundred thousand people in Copenhagen headed towards Bella Centre, urging the negotiators there to reach a satisfactory legally binding agreement to tackle climate change. Thousands of similar activities were held worldwide to echo the same message.

AND it was the first time we, the Chinese youth delegations, being part of the people.

You may doubt whether our action is of any meaning at all, since it does not seem to change anything. You may even criticize that it is a waste of money to come all the way to Copenhagen for the demonstration. Facing the doubts, I sometimes can do no more than keeping silent, not because I consider myself on the wrong side, but that I have a different perspective.

You know what? Before our departure, the organizer reminded us to enjoy the march, and not to forget the humour we have as youth.

Therefore, you see us holding the banner and shouting slogans. There were polar bears and Mr. Earth and penguins in the march. From time to time people sang and dance to cheer the crowd and encourage the progress of the march.

Each participant of the march came with his or her own messages and may have different perceptions. The organizations may stand on different position. However such differences did not forbid us to walk together with mutual support, since we share the same vision and common goal.

In the march, I saw passion and excitement, and may be some small complaints on the cold weather. But not fear, since it is derived from fear and desperation.

I maintain hope, not because of the progress of the negotiation, but that I realize how little the government represents the people and the powerful they—we—are. These demonstrators have done their work in cities where they are from to raise people’s awareness on climate change issues. Through them, I see the people-the ordinary people—who change their lifestyles for the planet. Every bit of the changes contributes to the fundamental change of society, though the people may not be aware of what they have achieved.

To many, the whole march is no more than a number. The demonstrators endeavouring to attract the world’s attention may be given only the space of a photo on the newspaper. We, the Chinese youth, is no more than a tiny part of the hundred thousand people, but forget not that the hundred thousand people are constituted by individuals.

The hundred thousand in Copenhagen, together with the demonstrators in other parts of the world, represent the grass-root power. Even though our effort may have little impact on the progress of the negotiations in the Bella Centre, we remind the world:

Despite the disheartening negotiation and politics surrounding climate change issues, we, as individuals, still have retained the power to make a better world.

"Made in Denmark" better at delivering green message (By Si TingTing)

When it comes to attracting people to the overheated topic of climate change, it's never bad to go dramatic.

The first few days of the Copenhagen climate summit passed with an awful lot of speeches. All negotiators said that their countries are committed to do more to get a climate deal. A handful of others made emotional pleas that the poor are suffering from climate disasters. But none of them work better to wake up people's numbed senses than a presentation of efficiency-minded ideas, especially when the ideas are of Danish origin.

The made-in-Denmark conference itself is pretty green by all itself: no bottled water, no gifts of Little Mermaid statuettes for the delegates.

The traditional Christmas tree in Copenhagen's Town Hall square, like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York, will only remain lit as long as enough energy is being generated by the 15 bikes set up to power them. The 21-meter-tall tree is decorated with 700 energy-efficient bulbs and the alternative means of powering the Christmas lighting will save the environment nine tons of carbon dioxide.

Next to Copenhagen's landmark Little Mermaid statue, local sculptor Jens Galschiot set up a provocative statue showing an obese Lady Justice sitting on an emaciated African man, representing hypocrisy in the climate debate.

The message to reduce environmental impact went so deep into Danish people's lifestyle that they even look to people's final journey for emission cuts. Starting in 2011, new environmental regulations in Denmark will require all crematoriums to have mercury filters. There are also plans to replace seven crematoriums in eastern Denmark with a single central facility for the sake of energy efficiency.

However, it's not just the Danish who are good at delivering the "go green" message; so are those who came to Denmark.

Scottish businesses and non-governmental organizations created a special-edition Scotch whisky as a gift to key negotiators at the talks. The 42 percent proof (21 percent alcohol), 20-year-old spirit is called TwentyTwenty 42 -- to mark Scotland's pledge to cut its greenhouse gases by 42 percent by 2020.

British wildlife sculptor Mark Coreth brought a life-sized ice polar bear to downtown Copenhagen to let people touch the bear and feel what their touches could do to hasten its watery demise. He hopes that people will appreciate the effects of human action and the plight of the polar bear. Coreth is now back in London to carve a twin bear to display in London's Trafalgar Square and hopes to follow with others around the world, even Tian'anmen Square in Beijing.

In addition, youth delegates from around the world are using their own low-budget but novel ways to pressure the negotiators. Yesterday, outside the main plenary session conference room and against a backdrop of suits and briefcases, scores of youth from around the world, dressed in pajamas and armed with pillows, asked their leaders to deliver a deal which will ensure the survival of all human beings and species. And today, a Chinese youth dressed as a traditional Chinese doctor will send out his prescription for a healthy earth at the conference center.

Hello Copenhagen!

Hopenhagen is the slogan created for COP15 by the Government of Denmark. You basically see it everywhere once you arrive at the airport. There are even COP15 booths where you can get information from the friendly volunteers. This somehow reminds us of Beijing during the Olympics last year :)

The first poster (of course I mean a digital display screen) I saw when I got off the plane was a futuristic picture of Obama in 2020 (obviously a bit older than now, and looking very dismal) saying that we could have stopped climate change but we didn't. There are also other versions of this (eg the Gordon Brown version) which are very eye-catching. Unfortunately I have not taken photos of them, but I guess you'll all have the chance to see them yourselves, or go on their website http://www.hopenhagen.org/ and have a look at what they are doing now.

We were also not surprised to see plenty of advertisements by the alternative energy industry and green enterprises. There was even a contemporary art exhibition themed around climate change.

Here are some photos that our team members have taken today:




A lady carrying a plastic bag with "reuse this, reduce CO2 Emission (or something like that)" said to one of our colleagues, "Enjoy the Summit". :)



(that's Connie Hedegaard staring out from the poster)



The city is prepared for the COP15 (tougher than the Olympics, we think).

Santa Clause Embraces "No Other Way"

On 3 Dec, four of our team members have set off for Copenhagen. They have bumped into Santa Clause while they were waiting during a flight transit in Helsinki!
However they were not aware of the fact that there was a strike going on with Finnair. And our happy folks have lost their luggages... Let's hope that they can get them back asap.

China Youth COP15

WHO WE ARE

• We are a self-organized delegation of 50 young leaders from China committed to a secure and low-carbon future
• We all have a proven track record of excellence and a vowed commitment to educate and lead others
• We represent a nation that makes up one-fifth of humanity, and a youth population of 400 million people (1.5 times the entire population of the United States).
• We aspire to become China’s future entrepreneurs, chief executives, social pioneers and government leaders
• We will be alive in the year 2050, and we understand that our lives depend on political decisions that must be science-based
• We believe there is No Other Way!

OUR MISSIONS

1. Represent China’s Youth Commitment to a Low Carbon Future
2. Set a Precedence of Chinese Youth Engagement on International Issues that Affect Us
3. Inspire a New Generation of Forward-Thinking Leadership
4. Pioneer Peaceful Youth Diplomacy Around the World

OUR CAMPAIGN: NO OTHER WAY but NOW!

OUR ACTIONS

- On October 24, 2009, we organized 300 simultaneous ciimate action events throughout China in an unprecedented display of positive and peaceful collaboration towards finding solutions for climate change
- In October, we organized a rigorous nationwide search for outstanding youth to form China’s first youth delegation to COP15
- In November, we conducted intensive professional training, and learned from experts on COP15 Negotiations and Climate Change Issues, Communication Strategies and Leadership
- We intensively raised grassroots funds of over US$100,000 in less than one month to be able to pioneer this effort in Copenhagen
- We will spend 2 weeks in Copenhagen utilizing all our knowledge, talent and resources to inspire and make a difference!