Climate Change

I made it--a safe uneventful trip home via Iceland--in a business class seat no less. I traveled part way with Ross Robertson of EnlightenNext, and hung out with him at Iceland's airport, a conversation I always find stimulating and exciting. The rest of the trip I was with Jeremy Osborne, one of the main organizers behind the 350.org events of this past October.

En route, I sat beside a young Icelandic fisherman who told me stories of his fishing trip in northern Norwegian waters this past month. He said they had to go further north than they've gone before because of warming waters and fewer fish in those warming waters, and the thing that blew his mind was this year, he could be out on deck in those arctic waters without a hat! Then he showed me a glacier in Iceland as we approached our stopover, and said that it is noticeably smaller than he remembers it just a few years ago.

From Iceland to Boston, I sat with a man who is a financier for renewable energy projects. He spoke with passion about all the exciting projects that are possible to do right now.

These two co-travellers in a way represent much of the media you might be hearing just now, as well as two ways that it's possible to think about our climate situation. First, we're going down the tubes fast, and it's terrible. Second, there's a lot of creative work to be done, so let's get going!  

Think seriously about what makes sense, in terms of relating to the challenges in front of us. For me, I'm choosing to look forward with anticipation of great things!

We're ending this blog now... my days as a foreign correspondent have ended (at least for now). I hope to see you around the climate change block here in Berkshire County. We have a lot we can do right here. It's been great sharing this trip with you all. Thanks for reading.

Today, Christmas shopping in Copenhagen and coffee with friends. Tomorrow I fly home. My head is spinning as we move to the next phase. What's next? What do I do? What do we do? How do we move forward towards planetary health, given that our global leaders didn't get far. I have to admit, I still have more questions than answers.

We in the Berkshires have such an opportunity to match our county's physical beauty with environmental advances. People more aware of our global crisis will want to visit places that are green. They will be interested in us (more) if we have good transportation systems and great bike paths. They will notice if our businesses have some sort of green stamp of approval. There is a lot of work to be done right at home. Even in the Berkshires, we'll find that the same challenges that face U.N. leaders. We're not free of self-interest, but we can find a way. It's got to be possible to work together, to focus more on our commitment to make the changes that our planet needs.

Some of us have been looking into doing county-wide campaigns that can be far more exciting and productive than town-by-town projects, though certainly each town has specific things to do as well. If you're interested in learning about this county-wide project, email me. Also, if you'd like me to speak to your church or synagogue or school, I'd love to share my experiences (saustown@aol.com).

I'll be offline till I'm home most likely, then I'll talk to the Berkshire Eagle about continuing this blog.

Hope the holiday spirit and snow is uplifting your hearts! This has been such a treat for me to write. It actually heightened my daily experiences, knowing that I'd be sharing with you back at home. Takk for reading! I mean, thanks!

At day's end on Friday, thousands of us went out into a big square and held candles as we formed the letters CLIMATE SHAME. Photos were taken from nearby rooftops, and symbolically, we were able to show government leaders how we felt as they flew home to their respective countries.

I'm not sure I totally agree with the shame bit. I feel that everyone worked hard on every level, but there was something about all being together for a project that was comforting. As we arranged ourselves, we chatted, laughed and cried, simultaneously chilled by the cold ground on which we sat, and warmed by the candles and the company.

I'm just about to head out to the Klimaforum. I've been watching television, which is likely the closest I'll get to Obama's arrival, even if I can't understand a word of what they're saying. Danish is a strange language. There's a tangible tension in the air, likely you're feeling it too. So many hopes pinned on one man. It seems the delegates are being asked to change travel plans and stay through Sunday. Maybe that's why I couldn't get a return flight until Monday. Stay tuned!

Today is a big day. I must admit to being nervous. Some will tell you that the fate of the planet rests on today's outcome. I think that's a bit extreme.

There was a BBC program on TV here last night called "The Biggest Debate on Earth." Several national leaders debated the big issues: Reductions in emissions, compensatory funding for southern nations, etc. It was a taste of the kinds of negotiations that have been happening inside the Bella Center.

What struck me most were two things: First, complexity. And second, gratitude. We have different cultures, different languages, different levels of development, long histories of often difficult relationships, and now, a common enemy and an urgent need to find a way forward. Thank goodness these folks have valued the situation enough to all come to the table--to work long hours to find a way.

One other thing that struck me was the sincerity and good will being expressed. This characterizes the politicians and media folks, but it's also the 100,000 laypeople who are here, who dropped their personal lives to come bear witness, add their presence, their knowledge. I can't help but feel there is power in this somehow.

Late in the day on Thursday, there was a three-hour session that caught my eye. One of the presenters was Ross Robertson, an editor from EnlightenNext magazine, which is produced in Lenox. Robertson was interviewed with me for an article that appeared on December 7 in the Berkshire Eagle. So be proud. You were very well represented yesterday in Copenhagen.

The workshop was geared to look into what it would mean to approach climate change in ways that are atypical. What would it mean to acknowledge the problems at hand, to cast no blame, and to move forward together?

Robertson revealed his environmental past--working with Greenpeace and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on significant actions--and then, after becoming dissatisfied, turning to learn more about the inner life. He spoke about discovering the bright green movement--a new kind of environmentalism that embraces the future. He emphasized how we must include the good things that the environmental movement has accomplished in the past, and keep going!

To use nuclear energy or not, that is the question these days. For a long time, nuclear energy has been very unpopular. Many of us have protested against nuclear power over the years, with good reason. We're in dire straits now, and some who are trying to figure out climate change are bringing up the possibility of getting more clean, non-CO2 producing energy from nuclear reactors. The workshop I attended at the Klimaforum this afternoon expressed the common environmentalists' view: NO WAY! The workshop focused mostly on the impact that mining uranium has on indigenous people who live near mining facilities--including cancer and developmental delays in children. One suggestion was to take the nuclear armaments we are going to be dismantling and use the uranium in existing nuclear facilities to produce energy. Apparently, there is some talk in the official U.N. documents about using nuclear energy as one piece of the solution to global warming, but just a very small part. Al Gore has even mentioned it.