tagged w/ Bella Center
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At COP15 outside the Bella Center, just after my interview with Bill Becker who was scheduled to speak inside on a panel but was not permitted into the building, I met Jessie Robbins, a student from Georgetown University, who was also shut out of the conference. Access to the Bella Center was all but eliminated for NGO's during the final days of the conference, as the deal fell apart and ultimately a sham "accord" was put in its place. Jessie shares her feelings about how the actions of a few can severely affect the many.
Evan Kopelson is president of Green Media Consulting Inc and founder of Green Media News. He advises on sustainability, CSR reporting, corporate, and personal responsibility for climate change action. Evan lives in a pod made from reclaimed materials. He gave up his luxury lifestyle to live in a communal environment focused on sustainability and permaculture in Venice, CA.At COP15 outside the Bella Center, just after my interview with Bill Becker who was... more
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After a long Metro ride past the Bella Center, followed by a trudge in the snow with thousands of other delegates, Bill Becker found himself shut out of the Bella Center when he finally arrived there with his NGO badge and secondary credentials issued just the day before by the UNFCCC along with promises of easy security with the secondary cards.
Bill is Executive Director of the Presidential Climate Action Project and was scheduled to speak on a panel at a side event inside the Bella Center. This did not mean anything to security, who threatened to have him and the rest of the NGO delegates removed if we did not go willingly. Bill Becker was kind enough to grant me what became our second COP15 interview just moments after being shut out of Bella, where incidentally, my badge and secondary card did not get me in either.
Evan Kopelson is president of Green Media Consulting Inc and founder of http://greenmedianews.com - He advises on sustainability, CSR reporting, corporate, and personal responsibility for climate change action.After a long Metro ride past the Bella Center, followed by a trudge in the snow with... more
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There's no interview here, just some cool Star Wars type visuals as I stand at the very front, then rear, of the Copenhagen Metro trains on my way towards the Bella Center, about halfway through the second week of the COP15 climate summit. The metro stop for Bella was shut down by security after a peaceful demonstration, necessitating a long walk in the snow... after which all NGO delegates were nonetheless refused entry, even with a badge and a secondary entry card issued by the UNFCCC.
Evan Kopelson is president of Green Media Consulting Inc and founder of http://greenmedianews.com - He lives in a pod made from reclaimed materials, in a communal living environment focused on sustainability and permaculture, in Venice, CA.There's no interview here, just some cool Star Wars type visuals as I stand at... more
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Paul Hardisty represented Green Cross Australia at the COP15 climate conferences in Copenhagen earlier this month. In this short video, Paul talks to me about the restrictions on access placed on the NGO's mid-conference, as more government leaders from around the world started to arrive in Copenhagen. As it turns out, the NGO delegates were banned completely from the Bella Center, even after being promised limited access.Paul Hardisty represented Green Cross Australia at the COP15 climate conferences in... more
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As the climate conference in Copenhagen heats up with peaceful demonstrations and coordinated marches with up to 100,000 people, the UNFCCC decides to severely restrict the number of NGO delegates permitted in the Bella Center. This is even with badges. Secondary cards were issued and even then, delegates were being refused entry to the conference. This was the day before the G77 walkout. The following day I would interview one of the Nigerian negotiators (see my interview with Felix Dayo). But that would also be the last day I was permitted entry to the Bella Center. The NGO delegates were banned completely for the last 3 days of the conference.
Evan Kopelson is president of Green Media Consulting Inc and founder of Green Media News. He advises on sustainability and encourages corporate transparency.As the climate conference in Copenhagen heats up with peaceful demonstrations and... more
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Copenhagen, Dec. 14, 2009. As the negotiations inside the Bella Center began to break down just days before the deadline to reach a binding climate action agreement among all the countries of the world, I heard the African countries were walking out of the negotiations, and so I busted a move over to the African Delegation's offices. After some waiting and a lot of persistence, I was able to score a brief video interview with Felix Dayo, one of the core negotiators from the Nigerian delegation. Felix gave me his perspective on the biggest problems likely to collapse the talks before an agreement can be reached.
http://greenmedianews.com/evan-kopelsons-exclusive-interview-with-core-negotiator-from-nigerian-delegation-on-the-trouble-at-cop15-and-potential-breakdown-of-climate-talks/ Evan Kopelson is president of Green Media Consulting Inc and founder of Green Media News.Copenhagen, Dec. 14, 2009. As the negotiations inside the Bella Center began to break... more
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Ruth Potts talks with Evan Kopelson at COP15 inside the Bella Center in Copenhagen, about the One Hundred Months campaign. Ruth says we had 100 months from August of 2008 to stabilize the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, and the clock is ticking fast...
Evan Kopelson is president of Green Media Consulting Inc and founder of http://greenmedianews.com - Green Media News is Evan's blog about climate change, sustainability, corporate and personal responsibility. Evan recently gave up a life of luxury to move into a pod made from reclaimed materials, in a communal living environment in Venice, CA focused on sustainability and permaculture.Ruth Potts talks with Evan Kopelson at COP15 inside the Bella Center in Copenhagen,... more
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By Alison Hamm, Media Consortium Blogger
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop15) turned ugly today when police officers beat back hundreds of demonstrators, including a group of 50 to 100 delegates that were trying to meet with the protesters.
More than 250 people were arrested, including spokespeople for Climate Justice Action (CJA), a global network of NGOs that organized a walkout at the Bella Center today. CJA’s spokesperson Dan Glall told Mantoe Phakathi at Inter Press Service that “as a condition for going back to the negotiations, we demand industrialized nations uphold the Kyoto Protocol, commit adequate funds to adaptation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly.”
OneClimate has video (below) of today’s walkout.
“More than 1,000 people have been arrested, detained and released over the course of the past week,” Jennifer Prediger writes for Grist. “Some were made to sit on freezing sidewalks for six hours in a nasty version of time out. The people who threw rocks and set cars on fire were rightfully detained. But the droves who were dragged in last night for dancing awkwardly in Christiana? Seems like overkill to me.”
The chaos outside reflects the increasing pressure inside the Bella Center, as delegates turn to the United States and China for leadership in the final days of the summit. Together these countries account for 42 percent of the world’s carbon emissions.
In order to finalize a global climate agreement in Copenhagen, both countries need to take a big step forward, as David Doniger and Barbara Finamore report for Grist. For the U.S., this means aid for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people; for China, this means making steady progress to meet the country’s carbon reduction goals.
The U.S. has already committed to pay its share of a $30 billion fund to last through 2012. “But to lead in Copenhagen, the U.S. needs to back even larger investments to meet these core needs for the longer-term—2015 or 2020,” Doniger and Finamore write. “China has the opportunity to enhance its standing as a responsible world leader by building global confidence in the implementation of its carbon reduction goals.”
But as David Corn reports for Mother Jones, China and the U.S. are apparently “stuck in a standoff.” An Obama administration official insisted that it’s not about the money: “‘We have to get the developing nations into an international agreement,’ the official said… Yet China has forcefully resisted the idea of incorporating their self-professed emissions goals (essentially, slowing the growth rate of emissions) into a binding agreement. China has also repeatedly said that it will not submit its performance to official outside vetting.”
Corn writes, “But with 115 heads of states beginning to arrive, the Copenhagen talks have left some fundamental gaps for the last minute. Even if those gaps are bridged, the resulting agreement could fall far short of what experts say is necessary to redress the dire consequences of rising global temperatures. Just ask the scientists roaming the halls.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Copenhagen today in a last minute appearance. Clinton has booked a full day of meetings on Thursday and will join President Barack Obama in negotiations when he arrives Friday. Like Obama’s schedule switch at the conference (he originally planned to be there last week and instead will arrive Friday), Clinton’s arrival could indicate the U.S.’s intention to seal a deal by the end of the week.
For live updates of the negotiations and protests, check out The Uptake’s live video stream from the Bella Center.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about the environment by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Mulch for a complete list of articles on environmental issues, or follow us on TwitterBy Alison Hamm, Media Consortium Blogger
The United Nations Climate Change... more
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