Joining the Strands at the COP
16/12/09 09:15
My interest in
knitting probably marks me as one of the more
visibly peculiar members of the WWF delegation to
the COP, but knitting is a great asset in a
high-stress setting. Some of the oldest knitting in
the world was found in bogs in this part of
northern Europe — perhaps five or six thousand
years old. Knitting is essentially the ability of
taking a single length of yarn and looping it back
against itself in order to make fabric and
clothing. It was a simple, brilliant invention. And
it can be quite beautiful. The idea of taking
strands of yarn and creating something new,
functional, and strong is a calming image as I
listen to the needles clicking in my room.
Especially given how the COP has been developing.
Most of the events
are in the Bella Center, a massive convention
center on the edge of the city. You need to
register and then to receive a special pass in
order to enter the Bella Center, not to mention
move through series of security checks. It’s a
complicated process. Although I have mixed feelings
about having been here for two weeks now, I am
pleased that I registered and got my UNFCCC pass
early on. Starting last weekend, many people had to
wait five, six, or more hours before registering.
But now just getting into the Bella Center has become problematic. Many of the government delegations are quite large. Brazil has roughly 600 in the government delegation. Nepal has about 200, which is a little larger than the WWF delegation. And the Danish authorities who manage the Bella Center have fixed total of people who can be inside for safety reasons. I’ve heard the number 15,000 quoted as the upper limit for what the building can hold.
As the COP has moved from last week’s focus on blocking out positions has turned to serious negotiations, the number of government attendees has grown substantially. And the NGOs are really nonessential from this viewpoint, so we’re expendable while the government staff are expandable. They increase in number, and we fall away.
In practical terms, it means that the conference organizers have created a secondary pass system. If you get a special pass, you can get in. If not, then you have to wait until the total number drops below 15,000. So there are large lines near the Bella Center in what is cold, wet, and very windy weather to wait for six hours for a chance to squeeze into the building.
I’ve been declared nonessential for the Bella Center. I was supposed to be involved in two side events today, but if I go in I take the WWF slot for one of our negotiators. That’s not acceptable, of course. So I’ve had to stay in town, tracking emails and trying to discern what’s really happening in the Center.
Our messages have been very mixed. I’ve received about 900 emails, more or less, on our official COP mailing list in the past 10 days, most in the past 48 hours. The Bella Center was always a circus, but we were at least on the floor of the circus with the lions and tigers. And now we’re up in the stands. Or perhaps outside of the tent, trying to figure out the sounds. Even out contacts in the Bella Center are having difficulty trying to determine how discussions are proceeding.
Water and ecosystems are in the text … and then they’re gone. And back. There are repeated threats by governments to walk out, or more subtle attempts to stall for time or promote alternative positions. This session throws out observers, this session let’s us back in. Most of the arguments are over mitigation issues. I suspect a lot is actually happening with the adaptation language as well, but it’s not as visible. And it’s harder to determine what directions the adaptation text is following.
For our small core of inside staff, this period is intense. Some of them are sleeping at the Bella Center. For those of outside, there is much less to do. We can support them a little at a distance. But not that much.
And each day the number of NGO delegates drops. Out of perhaps 1,000 NGOs that registered, the number of NGO delegates drops tomorrow to 1,000 as well — one per NGO. And on Friday, the last day, the number drops to 90 delegates for all NGOs.
Why does presence matter? Mostly, presence matters because ultimately NGOs are witnesses for non-governmental groups. We can offer competing opinions. We may not be a perfect truth squad, but we are capable of presenting a well-informed opinion. And if we’re aren’t there, then the delegates can mostly tell whatever story they want about whatever deal they put together. If we’re in the room, the delegates know we’re watching. And writing and speaking and broadcasting.
And that presence is very important in the next few days, since we are trying to provide some witness for the voiceless: the most poor and vulnerable people of the world, and for all of the silent ecosystems. They have no seats in the COP meetings, and they don’t do press releases. I’ve yet to find a negotiators for the Sundarbans as a viable ecosystem (perhaps the COP organizers have a rule against registering Bengal tigers as speakers?). So I can’t report very much of what’s really going on inside since I am far, far away.
I am left with my knitting. I’m working on a sock right now out of some beautiful Danish yarn I bought today in a store near my hostel. One of the nice things about knitting is that it is mostly a very calm and tranquil craft. And you can see the sock slowly take shape before my eyes. I hope some of that calm can spread to the Bella Center, and that the negotiators make something functional and beautiful as well. We need to pull those strands together.
But now just getting into the Bella Center has become problematic. Many of the government delegations are quite large. Brazil has roughly 600 in the government delegation. Nepal has about 200, which is a little larger than the WWF delegation. And the Danish authorities who manage the Bella Center have fixed total of people who can be inside for safety reasons. I’ve heard the number 15,000 quoted as the upper limit for what the building can hold.
As the COP has moved from last week’s focus on blocking out positions has turned to serious negotiations, the number of government attendees has grown substantially. And the NGOs are really nonessential from this viewpoint, so we’re expendable while the government staff are expandable. They increase in number, and we fall away.
In practical terms, it means that the conference organizers have created a secondary pass system. If you get a special pass, you can get in. If not, then you have to wait until the total number drops below 15,000. So there are large lines near the Bella Center in what is cold, wet, and very windy weather to wait for six hours for a chance to squeeze into the building.
I’ve been declared nonessential for the Bella Center. I was supposed to be involved in two side events today, but if I go in I take the WWF slot for one of our negotiators. That’s not acceptable, of course. So I’ve had to stay in town, tracking emails and trying to discern what’s really happening in the Center.
Our messages have been very mixed. I’ve received about 900 emails, more or less, on our official COP mailing list in the past 10 days, most in the past 48 hours. The Bella Center was always a circus, but we were at least on the floor of the circus with the lions and tigers. And now we’re up in the stands. Or perhaps outside of the tent, trying to figure out the sounds. Even out contacts in the Bella Center are having difficulty trying to determine how discussions are proceeding.
Water and ecosystems are in the text … and then they’re gone. And back. There are repeated threats by governments to walk out, or more subtle attempts to stall for time or promote alternative positions. This session throws out observers, this session let’s us back in. Most of the arguments are over mitigation issues. I suspect a lot is actually happening with the adaptation language as well, but it’s not as visible. And it’s harder to determine what directions the adaptation text is following.
For our small core of inside staff, this period is intense. Some of them are sleeping at the Bella Center. For those of outside, there is much less to do. We can support them a little at a distance. But not that much.
And each day the number of NGO delegates drops. Out of perhaps 1,000 NGOs that registered, the number of NGO delegates drops tomorrow to 1,000 as well — one per NGO. And on Friday, the last day, the number drops to 90 delegates for all NGOs.
Why does presence matter? Mostly, presence matters because ultimately NGOs are witnesses for non-governmental groups. We can offer competing opinions. We may not be a perfect truth squad, but we are capable of presenting a well-informed opinion. And if we’re aren’t there, then the delegates can mostly tell whatever story they want about whatever deal they put together. If we’re in the room, the delegates know we’re watching. And writing and speaking and broadcasting.
And that presence is very important in the next few days, since we are trying to provide some witness for the voiceless: the most poor and vulnerable people of the world, and for all of the silent ecosystems. They have no seats in the COP meetings, and they don’t do press releases. I’ve yet to find a negotiators for the Sundarbans as a viable ecosystem (perhaps the COP organizers have a rule against registering Bengal tigers as speakers?). So I can’t report very much of what’s really going on inside since I am far, far away.
I am left with my knitting. I’m working on a sock right now out of some beautiful Danish yarn I bought today in a store near my hostel. One of the nice things about knitting is that it is mostly a very calm and tranquil craft. And you can see the sock slowly take shape before my eyes. I hope some of that calm can spread to the Bella Center, and that the negotiators make something functional and beautiful as well. We need to pull those strands together.
