As I write leaders are gathering in New York (I’m not talking about the blogospherical (?) leader Eva). This is the prelude to Copenhagen and government and business leaders are gathering in a bid to make that meeting successful, but the forecast is still cloudy with a chance of baloney, to refer to the climate shenanigans film the US is crowding to see this weekend. I’m worried about sounding preachy here (and perhaps you’re converted in any case), but addressing climate change is one of the fights of our generation. While leaders have very real and pressing vested interests in important factors such as their economy, and I know there’s no easy solution, it’s also increasingly frustrating that common ground cannot be found after so much discussion and time.
Saturday evening I watched the big fight (mixed martial arts). It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but the point is these guys go in swinging and fighting as if everything is on the line regardless of risk to themselves. I hope to see that attitude aimed at curbing climate change in Copenhagen, given everything actually is on the line.
The tck tck tck campaign is organizing events to raise awareness this week, and climate week NYC is staging events around the city. I went to a concert over the weekend where I was urged to recycle glass.
I’m not spherical in any way!
But I am in New York, in the Apple store.
Es una cuestión difícil, ya que hay muchos intereses creados in the other sector.
Sorry in English: It is a difficult topic, since there are many vested interests in the other sector.
Yeah, right. Everyone will agree it’s important, but that someone else should do the hard work.
Eva – there’s a good place for bagels near the AMNH. Ask Grrl for directions. She also knows the places round there for free wifi. Oh, and if you go to the AMNH, say hi to the whale
The whale is great- that whole area (the room of life and phyla) is super-cool.
I can always hope, right?
Sorry, I should have said blogospheric?
Heh. I wonder if that whale follows Dwayne the Shark?
Not that I’m at all interested in Twitter of course.
@Eva – is Grrl permanently surrounded by birds, in the manner of St. Francis of Assisi? Just wondering.
Wait, grrrl’s in NY? I can’t keep track of the migration, I thought she was in Germany? In any case there’s a Nature Network happy hour coming up at Rockefeller Thursday. If she (or NNer’s) are there I look like my picture, but shorter (5’4)!
I’m checking out Dwayne the Shark and may follow!
No, your picture is TINY. Look, your head is only about 20 pixels here. You’re actually bigger than 20 pixels in real life, really!
Grrl is indeed still in NY, for a couple of weeks. I was too late in sending her an e-mail about the panel (I think I need a personal assistant just for my life), but I met her afterward.
You probably met my high res evil twin (fraternal)….
I heard 2 good quotes on this yesterday: Obama saying we can’t address 21st century issues with 20th century attitudes and:
“Instead of kissing the earth’s ass by giving it it’s own day and holding concerts for it, we should kick its ass with technology” (Daily Show with Jon Stewart, of course)
China Seem to have come around to the idea that climate change is going to effect the worlds economy over the coming decades, as businesses and industry’s may move to greener pastures, perhaps this is why they are taking it more seriously. I think the biggest hurdle in reaching appropriate climate action now will be the American Public.
I think there is public willingness on this issue- but you are right that there’s an unwillingness, especially governmentally, to sign on to something if other countries aren’t also on board. But on this issue we need to be willing to step out and lead.