Day 3 COP15 atmospherics

It's like being at an enormous party, with many different clusters of types of people and events. There is the feeling of constantly shifting mood overall, as tho the conference were one large animal. Right now, the mood seems to be alert and high energy. Partly it's the demonstrations I think, partly the consensus building that it's haves vs have nots with major moral loading.

I haven't had a chance for lunch today, but there was someone with a huge cart of wonderful organic apples in the hall going into the plenary at 3:, selling them for 5 kroners (about $1.) and I sat down on a low wall between one of the open restaurants (there are many & most are organic) and the walkway, near someone from Africa working on his computer and numbers of others talking and eating.

I'm sitting in the front row towards the center of in front of the division between obervers and the delegates- about 30' away. The President and other main people are seated at a white covered table about another 100' ahead. People are constantly going back & forth with various devices, media equipment, etc. behind them are two enormous screens projecting the speakers. To my far left, there is a bank of about 15 translators with little reading lamps in presumably soundproofed gray framed cells.

From time to time, a lot of people put on their ear phones to hear proceedings in their own language. I haven't done that yet, but probably should have so I wouldn't miss anything. Each of us has our little cluster of stuff around us: water bottles, back packs, notebooks- paper and mechanical and of course cell phones. Generally, people are extremely courteous and friendly..

Earlier there were some passionate objections to proceedings without sufficient transparency. Now they are discussing projects for clean energy.

Saudi Arabia, which has been interrupting at every turn, just said, in a somewhat whiny tone, that all they have is oil and that's why they are asking for reparations. That was the first time I heard what sounded like a sincere statement from them. Maybe it's getting to them that at the conference they have become a laughing stock and something of a pariah- well, of course except for the countries that support them.

Tuvalu Heros

Tuvalu representing island states and making coalition with 350.org. These folks were just a few feet from the doors into the plenary, made a LOT of noise and had a big crowd around them. Island states and indigenous groups, inc Canadian Tar Sands folk seem to be making coalitions. It's very easy here because s many as we all are, the builing is still relatively small & everyone is passing the same places.

Kiribati dancer performing at COP15 to packed and enthusiastic audience (with apologies for poor lighting).

COP15, Kiribati, Tuvalo & Tar Sands

The attendance at the Kiribati event was packed with standing room only. The islnders gave out shell necklaces, danced, pled, sang an incredible song about a lost frigate bird looking for her island, vanished beneath the sea. the said they were proud but had limited resources and spoke for all island nations: they want to stay on their land and not burden the world as refugees but they need millions of dollars they don't have.

There are demonstrators everywhere today in the conference. In the morning going into the Plenary All along there have been events and lots of people in costume, but today, they are everywhere. Major events include press conference about indigenous peoples and the Canadian Tar Sands. Major demonstration in support of Tuvalo with 350.org as you enter the Plenary.

President announcing COP15 consideration of the island states report. Still under way with no agreement. CMP continues. the unspoken agenda is now being shreiked: the developed countries are destroying the small nations, young people of the world and countless non-human species with impunity. Will they get away with it?

Day 3 COP15 Binding Agreements Issues Confrontation

Came in on the Plenary discussion of whther or not to have a binding decision on agreements to emerge from this COP. Islands nations testifying. Barbados saying that the most most vulnerable countries are at the mercy of the largest, developed countries. (audience applause) declaration that COP should be suspended unless we agree on this point.

Saudia Arabia predictably "strongly objecting" and switching to English to make this point, asking the President to rule against them. India standing by absolute protocol, apparently in tandem with Saudi Arabia. Reminding me of an off the record aside Monday from one of the carbon scientist laughing dismissively at some "concession" from India. Someone speaking now from Burkine Fasso in French- too busy trying to read the credit (small on the screen) and thinking I don't know if that's a country and haven't heard of it- to catch the content. India replying that they have lots of islands and that's why they want to move forward (and apparently disregard all the other islands and have no restrictions on their own behavior).

President ruling in favor of Tuvalu, etc island states to consult with all the island states to get consensus. Kuwait saying they belive in the President's wisdom. Confusing whether some of these statements from the more secure states are about face or content. The are saying "not to waste time" which I take to mean they are in the camp with India & Saudia Arabia. Venezuela speaking in Spanish saying no paper will save us it's a matter of political will. (Applause again but I think the audience missed the point that Venezuela is also in the Saudi Arabia camp.) Tuvalu asserting the morality of addressing the issues seriously (this time I clapped hard enuf - with others- to hurt the ears of the person (Japanese?) next to me. Algeria, in French, taking dissent with Venezuela. Chad, also in French. I couldn't understand their position because it sounded so equivocal (alliance issues or my misunderstanding his heavily accented French?). China now speaking in Chinese. Apparently choice of language has become a political statement. I can't understand a word: 50% of the world can. Finally a phrase in English: "at least 40% (carbon emissions reduction- confirmed by the man next to me, apparently Chinese not Japanese)." A radical position compared to the USA but by when? Culture Futures yesterday was saying 80%. Saudi Arabia in Arabic looking complacent, belligerent and tired.

President looking very tired. Barbados, in English, speaking again to the need for attention to the island states. Saudi Arabia, et al are argeuing that the island states want to hold things up with new proposals. Barbados, Marshall Islands, clarifying they want tranparency and serious discussion, not delay. Clearly this has become a legal battle of terms that could be the turnign point of the conference. Tuvalu again: clarifying formal consideration of an amendment under existing protocol. Kenya speaking but like Chad, they sound neutral. United Arab Emirates also sounding neutral. President announcing the consultation will begin & they must report back at 3:. Tuvalu again refusing the ruling because it will be informal and not transparent and demanding suspension of COP. Big murmurs in audience. Silence on screen and obviously heavy conversation at the podium. President ruling to suspend consideration and revert to 3: plan.

Progressing forward to CMP. The island nations have apparently lost this battle.No? Yes? Tuvalu asks for floor again asking for clarification. President confirming suspension of COP till 3:.

Now considering joint implementation. I'm confused about the legal implications of this ruling and move and will have to clarify the implications. But it seems to imply that that the country delegates are now excused and the committees are now addressing the Plenary about how to deal with stakeholders and initiate and monitor projects.

Day 4 Copenhagen- other blogs on COP15

Ed Morris of Canary Project is doing...
all about art at COP 15 http://www.good.is/post/The-Culture-of-COP-15/

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/12/8/we_are_having_a_hard_time
Also this story of the 15 year old from the Maldives.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/12/8/would_you_commit_murder_15_year

You can find Sacha Kagan's diary at the Webmagazine of Cultura21: http://magazin.cultura21.de/piazza/english
events he will cover are:
On Sunday 6th and Monday 7th: the ASEF (Asia Europe Foundation) workshop on Arts, Culture and Sustainability: Building Synergies between Asia and Europe (18 invited experts + ASEF staff)
Monday to Wednesday: the conference Culture|Futures: The Transition to an Ecological Age 2050, organized by the Danish Cultural Institute with the help of other organizations including Cultura21 Nordic (about 200 participants from the cultural sector and eco-design/engineers)
Thursday 10th to Saturda

- ASEF blog in Copenhagen (http://connect2culture.blogs.culture360.org/)
- Official blog of the Culture|Futures organizers (http://culturefutures.ning.com/)

Midnight Day 2 COP15

Sarah James singing prayers for her peoples in the Arctic at the gallery last night...


For tomorrow at 1:PM, the smallest nation in the world, Kiribati, has created and extended a special invitation to COP15 delegates, to attend a talk about what it means to be in the front lines of global warming. The subtext is, "to be in the line of destruction and be so small that no one might even notice, so please be so kind as to witness our experience." I've never even heard of Kiribati. I feel like I'm going to a pre-wake. And I will definitely be going. As a citizen of the developed nations, I can at least have the courtesy to bear witness.

Tonight, after the work at Culture Futures to create detailed protocol to present to COP15, we went to two? three? more events (this is the point in a conference like this when times, places, etc begin to blend and blur. I have, after all been on the road since Nov 10. But there's still another ten days to go). The last event, "(Re-) Cycles of Paradise" at ARTPORT was the most impressive. Assembled by several curators, Oliver Orest Tschirky, Corinne Erni and Anne-Marie Melster, it was in a remote building that looked like it had been around for a few centuries, down a dark alley. Artists included Subankhar Bannerjee, Kim Abeles, Charley Case, Meschac Gaba (Benin), Anita Glesta, Nnenna Okore (Nigeria/USA), Frances Whitehead and Insa Winkler. There was also music and a dance-theatre performance by the African Theatre representing animal and human impacts of global warming. The space was grand: fabulous ceilings and all the art, ecological, had political content- specifically gender related but including men.

It was a beautiful show but what stuck most in my mind, was beautiful Sarah James from the Arctic Circle, what we call Anwar, in full Native dress, long grey hair streaming loose down her straight back, speaking of what is happening to her people, to the bears, to the caribou and singing a welcome song and then a prayer. I thanked her for her presence and told her how painful her stories felt to me because there was so little I could do. She nodded and said, "pray." I promised I would.

The most difficult part of COP15 is listening to these stories, knowing my relative helplessness- not passivity but limitation and still celebrating the beauty. Dinner after Culture Futures, another gracious affair, was a roomful of people who are lead administrators from Africa, South East Asia, etc etc and many of their stories are different than those we tell in the west. A gentleman from Sudan told me he would tell me the good news about Sudan. I wanted to be open but couldn't get past my mental images of raped women. I sat with Marco Kusumawijaya and we spoke about what it meant for him to have weathered the political storms in Indonesia and responded in his work. I said my hunch was that what he has gotten used to in Jakarta, the instability, was what the rest of the world would come to live with as global warming proceeds to destabilize nations.

From time to time, I hear news of the outside world: demonstrations, bland news reports of the proceedings. This whole city feels like for better or worse, it is the whole world now and the whole world is here. The people I meet are utterly committed. The external events are just as serious as the internal ones.

It was late when I headed back from the gallery. I left with Sacha Kagan, Nadezhda, the curators, Insa, Subankhar and a couple other artists. Sacha, Nadezhda and I went on to the train station when they split off to have some late dinner. I navigated the train and metro by myself back to "Ama" and walked home along deserted streets.

It's 12:28 AM and Oleg is still out working on the next event. Suzanne says the baby has dropped.