Bending the arc of climate change

“At any given moment, you have the power to say:  this is not how the story is going to end.”

-Unknown

As our time in Peru comes to a close, I can’t help but reflect upon my experience with COP20: the fascinating people I have met, the eye-opening events I have attended, and the incredible Peru experiences that I have had.  I am incredibly, incredibly grateful.  Truly, how many high school students go to a school that is accredited to not only attend, but fully participate in such an impactful and significant event as the Conference of the Parties?

Not many.  Not many at all.  As a result, we have a unique perspective that is highly valued within the UNFCCC.  Particularly at a time when young leaders are needed and youth voices are being sought out, we are able to feel like we are fully a part of the legislative process.  As a result of our direct participation, we were able to immerse ourselves in the full realm of climate change. 

This is a complex issue, and it is up to our generation to solve it.  Without youth mobilization, without individuals and organizations dedicated to the climate change crusade, it would seem easy to keep on living the way we have for generations.  However, we do have people—Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, those from the Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy to name a few—willing to do whatever it takes to fight this battle.

From there, it is all about awareness; in order for action to be taken, we must spread the word.  Climate change is serious.  Climate change is real.  Climate change is broad beyond our wildest dreams.  From human rights to the impact of the meat industry, it takes many voices to learn about all parts of this issue, and many voices to make a change.

While the Lima Call to Climate Action was not a particularly strong breakthrough, it will still make a difference.  The fact that 192 countries came together, united in the fight against climate change, is enough to demonstrate that it is possible to make global change and preserve and enjoy the environment for the generations to come.  

What the COP has given me

Two weeks have never done as much for me as what my time at the COP20 conference has. I have learned more in the past two weeks about scientific disciplines, international affairs, and economics than I could have ever hoped to have learned from two weeks in the classroom.  My entire idea of how the world is run has been irreversibly changed. The way I look at solving problems is different; I understand more clearly the importance of group work and the value of all perspectives. COP20 not only taught me the facts, it taught me a whole host of various ways to address issues, work in a team, and work to make a real visible difference.

Regardless of what the negotiations led to, I view the COP as a success. The fact that 192 countries came together to work with one another on resolving an issue that affects the whole world  is no small feat. The sessions I sat in on and the speeches I heard served to paint a picture of a world committed to change and solutions. No longer is the world as encumbered by the burden of dwelling on the differences between people. The world is ready to work, to get things done, and to forge a more promising future.

Final thoughts - the COP process and youth

Attending the United Nations Conference on Climate Change is an amazing experience that few people get the chance to do. Many people have asked me if I had fun. No, I did not have fun. The conference is not meant to be fun. Climate change is a real issue and should be taken very seriously. That is what the conference is about, taking climate change seriously and trying to find a solution.

However, these conferences don't often end with a clear solution. There are often too many cooks in the kitchen to come to a decision. Developing countries battle with developed countries so that the differences between them can be acknowledged and so they aren't held to a higher standard than they can achieve while still trying to develop their economy. Developed countries battle with major corporations to try and get them to comply with carbon emission limits. There is always a battle.

Through all these battles and stand-stills and cease-fires comes one good thing. It paves the way for youth. Youth have a unique voice in this issue because they are the ones that will be dealing with climate change in 50 years, not the people who are making policy now. Unfortunately the majority of youth today have no idea what climate change is and are completely unaware of how it will impact their future lives.

My main takeaway from the conference is the importance of educating youth. At our partner school,  Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a sixth grader helped the school install its first green technology, solar water heaters for their pool. A sixth grader. Education has no limits, As Patricia from "In the Time of the Butterflies" said, if you expect a kid to be more mature than they may or may not be, they will strive to be that way. Education of youth about their environment and how it's changing should be as fundamental as reading and writing because it directly impacts their future, and they have the power to change it.

A Brush With Fame

We are happy to share the unique experience of Naomi Quispe, a delegate from our partner school, Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  

Life occasionally gives you opportunities that are unique, some of which are quite unexpected, therefore it is hard to be prepared for them. One such opportunity came on Saturday, when my classmate Yosuke and myself were wandering around the venue searching for talks to attend to after lunch. We were looking for an event in Zone C when a friend of mine (a volunteer at COP20) told us that there was going to be a talk in room C7 with the Peruvian Minister for the Environment Mr. Pulgar-Vidal and perhaps Ms. Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, because he knew I had missed the talk with her the day before.

Naomi and the Peruvian Minister of the Environment

We went into the room and Yosuke convinced me to sit all the way in the front row! I was really nervous; I could not believe that we would be basically face-to-face with the Minister. Also, we did not really know what the talk would be about, so we just waited until Mr. Pulgar-Vidal arrived.

When the talk began, we realized that this would be a direct Q & A with the observers of the conference in order to discuss the events and how they were run in the first week, or just general questions about certain points considered in terms of environmental sustainability. We were taken very much by surprise, and while we rushed to think of relevant questions for the Minister, as this was a very rare opportunity, we thought of asking our peers and teachers through Whatsapp, the messaging system we are using to stay connected at the COP. We received an almost immediate answer from Yoca Arditi-Rocha, sustainability consultant for No Planeta B, who told us to ask about the implementation of net metering in Peru, the system that allows people to produce their own energy in their houses and if able to produce surplus, then it can be released back to the energy grid and receive remuneration. This system is in place in various countries such as the US, but has not been pursued here, and Yoca’s question was as to when it would be available in Peru. 

Yosuke and I finally decided that he would ask the question (I was way too nervous) and he did so in the calmest way possible! When he first said, “net metering”, the Minister did not know what Yosuke was referring to, so he explained what it meant. In the end, the Minister was not able to answer the question.

It was very interesting that Mr. Pulgar-Vidal could not give us an answer, and as Yoca and our teacher Ms. Rumble both said, it was a wake-up call for the Ministry of Environment that there are people that do know about these systems and that they should be implemented here in our country.

Overall, I believe it was a very positive experience (we took pictures with him afterwards!) and we were able to catch the Minister off guard. This opportunity was very valuable for both Yosuke and myself, and we feel quite fortunate to have been able to experience it.  

-Naomi Quispe, Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt

“It always seems impossible until it’s done”

-Nelson Mandela

Climate change, much like any global issue, is not easily solved.  From the protection of small island states to the broad task of financing solutions, tackling it on an international level requires a great level of ambition.  Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States and powerful climate activist at the forefront of the environmental crusade, is surely not lacking in this determination.  His efforts to spread public awareness have not gone unnoticed, and regardless of an individual’s political views, are to be greatly commended.  We, as the COP20 delegation from SES, had the opportunity to absorb his enthusiasm first-hand; Gore’s presentations this week have provided great motivation, as the next generation of leaders, to follow in hot pursuit of a better world.

               

On Wednesday, Gore gave a presentation resembling an updated version of “An Inconvenient Truth”, synthesizing the most recent climate data into an engaging presentation focused on mobilizing people of all walks of life to do something about climate change.  After reviewing the data for human causation, Gore focused primarily on climate data for developing countries such as Peru.  Presenting the extreme weather events that have occurred across the world in relation to climate change, he stressed the importance of taking action and making our voices heard.

Al Gore introducing his ideology at the first presentation.

Gore’s Thursday presentation took on a different form; this time, members of non-governmental organizations were able to ask their own questions.  From methods of environmental education to views on human rights, Gore’s knowledge and involvement was nothing short of incredible. 

Despite the mounting evidence of climate change, Gore’s genuine optimism shone through in his opening statements.  Beginning with renewable energy, he created an analogy to the cell phone industry.  While first seen as little competition, quality and demand began to grow rapidly.  In a similar way, we are now at the tipping point of renewable energy; we are at the point where we are beginning to replace the old system.  Our ability to mobilize youth, band together, and speak out in the fight against fossil fuels is why Gore was adamant that “we are going to win this…we are going to prevail…the only question is how much human suffering will go into this…but there is no question that we will win.” 

Al Gore answers questions at a special briefing for NGO representatives.

As the discussion continued, Gore discussed the great opportunity that we have at hand; the fight against climate change will require collaboration, sacrifice, and hard work.  Even beyond the realm of climate change, these elements will create a more peaceful global community.  Linked with what Gandhi called "satyagraha" or the “truth force”, we, as the youth, have the opportunity to make a fresh assessment of the reality in which we are living.  Maintaining a commitment to integrity, we can more clearly define our views, consider why on earth we can’t do something, and gather others.  This system of collaboration, supported by Gore, is a great opportunity to be gained from the horrible issue of climate change.  As we move forward, the promise of continued success provides hope that we can truly change the world.

A morning at the leader factory.

Luscious gardens, palm trees, expansive green courtyards, inviting facilities and extraordinary students. This is what one is confronted with upon entering Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR is our sister school in Lima, and is the only other high school beside SES on earth accredited to attend COP conferences.

We had the privilege to visit FDR yesterday morning. The event FDR had planned were two presentations by keynote speakers Maria Van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the IEA or International Energy Agency, and Joseph Robertson the Global Strategy Director from the Citizen’s Climate Lobby. Before the speeches began we were given a tour of the campus by an FDR freshman named Valeria. She showed us some of the sustainable systems FDR had implemented around the campus. First she brought us to a rooftop where we saw solar powered water heaters that were used to heat the FDR swimming pool. They also have a windmill on top of their library which is used to power all of the computers the library uses. A lot more is on the way because FDR recently won 50,000 dollars from the Zayed Future Energy Prize in the United Arab Emirates to finance additional sustainable development projects. They are truly leaps and bounds ahead of most schools in incorporating renewable energy. 

The speakers that we saw later in the morning were excellent. First Ms. Van der Hoeven from the IEA gave an incredibly engaging presentation on the world’s GHG emissions and what has been done over the years to understand the issue and attempt to solve it. She did an amazing job of inspiring the crowd, which was mostly high school students, into taking action in the future to make a difference in the fight against climate change. The second speaker was Joseph Robertson from Citizen Climate Lobby which is an organization that gives the general public a voice when it comes to climate change issues and policy decisions. He also gave a remarkably interesting presentation that detailed what had been done to establish the CCL and what they were doing to give common citizens a voice. Both the presentations were COP worthy, and were put on for FDR students and us is a cool, comfortable auditorium, which was welcome break from the steamy temporary structures at the COP.

Over all it was a superb morning. The student questions addressed to the speakers were extremely intelligent and interesting and the campus was beautiful. What’s more, some of the student projects taking place at FDR are very complex and impactful especially for being run by such young people. This gives me hope for the generations to come and what they will do in the future. Our visit to FDR that morning made me realize that there are some seriously committed and able young learners out there that are completely capable of changing the world.

One of FDR's beautiful open areas.

SES COP team with representatives from the UAE (right) our wonderful host Allana Rumble (center) and Valeria and FDR student (Center).

FDR's solar powered water heating system.

FDR's library windmill.

Sub-National Climate Change Sucesses

So what are we doing to help stop climate change? I'm sure that question has probably run through your mind a couple times over the course of this blog. I recently attended a session where that question was (at least in part) answered. Present at this side event session were heads of Environmental Departments from California, Oregon, Montana, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.

All of these positions are part of state or regional governments. On the national scale, for the United States especially, the federal government is dealing with many different viewpoints and interests. Representatives from states like Kentucky, who's economy is largely based on coal mining, don't want other states switching to renewable energy or natural gas. Other states are concerned about impacts on their economies.  For example in California, with an economy based largely on agriculture, the impacts of climate change have produced a decade-long drought.

These opposing viewpoints make the federal government come to nearly a standstill on climate change decisions. This, however, gives state governments the opportunity to take environmental protection and mitigation of climate change into their own hands. Many states have taken this opportunity.

California is working with Oregon and other states along the west coast to create an electric-car friendly highway, so people can own electric cars and get where they want to go without having to search long and hard to find a charging station. This comes along with California's vow to have a million electric cars on the road by 2025. Montana exports 50% of the energy it produces, and passed a law in 2007 that any coal plants that are opened in the state must capture 50% of carbon released. It is probably because of this law that no new coal plants have been opened in the great state of Montana in recent years. Regional leaders from Canada are working with states from the US to create a common price point of carbon credits, so that credits can be purchased internationally at a competitive rate.

Regional leaders are stepping up and they are trying to create more awareness for their people as well. David Rosenheim, Executive Director of The Climate Registry, stated it very nicely: "We don't speak about the health impacts enough. We don't talk about the fact that people will no longer be able to support their families doing what they do now, because the climate around them will change and job opportunities with it." What many people don't understand is how climate change will impact them, and so they continue to fail to take action,. If we can raise awareness on how climate change will impact peoples' lives, then more people will stand to take action. The reason they take action will vary from person to person, but the overarching reality is that they will take action.