A group of students and I will be attending COP-11 this week and will be blogging from it. We’re focussing on the use of cyber activism in and around the site during the 12 days of the meeting.
For an example of conference blogging, see It’s getting hot in here, started by a graduate of McGill’s School of Environment.
Should be an interesting week. I saw a reasonable amount of press coverage on the web in the leadup, which is nice to see (although our friends at Fox News have nothing on the front page that I could find).
CLIMATE JUSTICE CONVERGENCE CENTRE: MONTREAL
2070 Rue Clark (near Sherbrooke and St.Laurent)
4 Blocks Northwest of the Palais de Congres
27th November-8th December 2005
CLIMATE, OIL & RESISTANCE
Hear the voices of those directly affected by climate change, the oil
and coal industry and carbon trading.
The Climate Justice Convergence Centre is a space where the voices of
those struggling against oil and coal extraction, refineries,
pollution ‘offset’ projects, a destabilized climate, oil wars and all
the other effects of fossil fuel dependence can be heard.
Photo-exhibitions, films, speakers and workshops will examine issues
ranging from energy use to tree plantations to the World Bank, the G8,
carbon trading, nuclear power and genetic engineering.
web: http://www.carbontradewatch.org/durban
blog: climatejustice.blogspot.com
Organizers: The Durban Group for Climate Justice, Energy Action,
Indigenous Environment Network, Environmental Justice Climate Change
Initiative, FERN, Transnational Institute, Global Justice Ecology
Project, The Corner House, Sustainable Energy & Economy Network/
Institute for Policy Studies, Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Programme of Events
SUNDAY 27TH NOV: 2-5PM
MEETING – Indigenous Peoples Caucus orientation: For Indigenous
peoples and Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPO) participating
within the COP11 meeting.
Coordinated by the Indigenous Environment Network
TUESDAY 29TH NOV-8TH DEC: 1-7PM EVERYDAY
PHOTO-EXHIBITION – “Where the Trees are a Desert” on the impacts of
monoculture eucalyptus plantations in Brazil.
TUESDAY 29TH NOV-8TH DEC: 1-7PM EVERYDAY
FILM – Raised Voices: filmed testimonies of those living on the
fenceline of the oil industry and views from people in the global
South on issues related to climate change.
TUESDAY 29TH NOV: 2-4PM
PANEL – The lessons about pollution trading that Kyoto never learned
from the US – Part I: The Kyoto Protocol is based entirely on US
pollution trading models. Did these models succeed? Were they just?
Did they save money, clean up pollution quickly, or foster innovation
or public participation? Can they be applied to global warming?
Reviewing the failures is a prerequisite for finding a better way.
Speakers: Jutta Kill, Sinks Watch, UK, Prof. Michael K. Dorsey,
Environmental Studies Program, Dartmouth College, US and Larry
Lohmann, The Corner House, UK
TUESDAY 29TH NOV: 6.30PM
OPENING NIGHT – The Climate Justice Convergence Centre welcomes all
with a traditional ceremony lead by representatives of the Mohawk
Nation of Kanawake. Food by People’s Potato with photo-exhibition,
music, film and speakers.
WEDNESDAY 30TH NOV: 10.30am-12.30pm
WORKSHOP – Introduction to the Kyoto Protocol and the carbon market:
threats and opportunities. Larry Lohmann & Jutta Kill.
WEDNESDAY 30TH NOV: 1-3PM
PANEL – Indigenous Youth, Climate Impacts and Solutions
Speakers: Wahleah Johns, Black Mesa Water Coalition (USA); Jennifer
Duncan, Arctic Indigenous Youth Alliance (Canada); Eddie Spears,
Intertribal COUP (USA); Jihan Gearon, Climate Youth Corp –
Environmental Justice Climate Change Initiative (USA)
WEDNESDAY 30TH NOV: 4-6PM
BOOK LAUNCH – Trouble in the Air: Global Warming and the Privatized Atmosphere.
This joint publication of Centre for Civil Society in Durban and TNI
explores the impacts of the carbon market in South Africa. Connecting
energy privatization with issues around the enclosure of the
atmosphere, this collection of essays gives a good grounding in the
justice implications of the new carbon market. Speakers include
writers in the book: Mpumelelo Mhlalisi & Muna Lahkhani, Earthlife
Africa, Graham Erion, York University Law School and Larry Lohmann,
The Corner House
WEDNESDAY 30TH NOV: 7.30-9.30PM
PANEL – Extraction, Pollution, Offsets, Hurricanes &Wars: Different
Locations, Same Struggle – Part I: The climate is changing mainly
because fossil carbon is being transferred from below ground to the
atmosphere. Taking action means joining alliances against oil
extraction, fossil fuel pollution, environmental racism and
colonialism, oil wars, and carbon “offset” projects that threaten
local livelihoods while licensing further extraction. Speakers:
Charles Scheiner, LAOHAMUTUK, Timor-Leste, Ana Filipini, World
Rainforest Movement, Uruguay, Asume Osuoka, Environmental Rights
Action, Nigeria [tbc], Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental
Network, US, Graham Erion, York University Law School, Canada, Daphne
Wysham, Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, US, Wally Menne,
Timberwatch, South Africa, Larry Lohmann, The Corner House, UK
(moderator)
THURSDAY 1ST DEC: 1-3PM
PANEL – Indigenous Stories from the Struggle: Dialogue of Indigenous
peoples from throughout the Americas, experiencing the links between
oil and fossil fuel development, health, climate changes and
Indigenous rights. Speakers: Faith Gemmill, REDOIL, Alaska (USA);
Elaine Alexis, Arctic Indigenous Youth Alliance Northwest Territories
(Canada); Clayton Thomas-Muller, IEN (Canada); Indigenous
Representative TBA, Oil Watch (South America)
THURSDAY 1ST DEC: 4-6PM
WORKSHOP – Forests and Climate Change – Why trading carbon credits
from forests means more plantations not less deforestation: Carbon
trading is often suggested as a way to finance forest conservation –
or slow greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. Do the
assumptions on which this approach is based, hold up? Why is it likely
that carbon trading will fail to slow deforestation and lead to more
monoculture plantations? Open discussion about the experiences with
forest-related carbon ‘offset’ projects and the concerns about the
carbon trading approach to forest protection. Speakers: Jutta Kill,
FERN, UK Ana Filipini, World Rainforest Movement (Uruguay), Larry
Lohmann, The Corner House, Wally Menne, TimberWatch (South Africa) Tom
Goldtooth (IEN).
THURSDAY 1ST DEC: 7.30-9.30PM
FILM CLUB – Climate change impacts on the Pacific Islands: The film
“Rising Waters- global warming and the fate of the Pacific Islanders”
will be screened with the director to answer questions and a member of
the Pacific Island community to speak. Speakers: Andrea Torrice (film
director) and Pacific Islander tbc
FRIDAY 2ND DEC:10.30AM-12.30PM
PANEL – The lessons about pollution trading that Kyoto never learned
from the US – Part II: The Kyoto Protocol is based on US pollution
trading models. Did these models succeed? Were they just? Did they
save money, clean up pollution quickly, or foster innovation or public
participation? Can they be applied to global warming? Reviewing the
failures is a prerequisite for finding a better way. Speakers: David
M. Driesen, Angela R. Cooney Professor, Syracuse University College of
Law, US, Dr. Michael K. Dorsey, Environmental Studies Program,
Dartmouth College, US, Larry Lohmann, The Corner House, UK, Jutta
Kill, Sinks Watch, UK
FRIDAY 2ND DEC: 2-4PM
WORKSHOP – The World Bank, G8 & Climate Change: moving forward or
backward? The World Bank has financed over $25 billion in fossil fuels
since 1992, and is one of the largest carbon traders in the world.
Other large banks like the IDB are following suit. Now the G8 have
asked the World Bank to initiate a “new framework” on climate change.
This workshop will give an
historical context for this latest challenge to climate stability, the
problems with public fossil fuel and carbon trading projects, and ways
you can take action to challenge it. Speakers: Daphne Wysham,
IPS/SEEN, Nadia Martinez, IPS/SEEN, Asume Osuoka (TBC), Environmental
Rights Action/FOE, Nigeria
FRIDAY 2ND DEC: 7.30-9.30PM
PANEL – Extraction, Pollution, Hurricanes, Offsets & Wars: Different
Locations, Same Struggle – Part II: The climate is changing mainly
because fossil carbon is being transferred from below ground to the
atmosphere. Taking action means joining alliances against oil
extraction, fossil fuel pollution, environmental racism and
colonialism, oil wars, and carbon “offset” projects that threaten
local livelihoods while licensing further extraction. Speakers: Arief
Wicaksono, JATAM, Indonesia, Clayton Thomas-Muller, Indigenous
Environmental Network, US, Norman Philip, Grangemouth community,
Scotland, Jutta Kill, Sinks Watch (moderator), Lilliam Indira Marenco
Leal, Oilwatch Mesoamerica, Nicaragua [tbc], Souparna Lahiri, Delhi
Forum, India [tbc], Renodji Enoch Djimrabaye, RESAP, Chad [tbc],
Fabian de Jesus Pacheco Rodriguez, Oilwatch Costa Rica [tbc], Jim
Vallette, Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, US
SATURDAY 3RD DEC: 7.30-9.30PM
FILM CLUB – Video letters from the fenceline of the oil industry in
Scotland: Community members living in Scotland with oil pollution on
their doorstep learned how to use video and filmed their own stories
of living on the fenceline of industry. These 5 minutes shorts will be
followed by an opportunity to speak with one of the community members
in person about their experiences. Speaker: Norman Philip, Scotland
SUNDAY 4TH DEC: 11-6PM
WORKSHOPS – Visions for the Movement: skills and tactics to be an
effective climate activist. All emerging climate activists are invited
to attend a day of essential hands-on trainings. Join Mike Tidwell of
the Chesapeake Climate Action Network as he shares the lessons he’s
learned fighting global warming for over four years. Then choose
between eight workshops ranging from campaign strategy to direct
action to climate justice. The best and the brightest will be in
Montreal; don’t miss your chance to be trained by them! Lunch
provided. Trainers hail from: Environmental Justice & Climate Change
Initiative, Global Exchange, Greenpeace, National Environmental Trust,
New Voters Project, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, SustainUS,
Sierra Student
Coalition.
SUNDAY 4TH DEC: 7.30-9.30PM
PANEL – Visions from the Movement. What inspires you to fight global
warming? Are you concerned with the issues of justice? Is it your
moral responsibility? Are you excited by the grassroots mobilization
efforts? Climate heroes from different aspects within the movement
offer their unique and invaluable perspectives on what global warming
means to them and how we can fight it. Speakers: Jerome Ringo,
Chairman of the National Wildlife Federation; Tom Goldtooth,
Indigenous Environment Network; Mike Tidwell, author and Director of
the Chesapeake Climate Action Network; Interfaith Power and Light
MONDAY & TUESDAY 5 & 6TH DEC: ALL DAY FROM 9AM
ALTERNATIVE PEOPLE’S FORUM
Workshops by environmental justice activists and indigenous peoples
groups. Topics include; Climate Justice Overview > Global Warming
Solutions that ensure a Just Transition > Oil, Refineries, and
Communities: Impacts and strategies for clean production > Indigenous
Peoples Offer Viable Solutions to Reduce Carbon Emissions: Wind not
War > The Global Warming Games > Climate Justice by and for the next
generation > Lessons learned from Katrina and Rita > State and
regional strategies for climate justice. Times to be confirmed.
Organized by the Environmental Justice Climate Change Initiative
MONDAY 5TH DEC: 2-4PM
PANEL – Who Says There are No Alternatives to the Kyoto Carbon
Market? The History of an Insult: Today’s international climate
negotiations revolve around building a global carbon market that has
already proved to be both unworkable and unjust. The claim that “there
is no alternative” insults both the wide-ranging and constructive work
going on elsewhere and a centuries-long legacy of successful
conservation and regulation of many kinds. Speakers: Ivonne Yanez,
Oilwatch, Ecuador/Peru, Larry Lohmann, The Corner House, UK, Norman
Philip, Grangemouth community, Scotland
TUESDAY 6TH DEC: 7.30-9.30PM
FILM CLUB – Nuclear power & climate change: The nuclear industry has
recently reinvented itself as the solution to climate change with
surprising support from environmentalists. This has invigorated a
dying industry and much government action on climate change is centred
around building new power plants. This film looks at the world trends
towards liberalization of the nuclear industry and the discussion
after looks at the connections with the climate debate. Speakers:
Wendela de Vries (World Information Service on Energy, Netherlands)
and Adam Ma’anit (editor New Internationalist magazine, UK).
WEDNESDAY 8TH DEC: 2-4PM
PANEL – GE Trees, Carbon offset plantations and global warming.
Genetically engineered trees are being touted as part of way to solve
global warming. Far from a miracle solution, however, genetically
engineered trees have the potential to exacerbate global warming. The
contamination of native forests with engineered traits will damaged
these ecosystems, accelerating tree mortality. Additionally,
plantations are rapidly replacing native forests, diminishing the
carbon sequestering potential of the land. Global Justice Ecology
Project and the STOP GE Trees Campaign will discuss the details of
this flawed approach to addressing the climate crisis.Speakers: Anne
Petermann (Global Justice Ecology Project, US) and STOP GE Trees
Campaign
Contact: Heidi Bachram at heidi@carbontradewatch.org or Graham Erion
at graham@erion.ca for more information