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Copenhagen COP15 Report from an SFSU ENVS Student
12/5/2009, 12:33 pm PST

Greetings! My name is Sara Camp, and I am graduating this semester from SFSU with a degree in Environmental Studies, concentrating in Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice. Over the next two weeks, I will be reporting from Copenhagen, Denmark on both my own activities and on the progress of the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP15, http://en.cop15.dk/frontpage), happening Dec. 7-18, 2009. My journey and subsequent reporting begins tomorrow, when I fly from San Francisco to Poland, and then on to Denmark.  In the mean time, allow me introduce myself, so that you will have a better understanding of who I am and how this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself to me.

When I first moved to San Francisco in 2002, I thought I wanted to be an interior designer. I got a job working at a high-end showroom in the San Francisco Design Center and after a few months I came to realize that I was absolutely miserable. Surrounded by exotic furniture and wealthy, unfriendly people, I found myself in a unique position where I could see what my life would be like if I continued on the same path: shallow and meaningless. That realization inspired me to quit my job at the showroom and begin taking courses in the ENVS Department at SFSU, where I could begin studying what really mattered to me.

Since my transition into the ENVS Department in 2006, I have been working diligently to gain experience in the non-profit sector. My career began as a Community Organizer and Field Manager for Clean Water Action, a citizen’s lobby that advocates for the protection of water resources and for chemical policy reform. After working there for almost three years, I got a job with 350.org (http://www.350.org) working as a part-time Office Assistant and Bookkeeper. That was last February, and about three months ago I was promoted to doing a bit of program work in addition to my regular duties.  

Working with 350.org has been incredibly valuable to me, both personally and professionally. During my time there, I have gained valuable work experience in the non-profit sector, I have been able to work alongside some exceptional and inspiring climate activists, and I was able to help organize the International Day of Climate Action that happened on October 24, 2009. I will be traveling to Copenhagen with the 350.org team (which includes dozens of organizers from around the world) in order to monitor the progress of COP15.

In case you are not familiar with 350.org or the International Day of Climate Action that happened this October, here is a brief summation of their mission (taken from http://www.350.org/mission):

350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis--the solutions that science and justice demand.

Our mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.

Our focus is on the number 350--as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. But 350 is more than a number--it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.

To tackle climate change we need to move quickly, and we need to act in unison—and 2009 will be an absolutely crucial year.  This December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to craft a new global treaty on cutting emissions. The problem is, the treaty currently on the table doesn't meet the severity of the climate crisis—it doesn't pass the 350 test.

In order to unite the public, media, and our political leaders behind the 350 goal, we've harnessed the power of the internet to coordinate a planetary day of action on October 24, 2009.  There were actions at thousands of iconic places around the world--5281 to be exact.  People assembled all over the world--from the the Himalyan peaks to the Great Barrier Reef to your community--to send clear message to world leaders: the solutions to climate change must be equitable, they must be grounded in science, and they must meet the scale of the crisis.

We're now pushing on towards the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen, and are helping to organize a massive climate mobilization on the weekend of December 12th, with candlelight vigils, marches, and local actions of all kinds.

If an international grassroots movement holds our leaders accountable to the latest climate science, we can start the global transformation we so desperately need.

Even after eighteen months of planning, The International Day of Climate Action went above and beyond all of our expectations. CNN called it “The most widespread day of political action in this planet’s history,” and we have received powerful responses from many world leaders. The following is a quote from Ban Ki Moon, secretary general of the U.N.:

"I would like to thank the millions of people in 181 countries who participated in 350.org's Day of Climate Action on 24 October. It was one of the most inspiring examples of grassroots political action on global warming  the world has ever witnessed.  This Day of Climate Action came at a critical time in the global negotiations, and demonstrated that people around the world -- from Ethiopia to India, Paraguay to the United States --  understand the scientific challenge the world faces. I encourage governments to heed the example set by their citizens, and to take strong action in Copenhagen to address this crisis through bold, visionary leadership."

Now that October 24 has passed and the U.N. Climate Change Conference is fast approaching, I can only guess what the next two weeks will be like. However, instead of speculating, I am going to stick to reporting the facts to you, the students and faculty of SFSU, in order to provide a solid connection between our school and the U.N. Climate Summit. I will be sure to keep you updated as I find out more about the negotiations and about what I will be doing.  I hope that you will find these reports to be both helpful and informative, but more importantly, I hope that in two weeks I will be able to bring you news of great success in Copenhagen this December.

Arctic Circle, here I come!

Sara

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