Greetings from Copenhagen,

I am here at the UN Climate Change Conference and reporting back on a daily basis of what is happening from ground zero. It is exciting to be here and witness history in the making. But, it is also sobering knowing that this is the most important diplomatic gathering ever held and that the future of life as we know it is at stake. I know that there is a great deal of furor in the states about whether climate change is real. If you read my blogs you will see that it is very real for the people who are facing its consequences every day, with increasing severity of weather patterns, water shortages, destructive tornados and typhoons, polluted air, water and loss of crop lands and yields. I hope you will sign up for the Well of Light blog and join me on this journey. The possibilities are enormous for an evolutionary jump in our global connectedness. Failure is unacceptable! Please check out some of the stories below... Also if you would like to listen to my daily newscast on KVMR just go to kvmr.org and you can listen from anywhere in the world.

Thank you for your commitment to the co-creation of a world that supports all life on this planet.

Love and Blessings,
michael

Michael's Blog

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The Road to Copenhagen

Friday 12/04/09
Surrounded by a flurry of damaging news reports from the climate denial industry I leave for Copenhagen. The damage that is being done to a very serious issue is immeasurable…
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Welcome to Copenhagen!

Hopenhagen

A full day of meetings, exhibits and inspiration: Church pilgrimages, Environmental Building exhibits, inspiring call to people to rise up in action from Connie Hedegarrd, Climate Minister to the UN Climate Conference and a call for leadership from city officials by David Cadman, president of ICLEI, but most inspiring of all was visiting the international forum for young activists from over 80 countries…
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Money vs. Survival

The gloves are off! After several days of very cordial and positive talks things began to break down here in Copenhagen. The poor countries and island states in the Pacific are expressing their displeasure with a document leaked to the press that appears to be an affront to the openness and transparency that is supposed to be part of the protocol of COP15, the UN Climate Conference.
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Ecological Debt

Ecological Debt is a huge topic here in Copenhagen. One that may end up derailing the entire process of finding common ground for a comprehensive, global and legally binding agreement. It is a cruel fact that 20% of the world’s population in the industrialized world is responsible for 75% of the pollution, which unfortunately is mostly impacting people from the poorer countries. For instance Africa, with a billion people only puts out 4% of the CO2, but the impact of climate change on the region has been devastating.
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Today I attended an interfaith gathering of Spiritual Leaders from around the world, organized by the Global Peace Initiative of Women. To look around the room and see leading edge Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, TM, and Sufi leaders was a most hopeful experience. So many of our wars, conflicts and misunderstandings become embedded in religious ideology, and watching these ideologically diverse leaders quest for a common ground gave me hope.
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Ambitions High in Copenhagen

The climate change conference in Copenhagen started with a strong spoken commitment to clinch an ambitious international climate change deal and an unprecedented sense of urgency to act. Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen announced that 110 heads of state and government will attend the conference at its conclusion. This leaves 8 days for the ministers and worker bees to draft comprehensive and acceptable legislation for the world leaders to sign. While there are still many discrepancies between what the richer nations responsible for the bulk of pollution and the poorer ones that are the most impacted, the atmosphere here at the opening is positive and upbeat. There is no question here that climate change is real and it is not going away!
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Positive US Climate Action

The US government said Monday it would start to regulate carbon dioxide as a dangerous pollutant, sidestepping a divided Congress to boost global climate talks in Copenhagen.The decision paves the way for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue standards on how much carbon US factories, buildings and cars can emit, even though legislation has yet to pass through the Congress.
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Get informed, Get involved and Act!

Yesterday Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, the UN’s top climate change official, expressed confidence that the UN Climate Conference would deliver a comprehensive, ambitious and effective international climate change deal. “Within two weeks from Monday, governments must give their adequate response to the urgent challenge of climate change,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. “Negotiators now have the clearest signal ever from world leaders to craft solid proposals to implement rapid action.”
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Countries Threatened by Global Warming

Tibet
Global warming has had a devastating impact on Tibet which will have huge consequences for the fresh water supply in most of Asia, a representative from the Tibet exile government warns. Tibet has the worlds third largest ice mass in the form of the many glaciers and is the world’s largest fresh water reservoir. Many of the large Asian rivers come from Tibet. Rising temperatures in Tibet will make a huge impact on billions of Asian’s who need access to clean drinking water.
Read more...

Articles

No science in Plimer's primer

ONE of the peculiar things about being an astronomer is that you receive, from time to time, monographs on topics such as "a new theory of the electric universe", or "Einstein was wrong", or "the moon landings were a hoax".

The writings are always earnest, often involve conspiracy theories and are scientifically worthless.

One such document that arrived last week was Ian Plimer's Heaven and Earth. What makes this case unusual is that Plimer is a professor -- of mining geology -- at the University of Adelaide. If the subject were anything less serious than the future habitability of the planet Earth, I wouldn't go to the trouble of writing this review.

To read the full article, click here.

Is Canada Criminally Negligent on Climate Policy?

In the lead-up to Copenhagen, the Canadian government's (non)policy on global warming borders on the criminally negligent. This may seem to be an outrageous assertion, particularly to those lost in the thickening fog of deception churned out by climate change deniers, but please bear with me for a moment. First, climate change, particularly global warming, is an undisputed fact. The mean global temperature has increased by .8 Centigrade degrees over the last century, glaciers are melting, the Arctic sea ice is disappearing, deserts are expanding and sea levels are rising-all ahead of climate model projections.

Second, while it is true that Earth's climate is primarily determined by various non-human factors, including solar output and shifting ocean currents, there have been no changes in these sufficient enough to explain ongoing temperature increases.

To read the full article, click here.

US takes action on C02 in Copenhagen boost

Shaun Tandon
AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US government said Monday it would start to regulate carbon dioxide as a dangerous pollutant, sidestepping a divided Congress to give momentum to global climate talks in Copenhagen. The decision paves the way for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue standards on how much carbon US factories, buildings and cars can emit, even without legislation in Congress.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson signed orders declaring six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, blamed for global warming to be pollutants that are subject to government regulation. The EPA "is now authorized and obligated to make reasonable efforts to reduce greenhouse pollutants," Jackson told a news conference.

"It means that we arrive at the climate talks in Copenhagen with a clear demonstration of our commitment to facing this global challenge," she said.

To read the full article, click here.

Scientific Evidence: Increasing Temperatures & Greenhouse Gases

To read the full article, click here.

No Impact Man: What I'd say if I was wrong about climate change

I get emails from people, every so often, asking what I would say and feel if I was wrong about climate change. What would I say if, after dedicating years of my life to bringing attention to the problem, I found out there was no problem. Well, first, of course, I would praise God in thanks that we have no catastrophe to contend with. Then, since many of the measures needed to deal with climate change have a lot of positive benefits, I will think:

1. I am glad we created 5 million or more new jobs here in the United States in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable generation.

2. I am glad we created a culture that relies less on foreign oil, so that our children can live secure lives, knowing that the energy rug can't be pulled out from under them.

To read the full article, click here.

Climate Teacher Blog

Elizabeth Sawin

I'm a mother, a biologist, a writer, and teacher, living in an intentional community and organic farm in Vermont. I work at Sustainability Institute, a think/do tank dedicated to finding and walking the path towards sustainability. For the past few years, much of my work has been focused on helping people understand, communicate, and take action on climate change.

Click here to read the blog

Sustainable Population Australia Submission to UNFCCC

Click here to download in PDF format

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Dear Friends,
For the past four years I have been funding Conversations, The Well of Light and other associated projects out of my own pocket and fund raising events. In order to keep this newsletter coming and keep moving towards syndicating Conversations we need your help. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution if you enjoy receiving our monthly newsletter or listening to Conversations.

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Blessings,
michael

New Year's Community Dance Celebration — click on the image below for more info, and get your tickets now!

Upcoming Shows on Conversations

December 15
Joanna Macy: Lessons from Rumi Joanna Macy: Buddhist Scholar, Systems Theorist, Ecologist, Teacher, and Activist. Joanna addresses the reasons for the grief, fear, sadness, uncertainty, and numbness that prevail in modern life and keeps bringing attention back to what is sacred and true: the wondrously interconnected and intelligent web of life. www.joannamacy.net

December 22
Jason F Mclennan and Lynn Simon: Green Architecture
Host Michael Stone will be joined by KVMR’s Jodi Selene
Jason is a national leader in the green architecture movement and is considered a thought leader in sustainability. Jason is the CEO of the Cascadia Green Building Council based in Seattle, Washington. He began Ecotone Publishing to provide information to the design community and building industry about finding a path to a sustainable future. He is the author of The Philosophy of Sustainable Design, and the Dumb Architect’s Guide to Glazing Selection as well as a co-author of the Ecological Engineer. www.cascadiagbc.org

Lynn N. Simon, FAIA, LEED AP, is President of Simon & Associates, Inc., Green Building Consultants, which she established in 1994. Lynn is a green building pioneer. As a leading authority in the industry Lynn has been at the forefront of the sustainable design movement since 1989. www.greenbuild.com

December 29
Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff
Annie Leonard is an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues, with more than 20 years of experience investigating factories and dumps around the world. Working for a sustainable and just world, Annie communicates worldwide about the impact of consumerism and materialism on global economies and international health. Annie’s most recent project, the Story of Stuff, explores the global materials economy and its impact on economy, environment and health. www.storyofstuff.com

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Well of Light Seva Team

Seva is selfless service to a cause you believe will benefit others. It is the willingness to perform any task for a greater cause without prospect of recognition or reward.
Well of Light has many opportunities to serve our community. If you would like to participate on the Well of Light Seva Team please call Michael Stone @ 530.477.7757 or email michael@welloflight.com

Volunteer of the month is Irene Hage from Copenhagen who has provided immeasurable service to Conversations, KVMR and me.

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."
- Albert Schweitzer

Poetry Corner

For the Traveler

Every time you leave home,
Another road takes you
Into a world you were never in.

New strangers on other paths await.
New places that have never seen you
Will startle a little at your entry.
Old places that know you well
Will pretend nothing
Changed since your last visit.

When you travel, you find yourself
Alone in a different way,
More attentive now
To the self your bring along,
Your more subtle eye watching
You abroad; and how what meets you
Touches that part of the heart
That lies low at home:

How you unexpectedly attune
To the timbre in some voice,
Opening a conversation
You want to take in
To where your longing
Has pressed hard enough
Inward, on some unsaid dark,
To create a crystal of insight
You could not have known
You needed
To illuminate Your way.

When you travel,
A new silence
Goes with you,
And if you listen,
You will hear
What your heart would
Love to say.

A journey can become a sacred thing;
Make sure, before you go,
To take the time
To bless your going forth,
To free the heart of ballast
So that the compass of your soul
Might direct you toward
The territories of spirit
Where you will discover
More of your hidden life;
And the urgencies
That deserve to claim you.

May you travel in an awakened way,
Gathered wisely into your inner ground;
That you may not waste the invitations
Which wait along the way
    to transform you.

May you travel safely, arrive refreshed,
And live your time away to its fullest;
Return home more enriched, and free
To balance the gift of days which call you.