Slater's blog from Copenhagen
Thursday, December 17th

Slater and fellow activist Emily Hunter

Day three. What an awesome day.

It's funny, yesterday when I was in the Bella Center (where all the delegates are) it felt so isolated, so cut off from the reality outside its guarded walls. I felt let down and distressed, ordinary citizens were completely cut off from negotiations that regarded their future, their lives, our survival as a species. So today was much more hopeful for me.

I started out by getting on a bus with DB and my Mom and running into a Political and Public Affairs official of the Canadian Embassy in Denmark. She told us they had seen our documentary's information and she's going to let us know if we have a shot at getting 1 or 2 questions with Canadian Prime Minister Harper or Environment Minister Prentiss. Fingers crossed.

We arrived outside the Bella Center and made our way towards a strange looking pond. Apparently the US Youth Delegation and the Kenyan Youth Delegations were meeting in this room to prepare a letter for President Obama, representing his past, Kenya, his present, the USA and together, the hope of a sustainable future for all.

Toronto Mayor and C40cities leader, David Miller & Slater

After we left, we dashed to the City Hall plaza, where we had an interview scheduled with Mayor David Miller of Toronto, who is also the leader of the C40cities.org. Major cities around the world are taking action on Climate Change without waiting for their national governments. And they're making progress.

I had met Mayor Miller earlier this year on Earth Day for an interview, so it was great to see him here in Copenhagen. Like the first time, Mayor Miller was really nice, and seemed to be genuinely invested in the environmental movement. He had just come back from the windmill farm in the Copenhagen bay - 20 windmills. He showed us a graph that showed how Denmark, while becoming more sustainable, has increased their economy while decreasing emissions. He talked about how youth were integral in our transition into a green, sustainable future, because youth are more creative, energetic and passionate about it than most of our national leaders. Overall it was very enjoyable interviewing him.

We had to finish quickly, because moments after our interview he had a call to a radio station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This would prove to be interesting! Alberta is home of the tar sands, which is the largest industrial project on Earth. You can see it from space. It's a very controversial project because getting the oil out of the tar is an extremely resource intensive process, taking 4 barrels of fresh water to distill one barrel of oil. When you hear the term "dirty oil," this is what they're talking about.

We went outside, which leads right into the City Hall Plaza where all the massive free concerts have taken place, and where a huge Christmas tree is set up, with its lights running from bike power. I was excited at seeing it, so I jumped onto a bike and... nothing happened. Apparently I am such a weakling, that I couldn't get the pedals turning. One of the helpers was kind enough to help me get going, and to my delight, the lights were turning on! So cool.

We next headed over to where the Klimaforum was taking place. It's an alternative conference to the Bella Center that is open to the public and where the public come together to plan how they want to address global warming. Compared to the atmosphere in the Bella Center, it was joyful and hopeful! The spirit was one of community and inclusiveness. We ran into our Venezuelan friend Reed, (of the ill-fated "green" protestors) and were glad to find he was unhurt. After talking about the demonstrations yesterday, he interviewed me, on-camera for a Venezuelan news network. Incidentally, Chavez did not show up at Klimaforum.

Crashing the "Climate Camp"

A little while later we met up with Emily Hunter, who is my new hero. She is a young journalist and activist covering the negotiations over here solo, and is so inspiring to me. We were able to find a quiet hallway and interview her. I can't do her justice in writing, she is so eloquent and passionate. Like me, she is disappointed in the Bella Center's operations and conference. Even though that's where the actual negotiations are taking place, the whole thing seems to be set apart from the people they speak for.

Emily feels like the youth movement is the driving force behind new change in the world. Our voices put together are screaming to be heard, injecting new energy into our politics. I asked her who her hero was, and she said that her dad (Robert Hunter who co-founded Greenpeace, and helped kickstart the environmental movement) inspired her to work for a better present, and to keep her head up and her hope alive and to keep fighting for a healthy planet. I will be posting her interview when I get home soon after the 21st, so keep your eyes open for a link.

Emily called me soon after we had left the Klimaforum. Apparently a Climate Camp (a protest that involves protesters taking over a public space by camping out) had taken over a part of the City Hall plaza and did I want to come film it? So we rushed over and saw a group of about 30 activists with tents set up for the night, surrounded by police. I wormed my way in and interviewed the organizer Tim, a young punk who was very sincere in his argument for fighting for the environment. I felt relieved speaking to him, it was the first time I really had a chance to vent what I was feeling and not worry about it.

Kenyan and American youth delegates gather to discuss a joint proposal to US President Obama.

The Klimaforum and Climate Camp were important for my sanity over here. Yesterday, I was feeling distraught and disconnected and worried at the Bella Center. I was freaked out and feeling so left out and small. But after meeting people like Emily Hunter, Mayor Miller and a young environmentalist British punk named Tim, I can really feel the hope seeping back in.

Our day was long. I am so sore my shoulders hurt moving out of a hunched, backpack wearing position. I can't remember a time I was this exhausted, this sore- or this exhilarated. Friday's the big day. The announcement of the Copenhagen Deal.

Please, for the earth's and my children's futures sake, please let it be an ambitious, fair and binding deal. We need it to happen. But if it sinks lower than our hopes, we will keep fighting, we will keep working for a healthy planet and a peaceful future.

C'mon Copenhagen.