With all eyes on Copenhagen, the stakes for climate negotiations have never been higher. President Obama arrives tomorrow for the final day of negotiations, but prospects for a real deal are increasingly uncertain.
Yesterday, a group of international youth sat down in the Bella Center to demand a stake in the negotiations for our future. The protesters began reading the names of 11 million people calling for an agreement that is fair, ambitious, and binding, and vowed to continue the sit-in until a deal was reached to ensure the safety and survival of people worldwide.
However, the greatest roadblock to a strong treaty is not even in Copenhagen. The U.S. Senate’s failure to act has tied President Obama’s hands, preventing the United States from providing the strong leadership which could save the conference.
Tell the Senate, it’s time for a real deal, stop blocking our clean energy future.
These young activists made their voice heard, holding their ground despite rough treatment and threats of arrest from police. The protesters continued their sit-in for over nine hours, ending their action only after an ultimatum from UN officials threatened to exclude all civil society participants from the remainder of the talks.
The sit-in has already had an impact: The UN leadership noticed, negotiators noticed, the media noticed, world leaders noticed.
One of the Senate’s true climate heroes, Senator John Kerry, met the protesters to shake their hands and offer his support.
However, the true impact is still to come. The sit-in represents a global call to action for the world’s youth. As one participant put it, “We can no longer allow our governments to wait, stall, or block progress. Now is the time to take our future back!”
Senator Kerry is on our side, but we need to make sure the rest of the Senate gets the message.
Write your Senators and tell them America needs to lead the world for a strong climate agreement.
