\nleaders, and representatives of 60 to 70 national governments are coming
\ntogether for the event—in all, about 7,500 attendees from 110 countries. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The poor nations and poor people of
\nthe world were left out of dealings at Copenhagen, conference organizers
\nargue. “The only way to get negotiations
\nback on track not just for Bolivia or other countries, but for all of life,
\nbiodiversity, our Mother Earth, is to put civil society back into the process,”
\nsaid Pablo Solón, Bolivia’s delegate to the U.N. That’s exactly what this week’s conference is
\nintended to do. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Speakers from all walks of life <\/p>\n Plenary sessions and working groups—the usual stuff of <\/p>\n Morales will kick it all off with a speech on Tuesday \nWhat Evo Morales wants<\/p>\n Morales was one of five heads of state to formally oppose the <\/p>\n To address climate change on a global level, Morales has put <\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> Climate <\/p>\n While developed or rich nations are historically responsible <\/p>\n 2. An international court to prosecute transgressions <\/p>\n The goal is to establish an International Climate Justice <\/p>\n Last week, international environmental lawyer Polly Higgins<\/a> put <\/p>\n 3. A Universal Declaration for the Rights of <\/p>\n On Earth Day 2009, Morales <\/p>\n 4. Development and transfer of clean technology<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The UNFCCC has been discussing technology transfer, and <\/p>\n All this and more will get an airing at the People’s Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. lowers expectations for climate treaty this year<\/a><\/p>\n Brazil suspends bidding for controversial dam<\/a><\/p>\n
\nwill talk about climate justice: NASA climate scientist James Hansen<\/a>; actor, director,
\nand activist Danny Glover; journalist and activist Naomi
\nKlein<\/a>; Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva; Egidio Brunetto, a leader of
\nBrazil’s Movement of Landless Rural Workers; Lumumba Di-Aping, who served as
\nchief negotiator for the G77 group of developing nations at Copenhagen.<\/p>\n
\nconferences—will be accompanied by lively cultural events and dinners. The gathering is intended to be truly open
\nand inclusive—in marked contrast to the behind-closed-doors negotiating that
\nbrought about the Copenhagen Accord. The hope is that the outcomes of this
\nconference can influence the next U.N. climate conference in Mexico in
\nDecember, making it more open and fair too. <\/p>\n
\nmorning; you might be able to catch it on a live stream<\/a>. <\/p>\n
\nCopenhagen Accord. In what many are interpreting as a direct response to that
\nintransigence, the U.S. recently denied
\nBolivia climate aid<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nforward four suggestions:<\/p>\n
\nreparations from developed nations for developing nations<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nfor causing climate change through their greenhouse-gas emissions, poorer
\nnations are more likely to feel the effects and are less able to fund and undertake
\nchanges to adapt to climate change. The idea of reparations was widely
\ndiscussed in Copenhagen and endorsed by well-known figures like Naomi Klein<\/a> as
\nwell as organizations like Jubilee South<\/a> and Focus on the Global South<\/a>. Here in
\nBolivia, villagers are demanding
\ncompensation for their glaciers melting<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nagainst the environment<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nTribunal or International Environmental Court within the U.N. framework,
\nmodeled on the International Court of Justice, that will seek to enforce nations’
\ncommitments to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.<\/p>\n
\nforward a related proposal to include
\n“ecocide” in the list of crimes against peace<\/a>, so that cases could be tried
\nat the International Criminal Court. <\/p>\n
\nMother Earth<\/strong><\/p>\n
\ncalled on the U.N. General Assembly to develop such a declaration, modeled
\non the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.
\n“One of the most important implications is that it would enable legal
\nsystems to maintain vital ecological balances by balancing human rights against
\nthe rights of other members of the Earth community,” write
\nSolón and environmental lawyer Cormac Cullinan<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nMorales wants to make sure it stays on the agenda, so that developed countries
\nprovide developing countries with the technology necessary to adapt to
\nclimate change and produce and use energy sustainably and efficiently.<\/p>\n
\nConference. Tune in later this week to
\nlearn how it all shakes out. <\/p>\n