It all started in a tucked-away conference room on a mid-September morning... a multidisciplinary group of students and faculty gathered around a rectangular table
exploring the idea of making a splash, Cornell style, at the COP16...
I am one of 24 official student delegates from Cornell University attending the UNFCCC COP16, which stands for United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change, Conference of Parties 16. Last year it was Copenhagen, this year its in sunny Cancun, Mexico.
This blog is titled "2 Sides of the COP16" and will be a center to report on both the
dominant paradigm of climate change action and marginalized voices of those putting social and ecological justice first. I will be splitting my time between the official COP16 side events, Agriculture and Rural Development Day, and the Klimaforum
My partner, Simone Lackey, will be spending most of her time at the Klimaforum and reporting on actions and activities to compliment my coverage. Together we'll be sending written accounts, audio recording, and digital photographs.
A schedule of the events we're attending will be created as we decide, so stay tuned! Also, if you're so inclined and have browsed around the sites linked to above send me suggestions of events to attend if you have a particular interest! My purpose there is to serve, to learn and serve.
Finally I would like to acknowledge the people that have made this opportunity possible.
In a very esoteric way I suppose that I should thank the myopic mindlessness of economic development and the industrial revolution for creating the impetus for this conference as well as Mexico for providing a more desirable host-location than the COP15.
But actually, I would like to thank the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future for providing the financial, academic, and creative support that has allowed so many varied people to attend. Specifically I would like to thank Mark Lawrence for his media and outreach creative support, Johannes Lehmann (professor in Crop and Soil Sciences) and Jill Kubit of the Global Labor Institute. Finally I'd like to thank the other student-delegates for their diverse interests and the electricity that they bring which will increase the breadth of Cornell's involvement and education around climate change
Thanks for tuning in, more to come soon!
