There are those who ridicule international law as a cruel farce.
It is Day Six and the theme of the day is Youth so I’d like to use this post to lecture some of our age-challenged partners on why people have come to Glasgow for these two weeks of negotiations. Most who came on a lark have already discovered there are no lodgings, few street benches, no outdoor charging outlets, food is ridiculously expensive, it rains a lot, and you won’t see any VIP delegates or celebrities, except on TV.
One of Greta’s entourage, YONGO activist Alexandra Villaseñor, tweeted:
At #COP25 in Madrid, I entered negotiating spaces and observed, which is what being a “NGO Observer” is all about. Here, at #COP26 I haven’t been able to observe at all. I feel lost, like I’m here as an ornament or to tell reporters what gives me hope over and over and over…
Apparently Alexandra never read the memos from the UNFCCC organizers, issued at regular intervals for 18 months, asking, for the sake of this not becoming a super spreader event, that observers please sit it out this year, and don’t worry, you can still observe. Everything will be web streamed and archived for on-demand viewing. Or perhaps she missed the mailings from Greenpeace, Union of Concerned Scientists, and other regulars also urging people do not attend because of vaccine apartheid and concerns about safety for delegates.
Climate scientist and author Michael Mann tweeted:
To borrow from the iconic film The Usual Suspects, the greatest trick the fossil fuel industry ever pulled was convincing the world that climate action would require sacrifice, for just the opposite is true. The 2nd greatest trick the fossil fuel industry ever pulled was getting climate activists to declare global climate negotiations in Glasgow a failure before they’ve really even begun.
I don’t agree with him about the sacrifice part, although certainly some benefits will flow when we begin to act (we haven’t yet). I do agree it is too soon to declare Glasgow a failure and it saddens me to see Greta Thunberg and other…
