Bonn negotiations - maybe the first positive step since Copen - (or Broken-) hagen

Some small signs of hope comes from the negotiations under UNFCCC meeting in Bonn last weeks. Even though nearly anything that contains at least a willing to change from the stubborn path to look at the counter parts failures instead of a constructive will to action might in these days be a positive sign.
Yves de Boer,the Executive Secretary of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). did at least formulated a glimpse of hope when he said,
"A big step forward is now possible at Cancun, in the form of a full package of operational measures that will allow countries to take faster, stronger action across all areas of climate change, "
But still, the rich countries of the world are trying to go point the fingers on other countries to act first and to wait before they act themselves. Why is it so hard to understand that if the rich countries, those with capacity, would start the leap from fossils to renewable´s the rest of the world?

There must be som fun also...

Assemblies must also have some fun and festivities. So the last night of the assembly some folk music from the region on the border of Chezc republic and Slovakia played some nice tunes. I think I got at least some of the text..tralalal, tralala....

ECEN Climate and food!

The ECEN Assembly are soon to be ended. The last night is a night of compiling statements. So in this hours we try to get all opinions into one sheet. Now, that is no easy job.
Statements are good but even better is what happening as a result of the words.
A good illustration of what we discussing is the weather outside. The picture shows some kids in the river in a small river outside Prague. This is not usual to have this high temperature at this time of the year and some weeks before the heavy rain "attacked" this area. It is not a proof of climate change but a hint of what we will see happening more often in the future.
But as always, the most vulnerable will be those with least capacity to cope. In short; the poor people were ever they live. And what will happen to the food production in the future? Not only in sub Saharan Africa but what will happen in central part of Europe? There will be problems even there. And what do we do to mild the effects and cut the emissions that creates the problems? It is more then urgent to walk the talk

A burning heart!

The ECEN assembly goes on and today was the day for working groups and excursions.
Climate Change is still an extremely important issue and I see new ways of connecting the European work with the African work.
This picture is from a place that once was a monastery and the a prison for the Gulags, Which is the acronym for The Chief Administration of Corrective Labor Camps and Colonies (Russian: Главное Управление Исправительно-Трудовых Лагерей и колоний; Glavnoye Upravlyeniye Ispravityel'no-Trudovih Lagyeryey i koloniy)
But they kept the paintings in the ceiling and there is a burning heart.
We need more of the burning heart to change and keep the climate inside the sustainable level.

Exchange - the meaning of meeting

Why meeting in real life when we have the internet? There is one good reason, at least, and that is the sharing of experience. Of course, the inputs by experts are interesting and sometimes challenging but that can all be found at the internet.
The most valuable moment are when we meet over a cup of coffee in between all the power-points and figures and facts. Like on this picture. Maybe the UNFCCC should put in some more coffee breaks to get a bit happier and the outcomes could be a bit more positive

ECEN Assembly in Prague

After the collapse of COP 15 in Copenhagen this blog also collapsed. But now it is time to rise again and start the work and pick up the pieces and get back on the track again.

European Christian Environmental Network is gathering again to an Assembly. The theme is Climate Change and food.

In some of the lovely surroundings of Prague in a weather that is more like being in the tropics we are discussing the relation between food and climate change.

The short truth is that there is no quick fix. But there are still hope and ways to go.

As a good sign the food at the assembly is vegetarian and if you must have meat you have to tell it. Bon apetit