Katie Paulson-Smith

12/20/09
COP15 Field Study Reflection

PROMPT #1
You came to this experience with a certain breadth of knowledge about climate change, the COP
process of international negotiations, and the issues that need to be addressed (i.e. conflicts between
developing and developed nations, disputes between nations looking to reject the Kyoto Protocol and
those looking to continue/modify it). In what ways has your thinking and understanding of these
areas changed over the course of the field study? Be certain to use specific examples of experiences
here and how they have led to these changes.

When the final Copenhagen Accord was revealed and deemed an ultimate failure, my mind

tumbled from denial, to panic, to despair. The first moment that I glazed over the flood of news

declaring this excruciatingly painful conclusion, I refused to believe what was before my eyes. I

simply could not accept it. As I lay in bed that night, the torrential rains suddenly struck me, and I

almost drowned in a seething rage of terror. My mind darted between horror and rage, alarm and

anger. What was their problem? Did they not understand that the world was at stake? How did

money get so powerful? What was this world coming to? Was there no hope? no justice? Why were

people so arrogant, so greedy, so selfish, so ignorant? If the most important and supposedly wise

leaders of the world could not solve climate change or at least come to some sort of civil, legal,

political, etc. agreement…(then I slipped from doubting the world`s leaders, to doubting myself)…who

did I think I was to even try? And that is when I truly almost lost my bearings on life. How certain

was I that climate change, just another scientific theory, was really this life threatening and earth

shattering? And why was I devoting my life to solving it again?

Those hours of tossing and turning made me come to terms with my interpretation of reality. I

realized that over the past couple of weeks, I have subconsciously been organizing a framework to

consider climate change through. There are many different lenses through which climate change can

be viewed. Through each lens, therein lies a different answer that is sought.

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1. For some, climate change is a political problem that can be solved through regulation,
environmental legislation, and a carbon cap.

On December 3, I a side event entitled, “Plan B for Climate Stabilization,” which was a
discussion given by Janet Larsen, director of Research, Earth Policy Institute. She spoke about
Plan B 4.0, success stories from around the world, and a call for rapid and comprehensive
mobilization. "Cutting CO2 emissions 80% by 2020 will take a worldwide mobilization at
wartime speed," she said, attracting my attention for the first time ever with a war metaphor.
Her concluding statement was that we don't need new technology because we have all of the
technology we need to solve climate change today; we need leadership and will power.

2. For others, climate change is an economic problem that can be solved through the free-
market system of capitalism and coercion via cap and trade or carbon taxation.

3. For some, climate change is a social problem that can be solved through distributing the
common but disproportionate responsibility to ensure human rights, equity, and justice.

On December 10, I attended a side event about recognizing and protecting human rights within
the Copenhagen agreement. The following is what I learned:

a. It is important to discuss climate change in regards to human rights. Human rights are the
heart of climate change, as compared to the science, economics, and politics of climate change,
which are the head.

b. Climate change is a human rights issue because it threatens:

i. The right to life, physical integrity, and security

ii. The right to means of subsidence
iii. The right to water
iv. The right to property and use of traditional lands
v. The right to health
vi. The right to freedom from discrimination
vii. The right of women
viii. The right of culture
ix. The right to participate

The question is what international legal regime do we place on the crime of climate change?
How is a victim compensated for a human rights violation as severe as climate change? As I
began to inquire about these complications, I started to wonder whether climate change was
just another excuse for humans to blame each other about something. Nonetheless, human
rights must not be ignored or dismissed in the COP-15 negotiations, because they truly are
heart of climate change. According to the human impact report on the human cost of climate
change published by the Global Humanitarian Forum,

Estimates of suffering due to climate change today:

• Deaths - over 300,000 per year

• Severely Affected - over 300 million people
• Living at Extreme Risk - 500 million people

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 • Climate Displaced People - over 20 million
• Economic Losses - over US 100 billion dollar
Estimates of Suffering Tomorrow (in 20 years time)

Estimates of suffering tomorrow (in 20 years time):

• Deaths - approximately 500,000 per year

Severely Affected: approximately 650 million people
• Climate Displaced People – more than 75 million
• Economic Losses – over US 300 billion dollars

4. For others, climate change is a scientific problem that can be solved through offsetting the
excess carbon in the atmosphere via aerosols, algae, trees, and volcanic fumes.

5. For some, climate change is a spiritual problem that can be solved through teaching
respect, honor, and balance between Mother Earth and humanity.

On December 9, I attended a side event about indigenous peoples’ assessment of the climate
change negotiations in which strategies beyond Copenhagen were discussed. Sarimin
Boengkih, Director of the Kanak Development Agency in New Caledonia, said that we belong
to the land. We don’t own the land. The land gives people identity and species that we live
from every day. Boengkih posed the question, what can we do about climate change? Teach
what we know and cultivate….Teach people to live with the land. We need to know how to live
in harmony with the land.”

On December 14, I attended a side event about “renewing the face of the earth,” in which faith-
based approaches to climate justice were discussed by a panel representing the World Council
of Churches and Caritas Internationalis. The dialogue’s purpose was to bring ethical principles
and voices of faith to the climate change negotiations and examine various faith-based
perspectives on policies and action promoting climate justice. An interesting concept that Joy
Kennedy, a member of WCC Working Group on Climate Change, brought up was that we must
replace our “theology of dominance,” with a “theology of humility” for sustainability, and we
must recover who we are as human beings. One man remarked from the audience that we must
redefine “rich” to mean a positive relationship with Earth. Also, the president of Caritas
Europa, Fr. Erny Gillen, stressed that we share “the human condition” with all other people on
this planet, and thus “we are responsible for our brothers and sisters, here and elsewhere, today
and tomorrow.”

6. For others, climate change is a technological problem that can be solved through wind
turbines and energy efficiency.

7. Not to mention the lenses of health and education that the problems of climate change and
its solutions can be viewed through.

So how can such an all-encompassing problem possibly be solved? It depends on who you ask. One’s

solution to the problem of climate change is inherent in his or her perception of what the problem is. It

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is no wonder that all of the king’s horses and all of the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again

(or that leaders from 192 countries could not solve the direst problem facing all life on earth right now.

Since every person sees the problem differently, every person sees the solution differently. Perhaps

instead of trying to simplify and narrow the problem and its respective solution down into a condensed

single agreement, COP15 negotiators should have tried to open their minds up in order to see the

problem’s numerous, multi-faceted solutions. Climate change is too complex to be simplified into one

problem with one solution. Therefore, what this meeting set out as its objective was impossible. There

is no one cure for climate change, just as there is no one cure for world peace (if only…)

• For instance, the political solution should include the social problem because human rights make
moral imperatives into legal obligations:
a. Increased emphasis on adaptation
b. Stronger mitigation goals
c. Reinforces validity of principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and
“polluter pays” principle
d. Holds individuals responsible through calculations of per-capita emissions

Therefore, an international climate change agreement must include:

a. All parties recognitions of human impact on environment
b. Obligations to uphold human rights
c. Citizens’ guaranteed participation in climate decisions
d. Help to those who are especially vulnerable
e. Help to those who are already suffering from climate change

• The technological solution should include the social problem. Patricia Cochran, an Inupiaq and
director of the Alaska Native Science Commission, emphasized that we must combine traditional
knowledge with scientific knowledge. For instance, an online searchable database of indigenous
knowledge has just been developed, while dogsled teams are better than snowmobiles, since dogs
tell you when the ice is too thin and dangerous. We need to find the balance between the teachings
of our elders and those of modern technology.

In conclusion, the only way to implement all of these solutions to solve such an all-encompassing

problem is to listen to the Greek philosophers: all in moderation and balance. I am not exactly sure

what all of this means, but I think it will take some time before I can synthesize the mass amount of

knowledge and perspective I have gained here in Sweden and Denmark over the past couple of weeks.

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Prompt #2
In addition to the COP 15 conference, a significant portion of this field study involved immersing
yourself in Swedish culture through the home stays and the school partnership with Landskrona.
Describe and provide specific examples of how this experience worked well for you, as well
aspects of the cultural immersion that you found challenging.

Switching host families in the middle of the two weeks here actually worked pretty well for me,

because I got a 2-for-1 deal out of the trip. I got the privilege of getting to know two unique families

and their customs and lifestyles. Often language while traveling abroad may seem frightening and may

impose a barrier to communication; however, the Swedish language proved to be more of an opening

than a barrier into Swedish culture and daily life here for me. No matter how pathetic they were, my

attempts to learn Swedish always created a win-win situation for me. Through merely trying to learn a

few words and phrases of their language, I was able to convey that I was sincerely interested in being

here and immersing myself in Swedish culture. Also through language attempts, I was also able to get

a few laughs, start conversation, and gain new knowledge. Language is the perfect tool to use when

adapting to new people, a unfamiliar culture, and a different lifestyle.’

One aspect of this cultural immersion that I found challenging was lacking time to spend at

home with my host family. Since we left early in the mornings for the Conference and returned late at

night, there was little time that I could spend being fully absorbed in Swedish life here. Nonetheless, I

did not experience any major obstacles to enjoying myself and learning a lot here. Conclusively, I am

very grateful for being given this opportunity to attend the COP15 in Copenhagen and to live with such

friendly and wonderful home stays in Landskrona.

Swedish words & phrases I`ve learned:

Trevligt att träffas. = Nice to meet you. Ett = 1
Hur e det? = How are you ? Två = 2
Jag heter Katie. = My name is Katie. Tre = 3
Kan jag sitta här? = Can I sit here? Fyra = 4
Tack för maten. = Thank you for the food. Fem = 5
God Jul = Merry Christmas Sex = 6
Tack = Thank you Sju = 7
Snälla = Please Åtta = 8
Nio = 9
Tio = 10

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Traditional Swedish Christmas Song:
Goder morgon, Goder morgon
Både herre och fru
Vi önskar eder alla en fröjdefull jul.
(Good morning, good morning
Both ladies and gentlemen
We wish you all a peaceful Merry Christmas.)