After months of build-up, an international dialogue on how to cut carbon emissions has formally begun!  So – “what’s it all mean, Alfie?”

 

For starters, the Copenhagen Climate Talks present an opportunity for government officials and leaders from all around the world to meet in one room and put their heads together. This in itself is a challenge – each nation carries it's own environmental baggage – good and bad, heavy and light.

 

Over the last five days and in the weeks leading up to the Copenhagen Climate Talks, I’ve watched groups and organizations mobilize campaigns and make waves using tools like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, banners, bloggers, vigils, and even protests. It’s just so easy to plug-in to the real time play-by-play of what’s happening in Copenhagen.

 

There comes a time when so much is happening that it doesn’t seem real anymore – I think it’s called 2.0-fatigue. There have been times over the last five days I’ve had to step back, take a deep breath, and remind myself that somewhere on this planet, taking place at a different longitude and latitude – 192 nations are not typing, tweeting or updating—they’re talking about the impact Climate Change is having on our planet and what it means for our future.

 

Allow me to indulge you in what I like to call my Copenhagen Reality Check – Big-Wild-a-fied.

 

 

 

You’re not really here, in front of your computer reading about the climate conference. You’re actually IN Copenhagen, riding your bicycle along a canal. In fact, EVERYONE you know is riding a bike with you along that canal. That’s just how cool Copenhagen is – almost everyone owns and rides his or her own bike. Jealous? You certainly will be after you watch this video. You’ll also learn how to say bicycle in Swahili.

 

 

 

 

Thanks to a Facebook friend of mine, I discovered this gem of a post on a blog called "Active History." This post offers a historian’s perspective of Climate Change. Actually, I see it as more of a look into the history of climate change conferences. Good links.

 

 

The Uptake is a citizen journalist organization reporting from Copenhagen. You don’t get much closer to reality over the web than what you’ll watch on The Uptake. The people reporting are just like you and me -- they’re using their phones and cameras and loading content almost as quickly as it happens because they want you to know what they know.

 

 

 

 

 

Tcktcktck.org is not only beautiful looking – it’s incredibly effective. At the beginning of the conference, the campaign presented over 10 million signatures to UN officials – names of people who want to see effective change take place at the Copenhagen climate talks. Tcktcktck's work isn’t done yet. They’re still taking names and delivering action items you can be a part of, right from where you’re sitting!