Last night was a bad night. We were in the middle of arranging our shifts so that we could follow the process throughout the night when Steve got a call from P. who had snuck in the Ministerial and was told that a something bad was going on.
I was standing outside the Ministerial room in my best waitress outfit (I had had a meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister of my country that day) feeling remarkably calm. There were a couple of press people there, a few other NGO people, but I was expecting to find hundreds of people outside waiting for the defining paragraph, the commitment that was going to transform all the rhetoric about climate change into action on renewables. But it was quiet.
I spoke very calmly to people leaving the room. They told me that they hadn't reached an agreement yet, but if I waited another half an hour, it would be over. I found a delegate I knew well and he showed me the paragraph they were about to agree on. I scanned it and saw that it included no indication that I should quit my job anytime soon. In fact, it showed me that climate campaigners should not worry about unemployment. I asked the delegate in front of me if we was kidding (to be honest, I said something much more rude, which I'm not disclosing here). He told me that it was not his fault. I told him it bloody well was.
All the GP people had seen the text in question by that point. Our reactions were very different. All this hard work - trying to make the EU change position, to get the G77 countries to commit to renewables, to stop the US from getting its way - all this was gone -poof- and all that the planet was left with was a lame text on 'reliable and affordable energy technologies, including fossil fuel technologies' and various other nonsensical rubbish. Just words. No action.
Last night was a bad night. But today is a beautiful morning. I am going to follow the example of all those who worked better and harder than I did these few days and who haven't given up, but continue to tirelessly put pressure on the Fossils. I am confident that things will change just because they must.
Meanwhile, we'll keep pushing. And we will also smile.
Posted by mahi at September 03, 2002 12:59 PMMahi,
I am going to tell you a story:
I was once a plumber in a sunny country and while being that I installed hundreds of solar power energy systems (Thermal and a few photovoltaics). I loved it and I was and still am a big adept of solar energy. It works well, it is there for the taking, just needs that fossil fuels have their subsidized framework removed. Meanwhile, I lost the battle to LPG and Natural Gas and steadily I become installing less and less panels. People would say that the cost would not compensate...to buy a gas heater was cheaper...So goodbye plumber, goodbye solar systems...I had to change my life. I went to work for the "enemy" - I become a plumber in a oil and gas drilling rig. But not happy with that, I started studying Renewable Energy, Environmental Management, etc. and......become Environmental Manager for my company. I am greening it. I make a decent living and have a good life, but Mahi, my hart is still with Solar Energy. Maybe one day the circle goes around fully and with the money I get from the fossil fuel guys I start again lobbying for the dissemination of clean renewable energy. I will not give up! I will keep pushing! And I will be smiling while spreading the news that there is a need to "open your eyes" and be aware that the world is suffering. Keep on the good work.
Posted by: Ilidio Franco Marques on September 4, 2002 12:13 AMFUCK OFF
Posted by: Sadam insane on September 4, 2002 02:33 PMHi there,
I hope that the lack of meaningful action on the SA summit will galvanise people around the world to act. Personally, I reckon that governments should be run by charities and NGOs. There'd be a lot more achievement.
Posted by: Rob on September 7, 2002 01:56 PM