Berlin and Prague through Seattle to Copenhagen
Keith Parkins | 17.11.2009 15:18 | Analysis | Climate Chaos | Social Struggles
If 1989 saw the birth of democracy and 1999 its coming-out party, then 2009 in Copenhagen will see its coming of age.
1989 was an eventful year.
Today saw the start of the Velvet Revolution twenty years ago. Last week we commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall twenty years ago.
It was not politicians who brought about these changes. It was the people on the streets.
A decade ago in Seattle people shut down the WTO talks.
This summer the people of Iran took to the streets to try to topple the repressive regime. They almost succeeded. They will be back.
Activists are converging on Copenhagen for the COP15 climate talks in December. It will not be the politicians who fiddle whilst the planet burns who will decide the agenda, like Berlin, like Prague, like Seattle, it will be the people who will decide the agenda. Business as usual is not on the agenda.
The agenda the people are carrying to Copenhagen is simple: deep cuts in carbon emissions.
Further reading
Richard Black, Greenland ice loss 'accelerating', BBC news on-line, 12 November 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8357537.stm
Gary Duffy, Brazil proposes carbon cut target, BBC News on-line, 14 November 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8360072.stm
Naomi Klein, Climate Rage, Rolling Stone, 11 November 2009
http://www.naomiklein.org/articles/2009/11/climate-rage
Naomi Klein, Copenhagen: Seattle Grows Up, The Nation, 12 November 2009
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/13
Wambi Michael, UGANDA: "Mount Elgon Eviction Has Reduced Us to Beggars", IPS, 13 November 2009
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49253
Keith Parkins, The day the wall came down, WordPress, 11 November 2009
http://keithpp.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/the-day-the-wall-came-down/
Keith Parkins, Expansion of Farnborough Airport rejected!, Indymedia UK, 12 November 2009
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/441621.html?c=on
Keith Parkins, The Shape of the Table, WordPress, 16 November 2009
http://keithpp.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/the-shape-of-the-table/
Keith Parkins, From Berlin and Prague through Seattle to Copenhagen, WordPress, 17 November 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8362596.stm
Websites
http://www.climate-justice-action.org
http://www.carbontradewatch.org/
Today saw the start of the Velvet Revolution twenty years ago. Last week we commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall twenty years ago.
It was not politicians who brought about these changes. It was the people on the streets.
A decade ago in Seattle people shut down the WTO talks.
This summer the people of Iran took to the streets to try to topple the repressive regime. They almost succeeded. They will be back.
Activists are converging on Copenhagen for the COP15 climate talks in December. It will not be the politicians who fiddle whilst the planet burns who will decide the agenda, like Berlin, like Prague, like Seattle, it will be the people who will decide the agenda. Business as usual is not on the agenda.
The agenda the people are carrying to Copenhagen is simple: deep cuts in carbon emissions.
Further reading
Richard Black, Greenland ice loss 'accelerating', BBC news on-line, 12 November 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8357537.stm Gary Duffy, Brazil proposes carbon cut target, BBC News on-line, 14 November 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8360072.stm Naomi Klein, Climate Rage, Rolling Stone, 11 November 2009
http://www.naomiklein.org/articles/2009/11/climate-rage Naomi Klein, Copenhagen: Seattle Grows Up, The Nation, 12 November 2009
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/13 Wambi Michael, UGANDA: "Mount Elgon Eviction Has Reduced Us to Beggars", IPS, 13 November 2009
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49253 Keith Parkins, The day the wall came down, WordPress, 11 November 2009
http://keithpp.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/the-day-the-wall-came-down/ Keith Parkins, Expansion of Farnborough Airport rejected!, Indymedia UK, 12 November 2009
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/441621.html?c=on Keith Parkins, The Shape of the Table, WordPress, 16 November 2009
http://keithpp.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/the-shape-of-the-table/ Keith Parkins, From Berlin and Prague through Seattle to Copenhagen, WordPress, 17 November 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8362596.stm Websites
http://www.climate-justice-action.org http://www.carbontradewatch.org/
Keith Parkins
Homepage:
http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/
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