Fr. Sean: Tight Restriction at COP 15 lead to huge delays
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:30 pmTight Restriction at COP 15 lead to huge delays in entering the Bella Center in Copenhagen - Fr. Sean McDonagh, SSC December 15, 2009
During the first week of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) here at Copenhagen, it took about 10 to 15 minutes to clear security and enter the Bella Center where COP 15 is being held. The only exception was the first day, on December 7th 2009, when chaos reigned.
Things deteriorated on Monday, December 14th 2009. It was obvious during the final days of week one of COP 15 that many more people had turned up for the conference than the authorities had planned for. During the weekend, the COP President, Connie Hedegaard, let it be known that there would be serious reductions on members from civil society entering then building during the second week. The way they decided to cut number was to demand a second card as a condition of entering the Bella Center. The chairs of the various sponsoring bodies spent the weekend trying to secure these new cards. As I am registered under Franciscans International, our chair, Sister Odile Coirer, F.M.M., arranged to meet with us at the documentation desk at 11 o’clock on Monday morning.
When we arrived at the Bella Center we saw, to our dismay, a long winding queue about 200 metres long. It took over an hour to get through security. Standing in the queue one heard a lot of grumbling and complaints about how the Danish authorities had not prepared adequately for this conference and when problems arose, the first groups to be affected were those from civil society, often known in the past as NGOs. A growing police and military presence was also discernible and stories were circulating about tear gas attacks on demonstrators the previous evening.
My experience in the Philippine helped me cope with the long queue. During my first year in the Philippines in 1969, I found bus break-downs or long delays in waiting for boats, planes or buses very annoying. When I complained one evening in central house in Ozamiz – Katadman, an older Columban advised me that when I was travelling I should always bring with me a novel, possibly a serious book and a writing pad. I did and it changed my perceptions radically.
Things have moved on technologically since then, so yesterday morning, while standing in the queue, I found myself listening to a lecture given by John Feehan in July in the Burren. The theme of his talk was the extraordinary architectural structure of the flower called – Enchanter Night Shade. Though I could have chosen any other track, it was particularly appropriate because on Monday, December 14th 2009, an Taoiseach Brian Cowen (the Irish Prime Minister) was launching John’s latest book, The Flowers of Offaly. If you have any interest in Irish flowers (or any flowers, for that matter), it is a must buy for Christmas this year and at 40 euro it is excellent value.
I was lucky to make it on time to Bella Center on Monday morning where Sister Olide was waiting. She had received only 7 new cards, so she decided to allot one to each congregation represented on the Franciscans International team. That is how I secured my card for today.
The main talking point at noon yesterday was the annoyance of the African group at the possibility that the Kyoto process was being bypassed here at Copenhagen. Victor Fodeke, the Environment Minister for Mali, said that what had begun as a “train of hope” was in danger of crashing abruptly. He said that the suggestion by the COP President Connie Hedegaard that the plenary session should discuss “unresolved issues of long-term cooperative action” under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), without mentioning the Kyoto Protocol was an attempt to sideline the Kyoto Protocol.
The reality is that the Kyoto Protocol is still the only legally binding treaty regulating greenhouse gas emissions. It is due to expire in 2012. If it expires without a following-up treaty, it could take years to negotiate a new deal. The scientists are telling us we do not have the luxury of time. I attended a scientific presentation by the Hadley Centre (Met Office) in Britain. They are convinced that climate change is happening and poses a considerable challenge to life on earth as we know it. We need to begin reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by 2016. A frantic round of informal consultations was held to mend fences. As a result, Ms. Hedegaard’s agenda items were amended to include the rider that the Kyoto Protocol process is still very much on the table.
My editor in Hong Kong, Jim Mulroney, always replies whenever I send him an article. During this week he has often suggested that I enjoy myself also while I am here in Copenhagen. Since Jim is well-known in Columban circles for the rigours of his ascetic life, I felt obliged to follow his brotherly admonition. So at 6 pm yesterday, I set out for the Irish Embassy where the Ambassador, Joe Hayes, greeted Irish participants at COP 15. I arrived early and had a good conversation with Joe. Many Columbans in the Philippines will remember him from the late 1980s, when he was Irish Ambassador to both China and the Philippines. He has many fond memories of meeting with Columbans, especially on a Monday evening at our central house in Manila on Singalong Street. He mentioned that he once went to visit the British Ambassador in Manila to ask his assessment of the situation in the Philippines, since he was living in Beijing. The British Ambassador told him that the best place to get a handle on what was happening in the Philippines was to visit Singalong on a Monday night: “You will find people from all over the Philippines and they have their ears to the ground.”
There was quite a motley bunch at the party. I met with Professor John Sweeney who worked with me on the Irish Bishops’ pastoral reflection on climate change. He was frozen, as he had to wait 8 hours in a queue earlier in the day in freezing conditions in order to register. Even then, the office closed down before he could clinch the deal. The MEP Bairbre De Brun was also in attendance. She spoke about her uncle John Marly and her admiration for the work which Columbans have done and are doing around the world. There were also people from Trocaire and other Irish environmental organizations, and Frank McDonald from The Irish Times. Before leaving both the Ambassador and the Irish Minister for the Environment, John Gormley spoke about their hopes for a successful treaty here in Copenhagen. At about 9.30 pm, I left the party and returned to the Franciscan house in Roskilde about 40 minutes by train from Copenhagen.
On Tuesday afternoon, the various Irish groups represented here in Copenhagen are meeting with the Irish Minister for the Environment to lobby him on their various concerns. As a missionary, I will be raising questions about the Adaptation Fund. This needs to be massively financially up-scaled and the money must not be taken out of the Oversea Development Aid (ODA) budgets. Finance needs to be arranged to help countries draw up a full range of Adaptation Strategies and Actions for economically poor countries. There is also a need to prioritize particularly vulnerable countries and peoples and we need to help them to begin to get access to the Adaptation Fund. For Columbans, that would include Pakistan, Peru, Chile, the Philippines and Fiji. At this point in the negotiations, there are no firm figures on the table in regard to the Adaptation Fund.
Fr. Sean McDonagh, SSC
County Meath, Ireland
During the first week of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) here at Copenhagen, it took about 10 to 15 minutes to clear security and enter the Bella Center where COP 15 is being held. The only exception was the first day, on December 7th 2009, when chaos reigned.
Things deteriorated on Monday, December 14th 2009. It was obvious during the final days of week one of COP 15 that many more people had turned up for the conference than the authorities had planned for. During the weekend, the COP President, Connie Hedegaard, let it be known that there would be serious reductions on members from civil society entering then building during the second week. The way they decided to cut number was to demand a second card as a condition of entering the Bella Center. The chairs of the various sponsoring bodies spent the weekend trying to secure these new cards. As I am registered under Franciscans International, our chair, Sister Odile Coirer, F.M.M., arranged to meet with us at the documentation desk at 11 o’clock on Monday morning.
When we arrived at the Bella Center we saw, to our dismay, a long winding queue about 200 metres long. It took over an hour to get through security. Standing in the queue one heard a lot of grumbling and complaints about how the Danish authorities had not prepared adequately for this conference and when problems arose, the first groups to be affected were those from civil society, often known in the past as NGOs. A growing police and military presence was also discernible and stories were circulating about tear gas attacks on demonstrators the previous evening.
My experience in the Philippine helped me cope with the long queue. During my first year in the Philippines in 1969, I found bus break-downs or long delays in waiting for boats, planes or buses very annoying. When I complained one evening in central house in Ozamiz – Katadman, an older Columban advised me that when I was travelling I should always bring with me a novel, possibly a serious book and a writing pad. I did and it changed my perceptions radically.
Things have moved on technologically since then, so yesterday morning, while standing in the queue, I found myself listening to a lecture given by John Feehan in July in the Burren. The theme of his talk was the extraordinary architectural structure of the flower called – Enchanter Night Shade. Though I could have chosen any other track, it was particularly appropriate because on Monday, December 14th 2009, an Taoiseach Brian Cowen (the Irish Prime Minister) was launching John’s latest book, The Flowers of Offaly. If you have any interest in Irish flowers (or any flowers, for that matter), it is a must buy for Christmas this year and at 40 euro it is excellent value.
I was lucky to make it on time to Bella Center on Monday morning where Sister Olide was waiting. She had received only 7 new cards, so she decided to allot one to each congregation represented on the Franciscans International team. That is how I secured my card for today.
The main talking point at noon yesterday was the annoyance of the African group at the possibility that the Kyoto process was being bypassed here at Copenhagen. Victor Fodeke, the Environment Minister for Mali, said that what had begun as a “train of hope” was in danger of crashing abruptly. He said that the suggestion by the COP President Connie Hedegaard that the plenary session should discuss “unresolved issues of long-term cooperative action” under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), without mentioning the Kyoto Protocol was an attempt to sideline the Kyoto Protocol.
The reality is that the Kyoto Protocol is still the only legally binding treaty regulating greenhouse gas emissions. It is due to expire in 2012. If it expires without a following-up treaty, it could take years to negotiate a new deal. The scientists are telling us we do not have the luxury of time. I attended a scientific presentation by the Hadley Centre (Met Office) in Britain. They are convinced that climate change is happening and poses a considerable challenge to life on earth as we know it. We need to begin reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by 2016. A frantic round of informal consultations was held to mend fences. As a result, Ms. Hedegaard’s agenda items were amended to include the rider that the Kyoto Protocol process is still very much on the table.
My editor in Hong Kong, Jim Mulroney, always replies whenever I send him an article. During this week he has often suggested that I enjoy myself also while I am here in Copenhagen. Since Jim is well-known in Columban circles for the rigours of his ascetic life, I felt obliged to follow his brotherly admonition. So at 6 pm yesterday, I set out for the Irish Embassy where the Ambassador, Joe Hayes, greeted Irish participants at COP 15. I arrived early and had a good conversation with Joe. Many Columbans in the Philippines will remember him from the late 1980s, when he was Irish Ambassador to both China and the Philippines. He has many fond memories of meeting with Columbans, especially on a Monday evening at our central house in Manila on Singalong Street. He mentioned that he once went to visit the British Ambassador in Manila to ask his assessment of the situation in the Philippines, since he was living in Beijing. The British Ambassador told him that the best place to get a handle on what was happening in the Philippines was to visit Singalong on a Monday night: “You will find people from all over the Philippines and they have their ears to the ground.”
There was quite a motley bunch at the party. I met with Professor John Sweeney who worked with me on the Irish Bishops’ pastoral reflection on climate change. He was frozen, as he had to wait 8 hours in a queue earlier in the day in freezing conditions in order to register. Even then, the office closed down before he could clinch the deal. The MEP Bairbre De Brun was also in attendance. She spoke about her uncle John Marly and her admiration for the work which Columbans have done and are doing around the world. There were also people from Trocaire and other Irish environmental organizations, and Frank McDonald from The Irish Times. Before leaving both the Ambassador and the Irish Minister for the Environment, John Gormley spoke about their hopes for a successful treaty here in Copenhagen. At about 9.30 pm, I left the party and returned to the Franciscan house in Roskilde about 40 minutes by train from Copenhagen.
On Tuesday afternoon, the various Irish groups represented here in Copenhagen are meeting with the Irish Minister for the Environment to lobby him on their various concerns. As a missionary, I will be raising questions about the Adaptation Fund. This needs to be massively financially up-scaled and the money must not be taken out of the Oversea Development Aid (ODA) budgets. Finance needs to be arranged to help countries draw up a full range of Adaptation Strategies and Actions for economically poor countries. There is also a need to prioritize particularly vulnerable countries and peoples and we need to help them to begin to get access to the Adaptation Fund. For Columbans, that would include Pakistan, Peru, Chile, the Philippines and Fiji. At this point in the negotiations, there are no firm figures on the table in regard to the Adaptation Fund.
Fr. Sean McDonagh, SSC
County Meath, Ireland