Wishing You a Merry, Merry, Low Carbon Christmas!

It's the last Saturday before Christmas and snowflakes are falling outside Open World Café while I watch the still ongoing plenary session of the COP15 Summit in Copenhagen. Delegates from 192 nations have been meeting without breaking since yesterday Friday December 18, officially the last day of the summit. Negotiations at lower levels have been ongoing for two years, and with delegates and ministers in Copenhagen for two intensive weeks.

I was in Copenhagen last Sunday and Monday together with our daughter Alexandra, wanting to witness first-hand this historic event, and meet with some friends who share my concern for the environment, namely Bill Liao and Marie-Noëlle Keijzer from WeForest.com, and Mario Mantovani from SOS Mata Atlântica (Brazil). Mario visited us later on Wednesday and Thursday in Stockholm, witnessing this years first snow storm, and shared an interesting perspective, fully in line with his constantly optimistic world-view: "World attention on Climate Change issues is at an all-time high" he said, and I agree, this is indeed an accomplishment of the COP15 Circus. Furthermore, and hopefully to an even greater extent, the utter and devastating failure of the delegates to define a plan of action and agreement on mitigating the negative effects of Climate Change will (hopefully!) make us all start taking more personal responsibility for our environment. What does this mean?

In my view it means that we can no longer expect miracles from other mere mortals, our leaders. Let's be fair; can we expect any results when we hear stories of marathon meetings going on for several days on end without sleep for the delegates (yes, some delegates have been working non-stop for stretches of 48 + hours, catching little more than naps between sessions). This resulted in wanton clubbing through of agreements without any due diligence or in depth study - the case this morning, last day + one when the Presidency tried to force through an agreement arrived at by the "Friends of the Chair", a group of 25 nations who did their best to get their version approved as the final agreement (thinking perhaps they were doing us a favour, since there was no other agreement). The paper was submitted at 3.00 am in the morning, four hours before the vote (at 7.00 am). Is this the type of agreement we want the future of humanity on the planet to depend on?

Listening to the final statements of delegates between 6 am and about 2 pm on Saturday (as I start writing this blog) I have been struck by the many good intentions among the 192 delegates at the COP 15. I believe it was a delegate from Bangladesh (or Saudi Arabia?) who said "The Road to hell is paved with good intentions" - well put!

We have indeed entered a new era, one ushered in by 9/11 (remember?), the Tsunami, Katrina, the Afghan and Iraq war, Darfur, and countless earthquakes and other natural disasters, besides the melting glaciers and wildfires in Australia and California, to name a few "Climate Changes".

I am very happy and feel very privileged to have been able to begin Replanting a Rainforest before COP15, indeed the first 700 seedlings (of more than 5000) were planted just ten days before COP15 opened. A small but significant number of trees which can grow into majestic patrons of biodiversity in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil.

Something that is evolving out of these many experiences during the past several weeks is a growing awareness about my relationship to Carbon Dioxide, or CO2.

When I feel the first symptoms of a cold; fever, sore throat, pain in my joints, I stay in bed and give my body a rest, drinking liquids and eating only fruits - allowing my body to recuperate. If I ignore the symptoms, or don't allow the healing process to begin, or break off the natural healing process (taking strong medicines or working as usual), I can count on getting more severe symptoms, until I get worse, or die (pulmonary bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.).

The planet is past the "first symptoms" of this "dis-ease"; excessive CO2 in the atmosphere was a well-known fact in the 70's. The changing weather patterns are a stronger warning telling us we need to give our planet "a rest", but we continue to ignore the "symptoms"; increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and other signs. Is "Global Warming" actually a "Planetary Fever"? Is it like "Agent Smith" in "Matrix" says; humanity is a virus, killing the Earth? (see clip on YouTube)

No.

That would be getting stuck in the duality of existence. Let's get over ourselves. We are not that important, Earth will survive without humanity, humanity on the other hand needs Earth. So what is there beyond the duality of existence?

One Whole Being, that's us, you and me, and that's the way it is as far as I see it. We are part of this Whole, even though we don't necessarily act as if we are aware of it.

When we bridge that gap, between seeing ourselves separate from the Earth and being an integral part of the Earth, then we will perhaps begin to take responsibility for the Earth, for ourselves; respecting the Earth, respecting ourselves and our fellow human beings.

And what do we do when we bridge that gap?

I would like to think that we get busy doing what we should have been doing for a long time already; finding balance. Reducing our impact on the environment and compensating for the destruction already caused. For me that means planting trees, lots of trees!

Ultimately, it is the forests and oceans which help make life livable on the planet, the so-called "carbon sinks". After destroying between 30% and 80% of our tropical rainforests (opinions and figures vary) - a sort of systematic and programmed suicide - we are slowly beginning to understand the significance of these forests and ecosystems of magnificent biodiversity.

In reference to "The Black Swan" by Nicholas Nassim Taleb, it is not what we know that is important, much more what we don't know that should cause concern. What riches, opportunities and wisdom has humanity squandered by not respecting the integrity and biodiversity of our ecosystems?

In Copenhagen I found a folder from the International Permaculture Council (ignore the poor English), Bill Liao and Marie-Noëlle Keijzer introduced me (virtually) to Geoff Lawton from the Permaculture Institute (see website in Australia), and surfing the web I learned more about Permaculture design. In the folder two goals were defined to reduce CO2 levels and restore nature's ability to absorb pre-industrial levels of CO2:

1. Reduce individual the carbon footprint to 1 ton CO2 per person per year.
2. Plant 10,000 trees per person per lifetime.

Here are some per capita carbon footprints from developed and developing countries (specifically the so-called "BRIC" countries (see Wikipedia list): USA: 19.1, Russia: 11.2, Germany: 9.7, Sweden: 5.6, China: 4.6, Brazil: 1.9, India: 1.2 (biggest per capita footprint belongs to Qatar: 56.2) - (Find your Carbon Footprint)

Interesting to note that those countries with the largest per capita footprint are the ones spending most time putting the blame on the developing (BRIC) countries! Low Carbon Christmas indeed! In the rush for presents retailers are falling over each other to sell, and media projections reporting doom and gloom if we don't CONSUME! How about a "thoughtful" and "stuff-less" Christmas for a change, a change for the better!

It is now Sunday evening and soon time to close this blog. Another half meter of snow has fallen on the island, where we arrived last night, another good reason to stay inside - and write these wistful lines. Thank you for being with me during 2009. I am looking forward to a more sustainable and very enlightening 2010!

Merry Merry Low Carbon Christmas, and a Happy Enlightened New Year!