Find previous reflections from Sr. Joan Brown.
Find out more about the religious voice in Copenhagen.
Blessings this day and I hope you are praying and fasting that a meaningful agreement happens here in Copenhagen.
Winter has set in here. It snowed last night and the public transportation was slow and stalled this morning. The cold weather and stalled transportation describe the process in the COP meeting with the leaders from more than 120 world countries.
NGOs are basically shut out of the meetings and the gracious Danish people have provided a large hall near the city center to watch the proceedings, which are many leaders giving speeches pleading for an agreement because survival of the planet is at stake.
Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd said the test of each leader returning home after the meeting is whether they as mothers and fathers can look their children in the eyes and say they did everything they could do. The children are watching.
Representative Ian Fry of Tuvalu said, “I have the feeling of dread that we are on the Titanic and we are sinking fast, but we can’t use the lifeboats because someone on the ship is saying we need to discuss whether we are actually sinking.”
Secretary of State Clinton just spoke and also made reference to a boat and said that in a common boat when crossing the river all must cross peacefully. While precious time has been lost she stated that we all must raise our oars together and the US is ready to do its part. The US will only move forward if there is an operational agreement made by all the nations together.
The US will only go forward with an agreement if other nations are on board. While the challenges are in the details including financing, she pledged that the US would meet 80 percent reduction, fast start financing and to work with 100 billion dollars for adaptation and mitigation by 2020 with other countries. She failed to offer information about how much money the US is committing and made no mention of long term financing abd insists upon transparency for every nation.
President Obama is still scheduled to set foot upon snowy ground in Copenhagen tomorrow…please pray… More later.
Much peace and good,
Your sister,
Joan
