Nopenhagen

Image Credit: Greenpeace via Flickr

The initial reactions from environmental groups confirm that Copenhagen was not Hopenhagen, but more of a Nopehagen where nothing of significance happened. Here are a few reactions.

Not fair, not ambitious and not legally binding. The job of world leaders
 is not done. Today they failed to avert catastrophic climate change.



The city of Copenhagen is a climate crime scene tonight, with the guilty
men and women fleeing to the airport in shame. World leaders had a once in a generation chance to change the world for good, to avert catastrophic 
climate change. In the end they produced a poor deal full of loopholes big
enough to fly Air Force One through - Greenpeace International Executive Director, Kumi Naidoo

Climate negotiations in Copenhagen have yielded a sham agreement with no real requirements for any countries. This is not a strong deal or a just one -- it isn't even a real one. It's just repackaging old positions and pretending they're new. The actions it suggests for the rich countries that caused the climate crisis are extraordinarily inadequate. This is a disastrous outcome for people around the world who face increasingly dire impacts from a destabilizing climate. - Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth U.S

The world's nations have come together and concluded a historic--if incomplete--agreement to begin tackling global warming. Tonight's announcement is but a first step and much work remains to be done in the days and months ahead in order to seal a final international climate deal that is fair, binding, and ambitious. It is imperative that negotiations resume as soon as possible. - Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

The only way the world can be sure the US is standing behind its commitments is for the President to clearly state that climate change will be his next top legislative priority. The ultimate test of his leadership will be engaging the Senate and delivering action in Congress early next year.

The world's future hangs in the balance. At this critical hour, the fierce urgency of now, of which Dr. King spoke so about eloquently, is ringing loudly. - WWF President and CEO Carter Roberts

Island countries like Maldives were asking for a global temperature rise of no greater that 1.5C to give them any chance of a future. The draft deal in Nopenhagen set the bar at best at 2C. That could spell disaster for island nations.

Every eyes were on Obama today as if his words could miraculously stitch the world together. If he can barely get his own party together, there was no way he could get the entire world together. Obama's hands are tied by the US senate. He is wary of committing to anything he feels the senate will shoot down.

While the world leaders were busy negotiating, climate change deniers like Senator Inhofe flew to Copenhagen telling people that no climate deal will pass in the US senate. His words (via TruthFightsBack)

John Kerry was here yesterday and said we will pass something ...that is binding and is going to be cap and trade. That is not going to happen. I know John Kerry wants it to happen, but it is not going to happen.

Characters like Inhofe can make such statements because he doesn't have any skin in the game. His seat is safe and his election finances intact. The only language climate change deniers understand is the language of trade and money. I feel it is time for countries who will be most affected by climate change to form a Climate Aligned Movement. Align your trade interests with countries and states that have your climate interest in mind. If Maldives is importing things that are made in Oklahoma, this is the time to reevaluate and align trade interests with climate progressive states and countries. If you are in bed with the very same businesses that are funding Inhofe, this is the time to realign your trade interests.

I don't care much about Hugo Chavez, but what he said in Copenhagen is absolutely and brilliantly true - "If the climate was a bank [the west] would have already saved it."

Yes we should have ?

Greenpeace ad campaigns are always provocative. This one is no different.

If the current health care reform legislation is any indication, climate change legislation and ratification of any international treaty looks even more difficult to pass in the US.

Watching the health care debate and politics made me look back at the Bush years. The Bush white house got whatever it wanted. They had absolute power. Anyone opposing their agenda was quickly branded Un-American.

With the Obama white house, the power appears to have shifted all the way to the Senate. A handful of so called conservative Democrats now control the agenda. It is now very American to oppose what the large majority want!

Hope is the only thing that keeps the treehugger in me alive. So here is to hoping Copenhagen brings about an ambitious legally binding deal to save the climate. And Obama playing a key part in making it happen. Sign the petition if you can.

PS: If the news media has you convinced that the recent email hack uncovered a big scientific cover up, please head over to Real Climate for a sane rebuttal.


Photo:Greenpeace/Åslund

Egypt

After Mayan pyramids, it was only logical to head over to the place where it all began. I jumped at the first chance to visit Egypt. Egypt it turned out was nothing like Mexico!(stating the obvious)

What I mean to say is that Egypt never felt like vacation. It was hard work. Tourism is a big industry here and touts of every form are everywhere wanting to make a quick buck out of you. So it becomes hard to let your guard down and go with the flow. Baksheesh is the very fabric of daily life. Baksheesh was never an alien concept to me, but the intensity and pervasiveness of it surprised me. Baksheesh Stress Syndrome is a real health hazard for tourists! I will qualify that by saying that it is not as bad as the Restless Leg Syndrome ads on TV. The only cure...wads of small change.

In retrospect, the things I did wrong was to go with a sub par tour operator and a punishing schedule. From Alexandria in the north, to Abu Simbel in south, Mt Sinai in the east to Bahariya in the west, I covered almost the length and breadth of the country in just two weeks.

Cairo was the base camp for all ventures around the country. Cairo is a lot like Mumbai. Very bad first impression. Noisy, crowded and choking with pollution. Treehuggers are sure to get a severe heartburn seeing the amount of plastic bottles that float around. But after a while, people say Cairo is a city to like. Two weeks is definitely not enough time for that. Although the last day in Cairo was a memorable one. I was at Abu Tarek restaurant gulping down the popular Egyptian dish Koshari. Made with lentils,rice, chickpeas, noodles, tomato sauce, and caramalized onions it is a delight to eat or in my case gulp. I was in a great mood that day. Maybe it was the Koshari, maybe it was because I knew I was going back to the comforts of my home or maybe it was the fact that I experienced Egypt and survived it.

All said and done, I don't mean to be a scrooge about my trip. I did meet a lot of nice and kind people. I remember being lost one day. When I finally decided to ask for directions, a young married couple tried to explain it the best they could. Then they walked with me it till I got there. That is how kind some people are here. The common man here is like anywhere else, hard working and decent.



Any post about Egypt cannot be complete without crooning about its history. There is so much of it that I was trying hard to learn it all. Carefully listening to all that the guide would say. Hoping to remember everything! Now thinking about it....How foolish of me! There is a reason why an entire field of study called Egyptology exist.



Egyptian history continues to unfold with new excavations and findings every other day. But an ever increasing population is putting a lot of pressure on land and resources. I sincerely hope Egypt is able to build its future while not destroying its fascinating past.

The rest of the pictures are here

PS: Sustainable travel options are few in Egypt. I am guessing the environmental movement is in its very infant stages. Here are a few recommendations.

1) The western part of the country is largely a desert. Here, close to the Libyan border, is the pristine Siwa oasis. Here you will find the highly recommended(Lonely Planet) ecolodge Adrere Amellal. This is a public private partnership aimed at preserving the oasis, its ecosystem and culture. I couldn't make it there but all the reviews I have read about it are great!

2) Bahariya oasis is much more accessible when compared to Siwa. I did go there and I would highly recommend camping in the White desert national park for a night. Ashraf was the tour guide and he was simply the best. Although his tour company planofsafari is owned by his brother-in-law Hany, Ashraf is in fact the heart and soul of the operation. He drives, he is the guide, he cooks, he puts up the camp, he sings and finally when you are tired and ready to sleep he will tuck you in. He is very conscious about cleaning up the camp site. Since this is a family run business, all profits directly benefit their family and the local economy.

Mexico

Soon after Costa Rica, I headed to Mexico. Contrary to what you see and hear about Mexico from Lou Dobbs, there are places in Mexico which are just an absolute delight to explore. The Yucatan peninsula in particular is one such place. The secret to a great authentic Yucatan travel experience is to stay away from the "All Inclusive Package" crowds headed to Cancun. Once you manage to do that, you are guaranteed a rewarding experience.



Yucatan peninsula has miles and miles of beautiful white sandy shoreline. About 2 hours south of Cancun is the small town of Tulum. Here you will find several hotels and cabanas all claiming to be eco hippy. Most of the them off grid running solar panels and wind turbines. While every one claims to be eco, not every one is. Zahra, the place I stayed at was not particularly eco. Make sure you have a copy of Lonely Planet. They have great recommendations if you are looking for eco travel options.

What makes Yucatan special is the Mayan culture and their history. If you fancy archeology, history, meeting people, trying out different food, Yucatan is the place to visit.



Chichen Itza is the most famous Mayan site here and rightfully so. It is a fascinating place and you can't help wonder about the people who lived there, their ceremonies and belief systems and their day to day lives.

If you have seen Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, your view of the Mayans would be one of extreme violence. I was curious what the locals thought about the movie. Many thought it was realistic. Our guide at Chichen Itza Philipe had an interesting perspective though. The ruling elite he said had to control the population. They had to make sure people obeyed them and worked for them. The key to that was selective information. Rituals and sacrifices were designed to coincide with celestial events. The ordinary man, not aware of such things remained gullible. Citizens were expected to sacrifice and kill in the name of religion, beliefs and tribe. Philipe then asked me, "How is that different from today? Aren't politicians doing the very same thing to us? Aren't we killing in the name of religion and country?"

Overshadowed by Chichen Itza is the ruins of Ek Balam. Most tourists skip it. Ek Balam was the best part of my trip.



Since it was not very crowded, I could spend some quality time here, walking around and soaking it all in. The village of Ek Balam is situated a mile or two from the ruins. Here you will find every tree hugger's dream come true eco resort.....The Genesis Eco Retreat.



The structures here are made from recycled materials. The rooms are naturally cooled. An entire ecosystem of frogs, geckos and others keep mosquito levels down. The entire property is watered using rain water harvesting. The pool here is bio filtered, no chemicals used. The toilets all use a wet composting system.

The owner of the resort, Lee, works hard to ensure the local village benefits from the operation. She organizes an artisan tour through the village where you get to visit houses, meet people, make tortillas.

Now that is what I call eco paradise!!!

The rest of the pictures are here