Today is my last day in Copenhagen, this is my last COP15 blog and today I went to take my last blog photo.
I had it worked out in my head. My last blog was going to include a final photo of the WWF polar bear. There it would be, in the center of the square. All that would be left of the ice bear would be the bronze skeleton sculpture that had been hidden under the ice until now. There would be only small patches of ice clinging to its ribs. It was going to be dramatic, it was going to be poignant and yes… it was going to be a little cliché.
So imagine my surprise when I walked through the square to find an empty spot with only an outline of ice where the bear used to be. Moral of the story? Expect nothing to go as planned.
Things here in Copenhagen have been changing constantly. As I sit here and write this, COP15 is in the final hours of negotiations and things are still in constant flux at the Bella Center.
And at 5:40pm on December 18, 2009, we still do not know what to expect from COP15. Will there be an international deal on climate change? What percentage of emissions cuts will it require? Will it include a forestry protocol? Will it include a financing mechanism? Will the US sign? China? India?
However, there are also many things we do know. Tens of thousands of people, from youth delegations to international leaders, have gathered from around the world and have sent a powerful message demanding an international deal. If we wake up tomorrow with a deal, I will be thrilled. If not, I will know there is still much work to be done at the local, state and regional levels. Either way, I am proud that I was able to be one of those voices.