Activism and art in Copenhagen

Press conference about the book "Unheard voices - the challenge of climate change in Tanzania"

The Yes Men, Action Aid's Climate Debt Agents and Thierry Geoffrey have put together a great exhibition and a "shadow" Bella centre at the Poulson Gallery in central Copenhagen. This includes a mock press conference centre that they constructed in collaboration with local artists.

If only......

It was from this studio on Monday that the Canadian government supposedly made the announcement that would make a 40% reduction in emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. This then prompted a response from the Ugandan government (aka Margaret Matembe from the climate debt agents) saying that "climate debt reparations are not aid, they are a legal framework that sets everyone on a equal footing....History is what we the people of the world push forward on its next march. I am deeply grateful to be the humble conveyor of history's march today."

Uganda's response in full - http://www.youtube.com/user/cop15dk#p/a/u/2/UgelKExZYfQ

The story has been picked up in Canadian press and has had the following response from the Canadian government, this seems to be authentic...... or is it another Yes Men hoax?

http://www.youtube.com/user/cop15dk#p/a/u/1/fDEDZPYfGs4

Back to reality...

Meanwhile we are no closer to a deal than we were a few days or in fact two years ago. The promises made thus far in emission cuts by developed countries come no where near the figures stated by the science. Financing that will be made available from developed countries for adaptation and technological transfer remains inadequate to deal with the huge challenges faced. Hunter Cutting of Climate Action Network and the CEO of Oxfam UK speaking at the Fresh Air Centre last night both felt that the current brinkmanship in the talks, with developed countries not making significant changes in their position, had to be broken for there to be a deal even close to what many campaigners and developing countries are hoping for.

In the mean time some of the best offers on the table are from developing countries, including China, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa and India. All these countries have proposed to reduce the carbon intensity of their industries. We now need one of the large developed nations to step up and make a pledge in financial commitments and emissions reduction in the region of what we need to get a fair and ambitious deal. Without that do we want it to be binding? It now appears that the conference will go on till Saturday. However 2 years of negotiations show us its political will rather than time that is the problem.

Activists now march on the Bella centre and there will be more arrests, with what is at stake who can blame people for their frustration?