The Views from Copenhagen, Part III

The United Nations' climate summit in Copenhagen this month is winding up to a finish, but it is still unknown whether it will be a big finish with a binding agreement signed by the 192 nations represented there or it will end with only a face-saving agreement or less. One source who has been attending the event and observing the back-and-forth tells us that we shouldn't believe the predictions that the summit will end without an agreement; instead, our source says, we are seeing lots of grandstanding and posturing in attempts to get the most favorable deal by each of the participants.

Is that correct? We will know soon. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you these photos from Copenhagen. 

Photos top-to-bottom: 1) Huang Ming (founder and CEO, Himin Solar), Arnold Schwarzenegger (California governor), and Greg Dalton (Commonwealth Club vice president and founder of its Climate One initiative) discuss the climate summit. 2) Protestors have been pushed further back from the location of the summit's meetings, leading to a police ring around the meeting center, and the police are surrounded by a ring of protestors. 3) A protestor taunts a police officer. 4) It's going to be a white Christmas in Copenhagen, as is visible in this rooftop shot of bikes. 5) Not everyone's protesting; some, such as this mother and her child on a sled, are out enjoying the winter wonderland.

(All photos by Dr. Kerry P. Curtis.)

For more views from The Commonwealth Club's contingent in Copenhagen, see Part I and Part II.

The Views from Copenhagen, Part II

The Commonwealth Club's staff and volunteers who trekked to Copenhagen, Denmark, for the United Nations climate summit practically had front-row seats to the debates and controversies at the event.

Top photo: The "Hopenhagen" site in downtown Copenhagen. Middle photo: This group of young people held a protest of a Canadian tar sands project. Bottom photo: What would a climate summit be without at least one protester -- and American, in this case -- dressed as a polar bear?

(All photos courtesy Dr. Kerry P. Curtis.)

For more, see Part I and Part III of this report. Also see the Club's Climate One blog.

The Views from Copenhagen, Part I

As 192 nations meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, to debate and debate and debate about what to do about climate change, The Commonwealth Club is there to report what's happening, plan upcoming climate programs for Club events, and even hold a program featuring California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nobel laureate Rajendra Pachauri, and others.

In the top photo below, you get a sense of why Copenhagen might have been chosen to host this event: bikes. Dr. Kerry Curtis, chair of The Club's Environment & Natural Resources Member-Led Forum, reports that there are many more bikes than cars around the apartment building where The Club's contingent is staying. Middle photo: The big meeting room, generally reserved for official delegates to the UN climate summit. Bottom photo: The Commonwealth Club team poses at the entrance to the conference.

(All photos courtesy Dr. Kerry P. Curtis.)

See Part II and Part III of this report.
For further reports from Copenhagen, also see the blog of Climate One, the Club's climate initiative.