Global Warming - or just Climate Change

Apparently, "global warming" sounds more negative than "climate change", that is why the George W. Bush administration pushed the concept of "climate change", to sound more neutral. I personally think "global cooling" sounds much worse, though. Indeed, we are experiencing extremes, incredibly hot seasons and freezing cold wind storms. As we are now approaching Xmas (sorry for the underscore, Blogger lives its own life now), thinks got quite chilly all of the sudden. So yes, this phonomenon suggest there is no global warming.
I however resonate with the fact, that temperature extremes as they are deviating from the norm now, are a serious problem. A problem not directly for us, yet. We still have heating systems and air-conditioning. But a problem to the ecosystems on which we so directly depend on - on the breeding season of birds and mammals, the dissolving of the bottom of the food chain due to the acidification of sea waters, the hunger and frustration in developing countries that will come back to us just like a boomerang.
But to come back to the core of the problem (the above are mere consequences of the changing climate): so many from Al Gore, through Prof. Stern, Jim Hansen and Bill McKibben and Pachauri have said it: It is not the tempreature deviations in themselves that are the root of the problem, but the increasing number of CO2 equivalent particles per million (ppm) in our atmosphere that is the driving force behind the tamperatue shift. And whereas in the past CO2 ppm has been fluctuating, never to the extent as it is now. And another thing, whereas in the past tempereture change was the driver of CO2 ppm increase, now it is the other way around: even if we stop emitting now, CO2 ppm will stay in the atmospthere and drive temperature up (and down). And nature will not come to check in with the weather man every morning what kind of weather we would like on a given day: what scientists provide us now with are estimates. We cannot know the exact change. And thus we cannot prepare for its consequences.
Now that is a real loud alarm, a call for action. If somedoby tells you that they still do not believe in climate change, please refer them to one of the many websites:
http://www.occ.gov.uk/activities/stern.htm
www.unfccc.org
www.350.org
http://www.ehow.com/how_2155972_convince-global-warming-skeptic.html

Road trip to Copenhagen

Our trip to Copenhagen was too amazing! In the beginning it looked like a true road trip - not knowing the way to our destination, not having the the address of the famous SHIP 15, or of the Klimaforum. Nevertheless, we made it - always knowing only 1 step ahead what will happen.
As we entered the Meshwork space the next day and started hosting conversations, our experience started taking on another dimension: we met people with activist agendas, with deep scientific knowledge, some with great passion and energy and others with restlessness, a need to act. I heard stories of people cutting Xmas holidays in order to be able to come to CPH, people who had to made serious choices about their budgets to be able to walk onthe 12 December to Bella center. No wonder some went to the space of desperation when the demonstrations turned violent. The streets were (and today still are) filled with energy - both anger, hope and restless excitement. We are all watching the news every day with hope for breakthrough...today the news also reflected frustration - talking about technicalities instead of focusing on the vision. Who can make a difference? Who can initiate a fundamental shift in people's thinking, in the system?
We all can do something, we all have choices to make, networks in which we can raise awareness. The road trip turned into an inspiring experience of opening people's minds and sharing information and knowledge and that turned into a reflective time in which we all looked into a mirror to ask - What piece of the puzzle am I really? Do I live up to it? People have so much passion and energy, and find it sometimes so difficult to channel it! We have seen scientists believing they have the answer to renewable energy questions, business people saying that we just do not have our green marketing well figured out, and lots of people who came in pointing fingers and politicians and left with being open to take their share of the work on. When you see people shifting around you, when you feel you can actually contribute to that shift, you all of the sudden realize you're shifting as well, you enter a flow of which you know the desired destination, but nothing else.
I am still in that flow, despite having returned to Amsterdam and knowing my daily duties and carrying them out as they should be. It is a strange feeling, as if I was still on the boat, as if I still had to define the ground under my feet. It's an experience that is hard to explain, but that is an eye opener.
So, tomorrow is that last day of the COP 15, I will not be there, I will be in Amsterdam writing an article about greening supply chains. And one about leadership. How did my hands get so full all of the sudden with work that I see the sense in? I guess it is true, when you find your true passion and talent, you get grounded and things will come to you. Or you will reach out to things that have always been around but you never fully appreciated them.
So, no I will not be in Copenhagen tomorrow, just as so many other people. I will be here, trying to make my piece of the puzzle happen.
What will you do tomorrow to make sure the days after it will be even better? For the long term.