It's the last official day of the UN climate meeting in Cancun, Mexico. I say official because these talks are notorious for going all night and then sometimes spilling into the next day or two. When that happens, it means late nights and little sleep for all of us but none more than the delegates negotiating behind closed doors. Delegates and ministers can run the risk of getting caught up in a sea of bad proposals and bad text and in serious need of a life line.
GLOBAL VERDE
This morning we decided to bring a message of hope to the negotiators heading into these talks and to show them that civil society is ready to act on climate change and so should they. Greenpeace, GLOBAL VERDE and our partners worked together with aerial artist John Quigley to create an image on the coastline near the climate meeting. Activists dressed as delegates swam out to sea and were "swept away" by a sea of troubled talks. Another group of activists gathered to form the word "hope" on the beach and then rose up together to push a giant life ring into the sea and rescue the floundering negotiators.
This morning was inspiring, I spent about an hour dressed up in a suit and swimming in the ocean with activists that are dedicated to fighting climate change. Out from underneath the flourescent lighting of the Messe hall, I was reminded of why we all are fighting to protect the things we love on this planet.
Now I'm back at a familiar spot in the conference center, in front of my computer, anxiously awaiting any news about the outcome of the negotiations. I've rinsed the sand out of my hair but the hope of this morning's activity is still with me. it's likely to be a long night here at the Moon Palace in Cancun. Stay tuned and I promise to bring you news of the outcome as soon as we have some.