Countdown to Copenhagen: Online Strategy on the Global Climate Negotiations
The International climate negotiations that began in Bali, in 2007, are scheduled to culminate in a global warming agreement in Copenhagen this December. Key goals are for such an agreement to rapidly and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and for it to require wealthy, polluting countries that did the most to cause the climate crisis to bear the most responsibility for implementing solutions. Progressive and environmental bloggers and activists have traveled to and proven effective during initial rounds of these negotiations. Their engagement will be even more crucial leading up to and during the negotiations in Copenhagen.
The session’s participants will review netroots involvement in past negotiations and strategize about ways to increase their impact. In particular, we’ll discuss how blogging can lead to global action and influence negotiators, how those of us on the ground can coordinate effectively with folks at home, and how allied NGOs can support these efforts.
Kevin is well-known for his expertise in the areas of social media, blogging and search engine optimization with the PR firm Hoggan and Associates. Kevin manages DeSmogBlog.com, named by the Times of London as one of the Top 50 “eco-blogs” in the world. Kevin also runs EnergyBoom.com.
In 2008, he co-founded VoteForEnvironment.ca and was nominated for a World Summit Award, recognizing the world's best e-Content and innovative ICT applications.
In the Fall of 2009, the co-founder of DeSmogBlog, James Hoggan, will be releasing a book titled: "Climate Cover Up: the crusade to deny global warming."
Phil has been a campus clean energy activist and helped
organize Step It Up 2007, the largest national open source
grassroots campaign to stop global warming. He is currently
working on building an international movement, focusing
specifically on mobilizing and educating people in Africa and the Middle East. He co-founded 350.org, a campaign to stitch together a creative, powerful and unstoppable global movement pushing for bold and comprehensive action on climate change on the international level.
Elizabeth Bast is the International Program Director at Friends of the Earth. Her work exposes the effects of climate change in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and small island states and calls for a just and equitable international response. She has both written and spoken about the problems of oil and gas production and climate change in the global South. Elizabeth has a Masters in Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University. She currently serves as the U.S. representative on the Executive Committee of Friends of the Earth International.
Richard Graves serves as the Blogger for the Global Campaign for Climate Action. He also is the founder of Fired Up Media, Associate Producer for LinkTV's EarthFocus, and editor for ItsGettingHotinHere.org - dispatches from the youth climate movement. Richard helps leaders from around the world tell their stories in the fight against global warming and for a more just and sustainable world. He is an International Youth Foundation 2008 Global Fellow and Project Slingshot winner. He graduated from Macalester College in 2006 with a B.A. in Asian and Environmental History.
