What’s the story so far with the COP 16 climate summit?

1- The climate justice caravan organized by our friends at La Via Campesina has shown us an incredible picture of ecological destruction (by mining, agribusiness, toxic waste, and the petrochemical industry) and a powerful spirit of denunciation and resistance;

2- We visited communities that have clear (and real) solutions to address climate change, the abuse of water, the ongoing harm to Mother Earth, and human tragedy, while our ‘leaders’ talk false solutions and more of the same economic system that has only brought this grief;

3- The Canadian government continues to act in a shameful manner, completely disconnected from (or uncaring about) the damage that their policies and priorities do to peoples and the planet;

4- We believe that there is little hope to be held with the official negotiations given the positions taken by Canada, the US, Japan and other countries, though we need to support the efforts within the United Nations process to advance the Cochabamba peoples’ agreement;

5- At least two scenarios could emerge from Cancun: i) an agreement could be reached in some areas that advances market-based initiatives and false solutions, ii) the talks could fall apart and Canada and the US, in time, could push to move the talks away from the UN and to the smaller, undemocratic G20.

Climate justice campaigner Andrea Harden and I just arrived in Cancun. On the drive from the airport to our hotel we saw many helmeted, heavily armed and sometimes masked federal police at key intersections (leading to where the ministers are staying) and with machine guns standing in the back of pick-up trucks patrolling a main street.

For blogs on our intervention in Mexico during this climate summit, please go to www.canadians.org/campaignblog and www.canadians.org/energyblog.

Brent Patterson, Director of Campaigns and Communications, Council of Canadians
www.canadians.org

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Brent Patterson

Brent Patterson is a political activist, writer and the executive director of Peace Brigades International-Canada. He lives in Ottawa on the traditional, unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Algonquin...