Pleas to Reason, Appeals for Hope
Posted by Alexander Rezk
Hello Readers! My name is Alex Rezk, and I am a Doctoral Student in the Anthropology & Environmental Policy Program at the University of Maine, as well as a graduate student affiliate of the Climate Change Institute. I am one of four representatives of UMaine attending the first week of COP24 in Katowice, Poland. While you can find more detailed bios for all of us delegates elsewhere on this site, we thought it would be good to introduce ourselves and our framing at the COP nonetheless during these first posts!
My research is focused upon Disaster and Risk Management in the context of Climate Change, specifically in coastal areas that experience extreme weather events and other natural disasters. Through this lens, my research is positioned such that I unpack the ways in which local and regional actors influence environmental policy. These policies have direct, real world impacts upon vulnerable populations who stand to suffer from the threats posed by anthropogenic climate breakdown. Hence, I also consider the position of front-line stakeholders within vulnerable communities, and what representative environmental policy truly looks like.
Thus, at the COP, I have planned to follow closely negotiations and meetings which pertain to Loss and Damage as those concepts are understood in the Paris Accords, as well as those events which involve a discussion about local, regional, and stakeholder influence in the realm of climate policy. These are also interesting times for our global constituency of climate professionals who seek to bridge the gaps between cultures and economies to solve our myriad crises. While the world has largely pledged to face forward and forge a new pact to heal our Earth, the United States is experiencing an odd moment, where our Federal leaders have decided to reneg on a prior vow. Due to this, I am also approaching COP24 with the following questions: What does it mean to remain in the Accords without Federal leadership? What is the role of local and regional governments and private sector networks that continue to uphold the promise of that pact? What effect can a US contingent of non-Federal actors have upon these international proceedings? What does representative justice look like at one of the largest forums for climate awareness on Earth?
It was fortuitous, then, that the Opening Ceremonies and beginning Plenary talks offered two direct responses to some of these lingering thoughts. These came in the form of rather high profile pleas from two different celebrity guests, both linked with a common thread of inclusion, conscientiousness, and urgency.
The first formed the final portion of this morning's Opening Ceremonies, when Sir David Attenborough, esteemed naturalist and documentarian, closed the proceedings by delivering a heartfelt and impassioned plea to the convened world leaders and policymakers to take seriously the democratic repercussions of their role here today, as well as the billions of voices which do not go heard in the high halls of global governance. To honor this message, the UNFCCC had placed an empty seat in the front row of the Plenary Hall, with the words "The People's Seat" written large across it. This simple gesture was meant to evoke the notion that there is a groundswell of voices at large in the world who are demanding that our collective leadership face head on the existential crisis of anthropogenic climate change. In the words of Sir David, civilization itself is at stake. And our actions here at the COP as both observers and convened decision-makers can have a direct impact on this fate. To drive this point home, he presented a short film reel comprised of first-hand accounts of climate breakdown from normal, everyday people, all around the globe. This kind of media amalgamation offers a powerful testimony of the ways, big and small, that people know and recognize the severity of our times, and the need for action.
The second came when a peculiar and wonderful thing took place during the Plenary Session in which Heads of State were offering opening words after lunch. The President of Nigeria had already spoken, as had several others, when it came time for the Austrian President to take the stage. Halfway through his statements, he segwayed, and invited an unexpected guest to take his place. It was none other than former California Governor, legendary Actor, and now celebrity climate activist Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger filled out the rest of Austria's time making a moving statement about the position both of the United States in regard to the Paris Accords, and the state of regional and local governments and people as being primary drivers of climate action and forward facing policy. His appeal? Make local and regional leaders global leaders too. He asked the convened Heads of State and decision makers to consider that while the United State's Federal commitments to the Accords have wavered, our Cities, our States, and our Private Sector remain firmly committed to realizing a carbon neutral and greener world. And like Attenborough earlier that day, his words also call upon us to realize that the people themselves, the public, wherever they may be, largely stand in firm support of this goal.
All in all, even though this constituted only the first half of my day (Pavilion Side Events and a Biennial Update Report Workshop were to come later) this made my first day here at COP priceless and framed, for me at least, these proceedings in a space of hope, as opposed to the somewhat overwhelmed dystopic thinking that can become normalized for we who consider climate futures, both environmental and socio-political, on a regular basis. We do face insurmountable challenges. We do face existential threats. But we also have the backing of a forward facing planet and a constantly growing sense of climate urgency all across our political and economic spectrums. There is momentum here. With pleas to reason, and appeals for hope, perhaps we can capture some of that and transmute it into action. And with action, change the world as yet to come.
For more COP24 updates watch this space, or follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/alexanderrezk!
My research is focused upon Disaster and Risk Management in the context of Climate Change, specifically in coastal areas that experience extreme weather events and other natural disasters. Through this lens, my research is positioned such that I unpack the ways in which local and regional actors influence environmental policy. These policies have direct, real world impacts upon vulnerable populations who stand to suffer from the threats posed by anthropogenic climate breakdown. Hence, I also consider the position of front-line stakeholders within vulnerable communities, and what representative environmental policy truly looks like.
Thus, at the COP, I have planned to follow closely negotiations and meetings which pertain to Loss and Damage as those concepts are understood in the Paris Accords, as well as those events which involve a discussion about local, regional, and stakeholder influence in the realm of climate policy. These are also interesting times for our global constituency of climate professionals who seek to bridge the gaps between cultures and economies to solve our myriad crises. While the world has largely pledged to face forward and forge a new pact to heal our Earth, the United States is experiencing an odd moment, where our Federal leaders have decided to reneg on a prior vow. Due to this, I am also approaching COP24 with the following questions: What does it mean to remain in the Accords without Federal leadership? What is the role of local and regional governments and private sector networks that continue to uphold the promise of that pact? What effect can a US contingent of non-Federal actors have upon these international proceedings? What does representative justice look like at one of the largest forums for climate awareness on Earth?
It was fortuitous, then, that the Opening Ceremonies and beginning Plenary talks offered two direct responses to some of these lingering thoughts. These came in the form of rather high profile pleas from two different celebrity guests, both linked with a common thread of inclusion, conscientiousness, and urgency.
The first formed the final portion of this morning's Opening Ceremonies, when Sir David Attenborough, esteemed naturalist and documentarian, closed the proceedings by delivering a heartfelt and impassioned plea to the convened world leaders and policymakers to take seriously the democratic repercussions of their role here today, as well as the billions of voices which do not go heard in the high halls of global governance. To honor this message, the UNFCCC had placed an empty seat in the front row of the Plenary Hall, with the words "The People's Seat" written large across it. This simple gesture was meant to evoke the notion that there is a groundswell of voices at large in the world who are demanding that our collective leadership face head on the existential crisis of anthropogenic climate change. In the words of Sir David, civilization itself is at stake. And our actions here at the COP as both observers and convened decision-makers can have a direct impact on this fate. To drive this point home, he presented a short film reel comprised of first-hand accounts of climate breakdown from normal, everyday people, all around the globe. This kind of media amalgamation offers a powerful testimony of the ways, big and small, that people know and recognize the severity of our times, and the need for action.
All in all, even though this constituted only the first half of my day (Pavilion Side Events and a Biennial Update Report Workshop were to come later) this made my first day here at COP priceless and framed, for me at least, these proceedings in a space of hope, as opposed to the somewhat overwhelmed dystopic thinking that can become normalized for we who consider climate futures, both environmental and socio-political, on a regular basis. We do face insurmountable challenges. We do face existential threats. But we also have the backing of a forward facing planet and a constantly growing sense of climate urgency all across our political and economic spectrums. There is momentum here. With pleas to reason, and appeals for hope, perhaps we can capture some of that and transmute it into action. And with action, change the world as yet to come.
For more COP24 updates watch this space, or follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/alexanderrezk!
Fantastic and interesting reflection Alex - thanks so much for sharing!
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