As the Hopenhagen Ambassador, I'm supposed to be spreading and collecting messages of hope. But to be honest, it isn't easy being hopeful right now.
According to a recent post by Andy Revkin of the New York Times, the pledges that countries are making right now likely corresponds to almost four degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century. The IPCC says that four degrees of warming would reduce crop yields around the world and result in the extinction of perhaps more than forty percent of all plants and animals. Sea level would likely rise by more than three feet, forcing hundreds of millions of people to abandon their homes. Almost all countries agree that we should keep warming under 2 degrees, yet the current pledges don't line up with this goal.
Nobel Peace Prize winning Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke at a rally today during "Hopenhagen Live." I attended the rally, where Desmond talked about the injustice of climate change. To give you a sense of the event, below is the first 28 seconds of the speech where Desmond greets the audience.
During the press conference that afternoon, reporters asked Desmond questions such as "What would you say to Obama in an elevator?" or "Do you think everyone in the rally yesterday was on your side?" I asked Desmond, "What gives you hope that we can solve climate change?" Watch below to see where Desmond puts his faith.
Tomorrow I'll interview some of the leaders of the movement Desmond describes.