That title is a reference to some thoughts by Eric’s friend Eric Traub in today’s subscriber issue. Whichever category the speech below falls in, I found it moving as hell. What follows is the address by Anjali Appadurai, from the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, to the COP-17 UN Conference on Climate Change. She spoke on behalf of youth non-governmental organizations. The chairperson who introduces her states afterward, “And on a purely personal note, I wonder why we let not speak half of the world’s population first in this conference, but only last.” You can read the full rush transcript at Democracy Now! — but I encourage you to watch the video clip there, to get the full force of her passion. – amanda
I speak for more than half the world’s population. We are the silent majority. You’ve given us a seat in this hall, but our interests are not on the table. What does it take to get a stake in this game? Lobbyists? Corporate influence? Money? You’ve been negotiating all my life. In that time, you’ve failed to meet pledges, you’ve missed targets, and you’ve broken promises. But you’ve heard this all before.
We’re in Africa, home to communities on the front line of climate change. The world’s poorest countries need funding for adaptation now. The Horn of Africa and those nearby in KwaMashu needed it yesterday. But as 2012 dawns, our Green Climate Fund remains empty. The International Energy Agency tells us we have five years until the window to avoid irreversible climate change closes. The science tells us that we have five years maximum. You’re saying, “Give us 10.”