COP18 Engaged with the World: What about the USA?

12/5/2012

I can hardly walk through the halls of the QNCC without tripping over someone being interviewed or a group of the media setting up. I have not been mistaken for anyone important so I have not yet been stopped for questioning, but I continue to walk around with a sense of purpose and haste so there is still hope. I will start planting stories that I am an important USA negotiator. Wait. I look like I’m 14 so I might have to settle for the “son of a Duke or a Lord,” which could work as long as I don’t speak past my excellent British “Ello.”

Eurovision Booth in the Main Blue Hall of QNCC

So far, I have been able to see news crews from all around the world. I saw SkyNews interviewing the British Minister of State for Climate Change, the Rt. Hon. Gregory Barker, MP. Al Jazeera has a large presence for both its English and Arabic stations. I have even seen a variety of news stations in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, and even Chinese. We were even featured in a Huffington Post article. However, I have not seen any news stations form the USA. CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, and ABCNews are all mysteriously absent save for some editorials as shown here and here.
In fact, I have also been able to meet a variety of foreign leaders (and by that I mean I saw them talking in a crowded convention center room). As already mentioned the British Minister of State for Climate Change, the Rt. Hon. Gregory Barker, MP (he certainly has a few titles) is present as is the Italian Minister of the Environment, Corrado Clini, also addressed us today. The sad truth is that a lot of important members of many countries are present while the USA leaders are absent.

Could they have been scared by the potential culture shock? I don’t think that is possible. McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Coca-Cola are all present. McDonalds even delivers! What more could a guy want? The cafeteria serves pizza around the clock. Everyone, save for our Arabic hosts, are clad in Western business attire (from business suits to the scattered few wearing jeans). Water stations are even available for the thirsty traveler.

A true oasis in the desert of Doha

Terrible acoustics in each of the side event rooms

I will say that the acoustics in the side events rooms are terrible. We are set up into makeshift rooms that, while well stocked with microphones and technology, do not have walls that reach the system. As a result, I can clearly hear a few rooms over, which makes hearing the speaker in your chosen side event room quite challenging.

The plenary room 1, which I was able to successfully sneak in through a series of covert operations that even Tom Clancy may write about in an upcoming novel, does not suffer from the same downfalls. In reality, I just walked in while someone else was asking the doorman a question, but still, by my estimation at least, an exceedingly clever move.

Plenary Room 1 while in session

Through a second equally as cunning act of subterfuge, I also was able to walk into Plenary Room 2, which is closed for special meetings. Essentially, I walked right in with a phone up to my pretending to talk to my “editor.” In fact, there were no guards here so my actions were not quite necessary. As you can see, the United States has a “white” designation, which means that we have no voice in the room and are only acting as observers.

Plenary Room 2

USA's white name holder

As a result, I am disappointed to report that many of the important nations are not expecting anything major to be decided this year. With their eyes on 2015 (the year at which the international community hopes for an international deal to be in place), many nations chose instead to focus on domestic issues. Who can blame them though? The USA has no shortage of domestic issues currently. However, I would hope for a more of a buzz about COP18 in the USA.

I was able to snag a plush seat in the Press Conference Room to hear Russian Special Envoy, Alexander Bedritsky, address the media. It is interested that the USA and Russia both sent “special envoys” instead of heads of departments throughout the government. US special climate envoy Todd Stern cancelled his media address, but will address the Non-Governmental Organizations later this afternoon (me!).

So, are you hearing about the conference in the USA? Why do you think that the USA is not present?

8 Comments

Tiffany

12/5/2012 02:55:50 am

To be honest not enough people are aware of climate change. Most people don't truly sit down and the about the lasting effects of the decisions we made. I am a little distraught that not one person or representative from the US cares to even show for this convention. It makes you wonder what other countries think and feel about the US.
With that said I enjoyed your blog post. I will do what I can to play my part in helping.

Marla Bianca

12/5/2012 05:41:25 am

I agree with Tiffany about the awareness aspect. Since I have been back in the US, my classmates have been asking me about the conference and how long it has been going on, if it is every year, and in general what it is about. I think most people here in the US do not know that the Climate Change Conference exists, even though it has been happening every year for 18 years. I think this is due to the lack of awareness and publicity in the US. One of my classmates who reads the paper every day said he only read one 3 sentence article about the US and climate change not even COP18 in the past week and a half since the conference started.

Diane Husic

12/5/2012 08:25:03 am

Parker, The lack of U.S. media coverage baffles me. This has been the case for the past few years, but I thought after Hurricane Sandy, there might be more interest. I love your picture of the empty row of seats with the U.S. place marker sign. It seems like a metaphor for to our country's participation in the process. The alternative news outlets like Common Dreams and Democracy Now today did have reports that were not positive about Pershing and Stern from the U.S. delegation.

Joey Orlando

12/5/2012 09:30:59 am

It's sad to hear that one of the richest, most advanced (in many aspects) countries in the world, the US, doesn't have a voice at many of these meetings. Also, from your skype meeting earlier today you brought up a really good point about potentially holding COP20 or 21 in the United States so that our present is basically required. You were also saying about how most of the countries present at this years COP tend to be pushing most of the issues off until 2015. I get a sense that this is most likely the vibe at most of the recent COP's and the delegates don't want to actually get their hand's dirty so instead they push back the issues for the upcoming generation to deal with.

Marie and John Siller

12/5/2012 09:46:11 am

Enjoying your Blog. We agree with your observations. In the NJ Star Ledger we have seen 2 articles aut COP published through the Associatd Press- by Michael Casey. On 27,November "US Takes the offensive as climate talks start up in Qatar" made it to p. 7. On 29, November, "Artic sea ice loses an area size of U.S. made it to p.4. We are doing our part to spread the word and your blog throughout our community, friends and workplaces. Keep up your great work and the rest of your colleagues.

Chealsa Mooney

12/8/2012 04:05:01 am

It saddens me to think that no one from the U.S. came to the meeting. I know that a lot of people in the U.S. are unaware of climate change and it is because of the lack of awareness. It would be good idea to have a COP event in the U.S. so then people would be more aware of climate change and then maybe the media from the U.S. would cover the event.

Steph

12/10/2012 03:09:02 am

I disagree, I think that people are well aware of climate change. One of the main reasons being that climate change gets a lot of attention from the media. Many politicians are bringing the topic of climate change up and are investing in "greener" technology . If we asked most people today they would say that climate change is being brought up often and that changes are being made to protect our environment and reverse climate change.

Ben Jones

12/11/2012 05:53:21 am

The lack of U.S. involvement is incredibley surprising. Due to the fact that we are one of the worlds leaders in technology and industrialization (unfortunately a cause of our high carbon emmissions). One would assume that the U.S. would notice this problem and take full advantage of it to learn at a conference as important as the COP18. This would help excell our country's policy intelligence with our already excelled science and economic intelligence.

COP18 Engaged with the World: What about the USA?

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