Sara:
One of the most vital moments in global climate change negotiations has finally arrived. In the next fortnight governments from nearly 200 nations must set aside their differences and agree which elements need to be negotiated to create a successor to the Kyoto Protocol whose emission reduction targets only last until 2012. For many of us in the West the worst effects of climate change lie in the future, but the world’s poorest people are suffering now.
However paltry a goal it might seem, merely achieving a ‘Bali Roadmap’ timetable for negotiating a post-2012 framework would be cause for jubilation. I hope and pray that it is possible here in Bali over the next two weeks. I believe governments can set aside self interested short-termism which sees them horse-trading and waiting for each other to make the first move on emissions cuts. In the face of a changing climate – from Melbourne to Mexico - we are now more than ever before a global community desperately needing a global solution.
But for the moment I must contend with my luggage being lost en route from Heathrow!
Herry:
I have come to Bali because climate change is affecting the communities where we work. The weather in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, has been getting warmer over the past three years. The seasons are changing, people have difficulty planting their crops at the right time, and we are seeing more floods causing great damage over the same period. Deforestation is a big contributor to the flooding.
I have never before been to a conference of 13,000 people. Before it even starts I am confused - there will be hundreds of meetings, and so much complex and technical jargon to understand. But I must come to grips with it and understand what is going on. I want to learn more about the impact of climate change on the people with whom we work, many of whom are among the poorest people in Indonesia. I am excited about the next two weeks.