Virginia Students Pin Hopes on Copenhagen Climate Meeting
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December 7, 2009
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) gets underway today in Copenhagen, Denmark. Some students in Virginia are hoping the negotiations could begin weaning the world off of greenhouse-gas producing fossil fuels and toward clean energy sources.
Angie De Soto is a Virginia Tech senior majoring in environmental policy and planning. She hopes the landmark conference clears the way for the U.S. to act on a climate bill that could bolster wind, solar and other green energy projects.
"A lot of students across the country are really working on these issues so hard because we're fighting for a collective cause, which is our future and the future of our children."
President Obama is expected to offer an initial pledge of a 17 percent reduction in carbon emissions by the year 2020. Critics say a treaty is impossible because rich and poor nations can't agree on the goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and how much aid poor countries should receive.
De Soto says that world leaders are not the only ones who can take action on climate change. She says every day, every one of us makes decisions that affect our climate, "just by being conscious of what you do in your daily life, and making a decision to choose the more sustainable option."
More than 1,000 mayors have voluntarily pledged greenhouse gas reductions, and 33 states have set local or regional reduction targets and policies.
Yvo de Boer, the organizer of the United Nations conference, envisions what it would take to declare it a successful meeting.
"If Copenhagen can deliver clarity on targets and engagement, clarity on how prompt action will be launched, and clarity on the finances to support all of that, then Copenhagen will be a resounding success."
More information about COP15 is available at http://en.cop15.dk/.