The week continues in Durban

The clock says 4:34 p.m. Friday, so the first week is drawing to a close. I feel like I'm back in school again: the "side events" generally run for an hour and a half, and that's a lot of sitting! The air conditioning in the rooms is marginal, which is reasonable considering it's a climate change conference, and the humidity is around 80%. The temperatures have been mid-20's, so it's not scorching. (Maybe it's my age that's the problem, not the humidity!)









I attended two related presentations yesterday and today: Achieving Food Security in the Face of Climate Change and Climate-Smart Agriculture. I started to write about all the areas of research that the experts identified as a high priority, but the facts of the matter are that climate change has huge implications for agriculture and our food supply. This is even more true for those who depend heavily on agriculture for income: the rural poor in developing countries. When one hears the projections for drought and famine, it is almost beyond comprehension the human suffering that will result from climate change.









One of the speakers came from a small low-lying atoll in the South Pacific (Tokelau) only 1-2 metres above sea level! They are incredibly vulnerable to cyclones and storm surges and are doing what they can to ensure their survival. They have banned all fertilizers and chemicals, because the last time there was a cyclone, they all ended up in the bay, where there was huge algae growth among other problems. They are hoping to be 100% solar energy in the very near future.









It was a quote he spoke in his language that he left us with that stayed with me: Whatever we do is for the children, the future of our land and oceans. It is a message that has been repeated in different variations in different venues, but now it needs to be acted upon. The African people are being asked to "Save the planet, one stew at a time" with the Wonderbag. What are we North Americans being asked to do??

As we left the conference centre today, there was a protest in the street by the "Landless Peoples' Movement". A drive to the hotel which is normally 7 minutes, took nearly an hour. We drove through dense, rush-hour traffic, and had a sample of the Durban air. I'm trying to remain optimistic, but it's getting harder! On the positive side, I did overhear two delegates behind us on the bus discussing the conference. One said, at the official level things didn't seem too positive, but with the informal discussions taking place among delegates, there was much more reason for optimism.





Till next time.....