Josh Levine ’12 is living an environmentally active college student’s fantasy. He is currently at work in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he was invited by the Sierra Student Coalition to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15)—the outcome of which is expected to impact environmental problems around the world. As House Manager of Earth House and the coordinator of the Environmental Organizer’s Network (EON), Levine, who is planning to double major in Government and Environmental Studies, is an active member of environmental groups on campus. Since Levine is already busy at the conference, which runs from December 4 to 19, the following interview was conducted via e-mail.
Argus: When did you first become interested in environmental issues?
Josh Levine: I spent the last month of my senior year in high school living at a sustainability living center in Costa Rica called Punta Mona. It was an incredible place, and I think it was the first time that it really sunk in that when I threw something away, my trash didn’t just disappear. My food wasn’t born in a supermarket or kitchen, and my electronics weren’t powered by some fairy in the sky. I started to realize how my choices affected people I had never met before and I became much more aware of my power and responsibility.
A: How were you chosen to attend the COP15 Conference?
JL: I applied to be on the delegation of the Sierra Student Coalition and they picked me to go with them. I know that youth play a special role in the climate discussions and it’s important that we do everything we can to make our voice heard. We are, in a sense, a moral authority. We want politicians to consider the future of our generation when they think about making shortsighted political moves. At the end of the day, they should be able to look into the eyes of youth and explain themselves. It’s very important that they know that we’re here, we’re participating, and we’re watching closely.
A: What have you been doing at the conference since you arrived Dec. 4?
JL: We’ve been participating in the conference of the youth, which brought together hundreds of young people from over 80 countries around the world. We’ve participated in workshops, watched lectures, explored the city, gotten to know one another and, more than anything, planned for the coming two weeks. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but I doubt there will be a more inspiring bloc at the conference than the presence of our generation. There is way, way more to do than any one person has time for, so we’re trying to divide and conquer within our delegation. We’ll be observing negotiations, attending events, lobbying decision makers, doing creative actions to grab attention, doing tons of blogging and other media, releasing policy reports, statements, and reactive responses from the youth, and of course a ton of networking so we can make sure that this movement only grows stronger once COP15 ends.
A: Any unexpected moments so far?
JL: We were walking down the street on our way to our hostel and a couple approached us and offered us free concert tickets. We were reluctant at first because our schedules are packed, but then she told us Akon, Shaggy, and a bunch of other famous artists would be playing at the “Dance for Climate Change.” We got excited and told them we’d just come back from the conference of the youth and knew a ton of people who would want to go. They ended up giving us more than 500 tickets to give away. Supposedly people of means were charged 300 kroners, about 60 dollars, for the tickets. But since the benefit concert will be broadcast internationally, they wanted to get a big crowd of passionate young people and they gave us 500 tickets for free.
A: How is the conference taking shape as political leaders start to arrive?
JL: Over the course of the coming two weeks, the conference will heat up politically. The first couple of days will be opening statements and whatnot, and negotiations will continue through the rest of the week. At some point, environmental and finance ministers (or cabinet members in the U.S.) will show up, and then the last day or two, we’ll have up to 100 heads of state present. The U.S. delegation will be giving a briefing to the U.S. environmental and youth NGOs [non-governmental organizations] once every two days, so that will be a great opportunity for us to be directly involved. We won’t be chatting with Obama, but we might be able to meet with high-level representatives like Steven Chu, Lisa Jackson, U.S. senators, and representatives from the delegations of other countries. We don’t know if we’ll have access to the conference center once Obama and other heads of state start showing up at the end of COP15. The people who run the conference have basically told us they’re not sure yet if we’ll have access due to security measures, but there’s no doubt that this city is going to be out of control for the day or two that they’re here. Hopefully we’ll get to see that part first hand.
A: What do you think are the main issues of contention that are impeding the movement for environmental progress?
JL: In the U.S., we have 60 Democratic senators in congress, so it seems like we should have passed a few more Democratic initiatives by now. The problem is that there are such divergent opinions within the party, and the same is true here amongst those of us who are fighting climate change and environmental injustice. The biggest point of contention is probably over whether carbon-trading schemes can actually reduce carbon emissions, and if they can do so in an equitable way. There are tons of people here who are fighting against trading mechanisms (and capitalism in general), and I appreciate their fight. I think in most ways our visions of a more sustainable world are not very different. Personally though, I think we need to do as much as we can to fight climate change right now, and unfortunately we’re working within a very politicized decision making process that puts carbon markets on a very high pedestal. So while I appreciate the many divergent voices in this movement, I think we could be much more effective if we could all agree a bit more.
A: What has it been like having the opportunity to talk with students from around the world about environmental issues?
JL: The conference of the youth has been one of the most inspiring and humbling events I’ve ever attended. I sat at tables with 20 youth representing 20 different countries, trying to find common solutions. That experience was, in many ways, indescribable. I’ve met some of the most passionate and active young people in the world, and we are all incredibly fired up. Still, we all recognize the challenges ahead and know that Copenhagen will not have a perfect outcome. It’s been particularly humbling speaking with students from other countries that are being most affected by climate change or that are most active in confronting the issue. It was incredibly difficult trying to explain to Scandinavians, whose governments have been extremely proactive in confronting climate change and Maldivians, whose island nation will no longer exist if sea levels rise by expected amounts why Americans continue to neglect this monumental challenge. Wes students might appreciate how potent this confrontation with oppression was to me and many others at the conference.
A: What do you hope will be the outcome of the conference?
JL: Unlike the vast majority of these types of major conferences, no one knows what will come out of COP15. The potential for failure is huge. But the potential for serious progress is also enormous. We do know that we won’t get a legally binding international treaty until the U.S. congress passes climate legislation, and at the end of the day that type of treaty is what we need. There’s a chance we’ll end up with some sort of political agreement, which will include a provision to meet and sign a treaty in 6 months or a year. The term political agreement sounds like bullshit, but this can actually be a huge step forward. There are a ton of issues that have been more or less deadlocked in negotiations up until now and if we can move forward and figure out solutions, then we’ll be much closer to signing a treaty. My hope is that the results will be strong enough that the Senate will no longer be able to use global inaction as an excuse for our national failure to act. Hopefully the results of the conference will begin to unlock our global “tragedy of the commons” and inspire individual and collective action on climate change in the coming months and years. Still, nothing is set in stone until we have a legally binding treaty.
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