Your Window Into Paris: Day 7

Yesterday, as the Education Ambassadors were arriving in Paris, Kristen and Janet took advantage of their last day in the Blue Zone by attending several high-level meetings and briefings. Janet attended a meeting for Climate Reality leaders where she had the chance to connect with Al Gore, Kristen ran into St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, and the two of them attended a briefing by 10 U.S. Senators at COP21 where they met Minnesota’s Senator Al Franken. At a roundtable with the Senators and U.S. business leaders, Senator Schatz of Hawaii emphasized the need for U.S. politicians and businesspeople to work together on climate policy, citing business support for the Clean Power Plan as vital for its successful implementation.

The new draft text of the Paris agreement was also released yesterday, but the big questions around money and monitoring of emissions pledges remain. Nevertheless, Al Gore, the keynote speaker at the “Action Day” event that Janet attended, expressed unprecedented hope for the final outcome at COP21. “I know this is looking bleak right now,” he said, but he went on to say that he believes the agreement will come together and that it will be the best one we’ve ever had. The Chinese negotiator Su Wei also framed the coming week with a metaphor of hope, comparing the negotiations to the preparation of a good meal: “Everything must be there before you can make your meal. It’s the elements of Parisian cuisine. We have many ingredients, and we will emerge with a good meal.”

Speaking of meals, Janet and Kristen concluded the day with a meal at one of the best restaurants in Paris, according to Kristen’s brother, run by a 25-year-old female chef. Read more in their blogs and the inaugural posts from our Ambassadors!

In The News

During the week that our Education Ambassadors are in Paris, The Huffington Post has invited us to submit a few of their blogs to be posted on their special blog stream featuring perspectives on COP21. Check out Phillip Haberman and Peter Johnson’s Huffington Post blogs!

Katie Siegner talks COP21 on KFAI’s Friday, Dec. 4th Morning Blend.