Bulgaria in Hopenhagen 2009

Amidst the ocean of people the nine-member Bulgarian group was standing out having traveled 2500 km in two days in order to join the civic actions and to state the position of Bulgarian civil society regarding the most substantial issue of our time. These were representatives of some of the most prominent environmental protection organizations and coalitions in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian group was moving accompanied by bagpipe music and holding up transparants reading: “"Mind change=System change=Climate change", "Bulgaria the new hottest tropical destination - Suppa Duppa Mega Hiper Ski Resort". The theme of climate change was illustrated by art means. In parallel to that in Bulgaria a number of events are being held up aiming to impact the state leaders’ decisions to be taken in Copenhagen. Included here are the continuing already for the fourth week civic actions aiming to avert the construction of unlawful ski infrastructure in Rila. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency the trip to a ski resort in combination with the energy needed for operating the lifts and the production of artificial snow are turning the ski industry into one of the three biggest sources of carbon dioxide emission equivalent per tourist unit.

Most of the world media today focused on a short clash between a part of the extreme demonstrators and the police and paid almost no attention to the overwhelming coloring and moods of the march of the participating tens of thousands peaceful and positive people. This is a successive example of the trend of the media to shift away the focus of the events and thus to manipulate the apprehension thereof by millions of spectators, readers, and listeners.

The march was ended with a concert at the Bella Center and with the statements by representatives of non-government organizations and three politicians. Today the real negotiations have commenced in Copenhagen and the first text versions of an eventual agreement for carbon emissions limitation have been prepared, which in the next days will be discussed by the world leaders. According to the circulated text all states in the world together have to reduce their emissions by 50% to 95% up to the year 2050, and the rich states have to reduce their emissions by 25 to 40% by 2020, in both cases 1990 being the base year.

On 16 December representatives of the Bulgarian group in Copenhagen will participate as delegates in the discussions of the UN member state representatives.

Pictures

First unprocessed clips of today’s march. More video to be expected.







Translation: Prolet Ilieva