Photography of United Nations Climate Conference, COP 13, in Bali. – Images by Robert vanWaarden – To License click image.
Tag Archives: climate change
Canadian Geographic – A Canadian scientist in Norway
Photography in the most recent Canadian Geographic includes a feature story on the Canadian student, Robert Way and the Cryosphere project in the mountains of Norway. While photographing this assignment, I was blown away by not only the winds, but also the consistent rainbows that illuminated the Norwegian landscape.
The Cryopshere project allows Canadian students to come to Norway and work on climate studies and geographic studies. The writer, Scott Messenger, and myself spent days following the team into the harsh landscape of Norway, where the glaciers are receding and the landscape is shifting. Norway is a phenomenal place and I would return there in a heartbeat to create more images.
Photography – Best of from COP 15
Slideshow of the Climate March in Copenhagen
Photography from the Global Day of Action for Climate Change in Copenhagen. Over 100,000 people marched on the streets in favour of a strong, ambitious and fair deal to be signed this week.
Youth Climate Photographer Shows at Barcelona Negotiations
Cross Posted from Itsgettinghotinhere
If you are a youth climate activist, if you have been to a Powershift conference, and/or if you read this blog, you have seen some of these amazing images that are on display, right now, in front of delegates at the Barcelona intercessional meetings –only one month before Copenhagen.
I wanted to take a moment and share this work, and also a message from my amazing co-worker, Robert van Waarden:
“Youth have been documenting the movement on the front lines of the global climate crisis and now, we are bringing our message to negotiators at Barcelona.
For years now, the global youth climate movement has been organizing, building momentum and strength, and influencing the debate through our actions, documentation, and networking from the front lines of the climate crisis. Actions by individuals have inspired groups and movements across Earth to fight for a dependable, stable climate. It is the issue that defines our generation.
I have had the pleasure of documenting and photographing this movement across the globe. From the halls of Powershifts to the high level segments of the Conference of Parties, from the G20 to the High Arctic, I have been honored to lend my skills as a photographer, and help give the international youth movement a voice and image. Now, we at Fired UP! Media and Project Survival Media are seizing the opportunity to place large, professional, compelling images directly in front of the negotiators and delegates in Barcelona RIGHT NOW.
This last intercessional meeting will be instrumental in crafting the outcome of Copenhagen and it is absolutely essential, and wonderful that our story is being shown. But we need your help to support the display. All of this photographic coverage has been undertaken on a volunteer basis and because of this, we need to seek financial support to cover the shipment of these images to Barcelona. If you feel that displaying your voice at the UN is important, then please consider donating to Project Survival Media so we can continue to sound our voices loud and clear at the meeting before the most important meeting in the world. Survival is Not Negotiable. The youth of the world are here.” – Robert van Waarden
Help us support the photographers that so greatly amplify our voice, and influence our decision makers.
Thank you for your inspiration and dedication.
Blog Action Day – Climate Change Blogging
Across the blogosphere today, over 7000 blogs will be writing about Climate Change. It is called the Blog Action Day and has set out to mobilize the entire blog world around the single most important issue of our time and generation, climate change.
The whole climate world is entering the final stretch of the race for a climate just world and it is going to be a hectic 6 weeks. My path begins next weekend in Amsterdam on October 24th with 350.org. There are over 2000 actions happening in 150 countries and in Amsterdam we will have 350 swing dancers dancing for the climate. In attendance will be James Hansen, chief NASA scientist and hundreds of climate activists. Sign up to join us if you are in Amsterdam. Or for more information on the event, go here
A week later I will be in Barcelona to cover the last stage of negotiations before Copenhagen. We will also be displaying the same show that I displayed in Bonn.
In November, I will be working with Project Survival Media to draw attention to climate change in Europe and then we are into Copenhagen. Copenhagen will be the most important meeting ever and we need everyone across the globe to hold their leaders accountable for a strong and just agreement. The only thing that is missing is the political will and it is time to change that. You can help by getting involved next weekend with 350.org
Photography of PowerShift UK – Reporting by Project Survival Media
Crossposted from Itsgettinghotinhere
More Photography and Gallery Here.
By: Adaeze Umolu
Young men and women at the reception and registration desk are in high spirits as UK Powershift 09 has brought hundreds together to tackle our climate future here in London. Irrespective of physical, cultural or social differences, the determination of these young men and woman begs one to wonder if United Kingdom or world leaders can ignore such a movement.
Powershift UK is not just another campaign event to gather young people. It is a conference where workshops have been organized to teach skills to the young people in attendance with the end result of taking a meaningful action. It is “not just swapping to low energy light bulbs, but how to campaign and communicate effectively within their local communities.” It aims to inspire and educate drawing from the vast experience of the speakers lined up for the conference such as Ian Katz, Deputy editor of The Guardian and Emily Cummings, a 22 year old inventor using her designs to tackle climate change issues within Southern African countries.
Organized by the UKYCC, and modeled after the Powershift conferences held in the USA and Australia. The passion and focus of this conference is a serious one. It is about climate change, our planet and our future. Yet, these young people have set out to tell a more positive story and get people involved. The future and our planet’s future looks bright here today and I am more optimistic as the events of the day continue that our voice will be heard. I intend to remain here for the full duration of the conference and more articles are on the way.
Writer Adaeze Umolu reports for the Project Survival Media team in Europe.
Why she got Climate Justice Tattooed on her Neck
Crossposted from It’s Getting Hot in Here.
Three reasons:
1. The principle
2. The permanence
3. I like tattoos
From the least important to the most important, these three reasons explained…
Reason 3 – “I like tattoos”
Continue reading “Why I got “Climate Justice” tattooed on my neck.
Kiboko bag and Norway – a success?
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take my new Kiboko camera bag from Gura Gear on an assignment for Canadian Geogarphic in Norway. For years I have been using a trusty, Lowepro Nature Trekker. However, it is now suffering from acute zipper disorder and since the Lowepro hospital doesn’t cover zipper disorder, I went looking for a new bag.
I came across the Kiboko bag and the weight of the bag convinced me that it was the bag that would fill my needs. I travel and I want a camera bag that balances weight, durability, weather proofing and ease of use. The Kiboko bag appeared to do this, it will easily hold two pro canon bodies with any lens and is surprisingly comfortable on my 200cm frame.
Where did it go wrong? As I unpacked the box, I found the neat little rain cover and an ‘oh oh’ escaped my lips. I had a bad feeling that the elastic band would not hold the cover in a strong storm. Sure enough, on a ridge in Norway, horizontal rain and gale force winds, ripped the cover from my pack. The image below is the moment my subjects are watching it float away on the winds….
Fortunately, I was able to retrieve the cover on the slope below before my gear was compromised, but the design is a serious issue if it won’t hold in a storm situation. I will be forced to create a leash for the cover to hold it to the pack. If Gura adopted an integrated rain-cover approach, the cover would be attached to the pack and won’t get lost or blown away, a real problem when you need to access your gear in the wind and the rain. Perhaps they will consider this in the next line…
Despite the near escape, I found the pack worked well in all situations and I look forward to my new travel companion for many trips to come.
Train Vs. Airplane, the moral economics of an Assignment
| Airplane 0.19 tonnes of CO2 |
Train 0.02 tonnes of CO2 |
| Ticket Cost = €160 Taxi to Airport = €100 Carbon Offset = €5 Cost to future generations = Unfathomable Total = Huge |
Ticket Cost = €320 Taxi to Station/Back = €20 Good feeling and Respect from Girlfriend = Priceless Total = Priceless |
In less then one hour I will embark on a 24 hour train ride for my next assignment in Norway. I am off to Norway to work on a climate change story for Canadian Geographic. For the last couple of years I have been focusing on climate change and particularly the youth movements across the globe. Whether at the United Nations Conference or a grassroots events, I have been documenting the young change makers of today.
Needless to say, I move around a lot and I am acutely aware of my personal carbon footprint on the planet. So when the opportunity came up for an assignment where it wasn’t necessary to take a plane, I jumped at the possibility.
Why spend 24 hours getting to a destination when I could simply go to Schiphol airport and get on a plane for 2 hours?
It isn’t actually all that hard to explain, air travel has for long been cited as one of the main causes of carbon dioxide and one the major contributors (between 4 – 9%) of global warming. Not only that, but aircraft emissions are special. Because they are produced at cruising altitudes high up, the emissions are more harmful. In fact, the IPCC estimages that the impact of aircraft emissions is 2 – 4 times high then the direct effect of the CO2 alone. See the David Suzuki website for more information.
By taking the train to Norway, I am responsible for 10 – 25% of the CO2 that I would if I were to take the plane. This makes me happy, this makes my client happy, it makes future generations happy and most importantly it makes my girlfriend happy. (ED. Note, upon consultation, said girlfriend has declared that she is not more important then future generations.)