NGOs: all articles

What should we call NGO blogs? Given how they are increasingly appearing in a new space beyond the traditional media, I wonder whether we need a new term for activist-reporter-bloggers. How about blongos? Or blongeurs?

Whatever we call them, one thing is for sure - blogging is providing an effective means of communicating the hopes and frustrations of frontline lobbyists back to memberships and activists. It's still a minority pursuit at present - look through the long list of accredited NGOs and you'll find just a handful trying to connect beyond the boundaries of the conference compound. But that will surely change over the next 2 years of climate activism.

The problem with being in the Bali bubble is that it's far too easy to lose all sense of proportion. You get hooked on the minutiae of the negotiations and, like any addict, forget about the things that really matter.

Rumours flash from delegations through NGOs to the media (and then bounce right back again). What's true now, may not be in twenty minutes' time. And the problem gets worse the longer the talks go on. Too many people cooped up together, staying up too late (either working or drinking, or sometimes both), going stir crazy, far from home...

This morning, Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior 2 (the French blew up the first one) arrived in Bali, escorted by a flotilla of fishing boats, and a ship from the Indonesian navy.

I went out to meet it on a boat chartered for the media. During this first-rate jolly research trip, I met Greenpeace's very smart renewables expert. His interview tomorrow, but for now, enjoy the photos.

Over the past year or so, a number of economists and other market-friendly commentators have fallen out of love with market solutions to climate change. Most of them would prefer a carbon tax - which is, on the face of it, surprising.

‘Economists demand new taxes' is not a commonly used headline. So what's going on?

Martin Wolf, the FT's chief economic commentator, is one of those leading the charge for taxes. Unlike some who rely purely utilitarian arguments, Wolf is refreshingly explicit about his libertarian (or as a Brit would put it, liberal) concerns.

A year ago, the UN's climate change conference in Nairobi was described by openDemocracy as ‘rhetoric-heavy but action-light'. But developing countries were much happier with the outcome.

Why? Because the decision was taken to set up a fund to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change. In Bali, however, squabbles about the management of the new Adaptation Fund are taking up valuable air time.

As we reported on Sunday, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change Convention, has been urging countries to focus on process not substance. He wants countries to focus on ‘tools and instruments' here at Bali, and leave tough talk about targets for a later meeting.

‘A marriage contract is the culmination of a love affair,' he says, ‘not the topic of discussion on the first date.'

Speaking for Climate Action Network Europe today, Matthias Dowe argued that we have moved far beyond the flush of first love. 'These parties have been dating for over fifteen years.'

Canada was given a good kicking at today’s Climate Action Network press conference, spicing things up after the desperately dull fare the NGOs served up yesterday.

They accused Canada of reneging on Kyoto, steering away from binding targets, and attempting to rile China and India into derailing progress.

Canada’s performance against its Kyoto targets is indeed lamentable. Its greenhouse gas emissions have risen 25% since 1990. Include land use and forestry, and the news gets worse: a 54% rise. Canada’s Kyoto target was to achieve a 6% cut.