VOA常速英语:Cancun Conference Provides Platform for Environmental Activists

Global warming and how human activists contribute to it.

Activists lobby

As conference delegates meet elsewhere, author Bill McKibben makes the rounds in the hotel lobbies, talking about the need for action now.

In his best-selling book Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, McKibben argues that an eight-tenths-of-one-percent rise in temperature has already changed the planet irreversibly and that catastrophe awaits if it goes much higher.

"The arctic is melting quickly, Russia caught on fire this summer, Pakistan drowned [in floods], the ocean is 30 percent more acid than it used to be," McKibben said. "We are in tough shape with less than a degree of temperature increase."

McKibben says the threat is confirmed, continually, by scientific data, yet world leaders have yet to produce an effective plan to meet the challenge.

"The scientific method has worked pretty well. The political method has not worked at all," he added.

Presence of private companies

But while delegates debate possible agreements, many people around the world, on their own, have developed plans to reduce emissions.

Even private companies are contributing ideas.

Google is here with a large version of Google Earth that allows people to visit various parts of the world to check on the effects of climate change.

Google representative Raleigh Seamster says a tribe in Brazil put its forest online to gain international support.

"Now that these partners have their forest visualized on Google Earth, they can use this to create a Google Earth tour that explains why the forest is important," said Seamster. "They can show it to people, they can demo it to decision makers and they can also create YouTube videos."

'Youngo' push for action

The Internet was also key in drawing hundreds of young people around the world to join a coalition called Youngo. They keep in touch by email and social media, and they came here to push for action.

Jeremy Osborn from New York City says his generation sees what needs to be done to curb climate change.

"Young people are probably making those connections more easily because they have been brought up with the issue and with the science much more so than older generations, but everyone is beginning to get on board," Osborn said.

One Youngo member who came here is Logaswari from Singapore. She says she connected with other young activists online and is now here with them, meeting with delegates and decision makers.

"Over here, you are able to talk to the person," said Logaswari. "You get to meet everybody and you can work in a more relaxed manner because you can go out for coffee. It is a lot more efficient, really."

These young people hope their activism will eventually bring about change that could prevent the worst consequences of global warming.