I’ve been in Durban for two weeks now – the city is nice, and so are the local people.  Durban is a big place with heaps of big buildings and a huge port that has, from my count, three container ships a day if more.  Oh yeah I am sharing an apartment, actually a penthouse (sorry ‘bout it) overlooking the port with its own pool and deck above our penthouse, you know how I mentioned I am sharing it?  Well it’s with six other ladies – Hugh Hefner styles… hahaha!  

When we got here the weather started off a bit stink, overcast with clouds and rain but the sun came out not long after and the weather has been awesome since then.  I wish I was here on a good holiday – its’ a pity that I’m not.

The work has been crazy busy.  We get up at 6am and must get ready and be out the door by 7am waiting for our bus to pick us up from our doorstep.  It takes us roughly 40 minutes to get from our penthouse to the Convention area.

It has been estimated that approximately 20,000 people are participating in the climate change conference and the area is immense!

There are four different areas for exhibits with the negotiations taking place at the International Conference Centre.  There are people from around the globe here to voice their opinions, share information, technology and of course discuss a further agreement to deal with the issue of climate change.

The diplomatic negotiations is an art of verbal chess, the side events are a display of creativity, and the technology of the use of cleaner alternative energy sources are mind boggling then you have the African people who can break out in song and dance at any time of the day and it’s awesome, they have super good acapella groups.

You may have read about the Alliance of Small Island States rally yesterday, if not then click this link once you through with this, http://www.350.org/en/about/blogs/island-nations-rally-survival-occupy-cop17-general-assembly and check out the support this rally got.

Then today – Saturday the third of December, saw thousands of people from every corner of the globe march through the downtown area to the conference centre, stopping traffic in a display of unified people power demanding that negotiators from major emitting countries start listening to the demands of the people, us, we, their own citizens.  The protesters are so inspiring it is like Ambassador Williams from Grenada said “You are our conscience. And we will be your voice inside those halls”.

So tomorrow (Sunday) we have our first day off and then there is another five days to go before we leave Durban so the pressure is on.  The noise needs to get louder and the major emitters need to know that we expect nothing less than the demands that we have on the table…these demands mean our survival.

Here is the position paper http://www.aosis.info/documents/1.5-ToStayAlive.pdf if you haven’t read it.