Photo by Eric Reguly
Canada’s Copenhagen hero cries out for change
COPENHAGEN — Taryn McKenzie-Mohr, an 18-year-old University of Toronto student, became the hero of the youth delegates at the Copenhagen climate change summit Thursday morning when she broke down in tears in front of Michael Martin, Canada’s unflappable chief negotiator at the summit.
Taryn, who is from New Brunswick, says she has been emotional since the summit started on Monday. Whenever she meets with fellow youth delegates from Africa and other poor regions of the world, she finds herself apologizing for the developed world’s response to climate change – wholly inadequate, in her opinion. She is particularly upset about the position of Canada, which has offered to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions far less than many rich countries and has made it abundantly clear it will not change its position.
This morning, she vented her frustrations on Mr. Martin at the daily, 8 a.m. briefing he gives to Canadian delegates, including the youth contingent, and environmental groups (media don’t get attend this one).
“I got up and told him about my day yesterday with the African youth, that I was in tears apologizing to them,” she told him, finding herself getting teary. “I told him he must reopen Canada’s policies here, that they are unfair and there are no excuses.
“Then I said, ‘You make me cry.’ My voice was raised and I spoke quite passionately.”
And Taryn cried. Delegates said she could be heard all the way down the hall.
Mr. Martin, who is definitely not prone to emotional dialogue himself, had a robotic response. “He said, ‘Thank you, Tayrn.’ And that was it. Then he took the next question.”
For more information, visit http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/reguly-in-europe/canadas-copenhagen-hero-cries-out-for-change/article1395416/
Taryn McKenzie-Mohr joined Students on Ice on the SOI-International Polar Year Arctic Youth Expedition 2009 this past August. Taryn explored the northern reaches of Nunavik and eastern Baffin Island, Nunavut, seeing for herself the effects of human-caused climate change. Watch Taryn’s question to Michael Martin, Canada’s chief negotiator at COP15 here: