Get out the popcorn--it's video time!

Here's a look at what it's like to be at the Bella Center for the UN Climate Change Conference:

I previously had the chance to meet National Geographic photographer James Balog. Here's the interview I had with him:

Copenhagen Part 1: Art Actions

Greetings from Copenhagen!

After meeting up with Aurora and Reed on a connecting flight, the three of us arrived safe and sound early Friday morning, jet-lagged with the morning sunrise above the clouds still fresh in our minds. Since then, we've all had a little sleep to catch up in between the Conference of Youth meetings which have already begun. (Just a little-- we're beginning to realize what 18+ hour days feel like.)



Delegates from over 100 countries were present at the Conference of Youth meetings today. COY is an organized group of international youth, and it has provisional constituency status for the UNFCCC. This means that the group has a chance to speak during certain sessions of the conference and also has greater access to officials than would normally be without the status. In addition to planning meetings and attending sessions, there are many other events and actions the Conference of Youth, also known as YOUNGOS, will be involved in. One area involves art activism, which I learned about in a workshop I attended:

In the Art and Activism workshop, I found myself surrounded by people with a vast array of talents ranging from painting and computer graphics to puppeteering and dance. As we went around in a circle talking about our artistic passions, our "artist in residence," Kevin, directed us to a sign written on the wall that read, "The role of the revolutionary artist is to make revolution irresistible!"



Art is a universal language, and it has the ability to build bridges across cultures, uniting people of all cultural backgrounds to share stories and emotions that tap into the very elements that make everyone human. Throughout the short hour workshop, we began to tap into some of those qualities as artists offered to everyone their talents of dance, singing, and ideas. One delegate from Kenya showed us how youth perform dances to people chanting about climate change, and a delegate from the UK performed slam poetry about climate change.

Artists are in a unique position to use their abilities to create powerful messages that can transform societies and bring about positive change in local or global arenas. Over the next two weeks, artists from around the world will be uniting to share messages of the urgency to create climate solutions and the hope that today's youth have for shaping an equitable future.

Meet the Delegates

Check out this video to get to know the delegates! We'll be reaching out to the Midwest through our blogs before the Climate Change Conference and while we're in Copenhagen this December.

Here's a brief overview of our roles:

1) Engaging youth throughout schools across each of our states (North and South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) about the upcoming negotiations in Copenhagen:
SD has importance not only as a major food producer for the Midwest but also as a state of global exchange. We connect with people across the globe every day, and it's important for our voices to be heard during the United Nations conference so that we can share our concerns for the future of our state. What happens in Copenhagen will affect the decisions that are made in the US.


2)Students and youth have a great opportunity to make a difference for our state, and it is my job to help you be a beacon of hope for the future! I'll be going out to schools to let students know what they can do to help their communities become more sustainable and ensure a lasting future for the youth that will continue to call SD their home.

3) While in Copenhagen, I'll have the chance to display the messages of South Dakota residents to the entire United Nations! Send me a message of your hopes for the future of the state, and I'll take it with this December.

Stay tuned for more...in the meantime, here's a blog with additional information.