Not surprisingly Green Age’s 2009 top 3 personalities have made the headlines for the right reasons. The months preceding Copenhagen have brought the spotlights on many individuals and organizations, but no one had been more expected than President Barack Obama. Some have been disappointed by his position, more by the lack of concrete results, and to sum up this year’s climate talk “We do not have the fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement that millions around the world hoped the world leaders gathered in Copenhagen would deliver. They are not done yet, and neither are we.” posts 350.org on their web site. As important this event was, let’s not forget there is a life outside climate change negotiations; organizations and individuals that have made a real difference in advancing the cause of a cleaner and a safer world, conservationists, scientists and activists alike have helped push environmental and health issues one (at least) step further. So without any delays, here is our top 3:

#3: The Climate Change Activists. Copenhagen and environmental talks could not have been the same without them, they are at the heart and soul of the contestation movement, and although they some times have made the headlines for the wrong reasons, it would be silly to ignore their roles in telling the world what was really happening in Copenhagen: tcktcktck, 350.org, avaaz.org, Union of Concerned Scientists and so many more that have rallied millions of people under the banner “A Fair, ambitious and bidding agreement now”. Keep the beat up, people! and so many more that have rallied millions of people under the banner “A Fair, ambitious and bidding agreement now”. Keep the beat up, people!

#2: Ken Cook, without a moment of hesitation is the environmentalist who, in our humble opinion, can contribute the most to environmental and health protective reforms. His non-profit, Environmental Working Group that he started with Richard Wiles in 1993, has raised to become one of the most respected voice in the green community through acute analyses. This year alone, EWG’s work in toxic chemicals in umbilical cord and many children products, school clening supplies, farm subsidies and water pollutions have helped change the conversation and speed the ban of some of the most harmful chemicals. He was also named ultimate green game changer by Huffington Post.

#1: And the winner is … President Barack Obama. We can’t think of anyone who has had more impact on the green and sustainable scene since Al Gore and the release of the Inconvenient Truth in 2006. President Obama did not wait long before pushing green initiatives. Even before taking office, he and his staff met with hundreds of NGOs, green and cleantech professionals. Immediately after moving to the White House, (and we’re going to cite our friends from Grist.com) “he appointed the greenest Cabinet ever, chock-full of top-notch scientists and long-time climate advocates. His administration has made massive green stimulus investments, set EPA moving forward to regulate CO2 and chemical policy reform, pushed green jobs, promoted eco-friendly retrofits, established new fuel-economy rules and efficiency standards, launched national retrofit programs, delayed mining and drilling permits, set new energy standards and goals for all federal departments, created a White House garden and farmers market, and oh so much more”. Unfortunately he has deliver more mountaintop-removal permits than his predecessor – although he plans to make it more constraining; we’re still waiting for him to take a position in regards to GMOs and conventional biofuels; and – but that is not very fair to charge him for this – he has not been able to impose (or convince) the Houses and the world of the necessity to adopt and implement drastic measures to curb the world’s CO2 emissions. But hey, in less than a year, he has done more than the last 3 presidents combined.

Dear Marc

I just read your post on Copenhagen – where I actually am at the moment – at COP15. I thought I’d inform you about an environmental social media campaign called ‘I do 30’. The campaign encourages people across the world to turn down the temperature on their laundry to 30 degrees in order to save CO2. These days during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) we are letting all of our ‘I do 30’ fans who can’t make it to the conference have a voice of their own. We move around the streets of Copenhagen with a speech bubble, hoping the ‘I do 30’ statements will reach the leaders of the world.

Put aside the latest diversions – ya know the climate deniers’ rants, the emails leak, the dummy rhetoric that we can’t take action in time of a major recession – and let ask bluntly the hardball question: Can these world leaders agree on the necessity to reduce CO2 emissions and by how much?

I am skeptical about their ability to agree. And given the ongoing burst of protests going on, I am not the only one. It’s a complicated Noire story that David Corn calls adequately “Double Jeopardy at Copenhagen”. I feel it is a triple one.

China, Russia, India and the US on one side … or the countries that are not required by the Kyoto Protocol’s obligations but are big CO2 polluters and are to resist any obligation that can slow down their development.

The signatories that have engaged into reducing their CO2 emissions, most notably the EU, that now would like other nations to accept some obligations – especially the ones above.

The small nations that are already suffering from the effects of climate change, most African and Pacific nations, Latin America’s socialist governments, … who have been asking for compensations from the countries that are the largest CO2 emitters.

So it is left to the people to force them to agree …

Other websites to visit:

Climate L (you can access the IISD web site from there)

Seal the Deal

Environment Defense Fund’s Copenhagen web site