Sullivan's travels ... but not by air, thank you
A young Irish Copenhagen campaigner tells John Meagher what drives her
Backpack action: Jerrieann Sullivan (25), a member of Young Friends of the Earth, is spending her holiday at the UN Climate Change Conference
Travelling to Copenhagen from Dublin by bus and ferry, sleeping in a warehouse on the edge of the city and taking part in one climate change demonstration after another is not everyone's idea of a holiday.
For 25-year-old Jerrieann Sullivan, from Stillorgan, Dublin, however, her two-week vacation from work could hardly be better spent. And there is nowhere she would rather be right now than in the Danish capital, making her voice heard, as world leaders gather for one of the most important ecological summits in years.
Sullivan is a member of the Irish division of the new global movement Young Friends of the Earth, and one of 25 young people from this country who have travelled to Denmark to campaign at the UN Climate Change Conference.
"Surely nobody can dispute the fact that climate change is happening and the earth is paying the price for man's indifference?" she says, speaking from London during her green, but painfully slow, transit to Copenhagen.
"Communities all over the world are suffering as a direct consequence of climate change," she says. "The first islands are disappearing and climate refugees have already been forced to leave their homes. An estimated 300,000 people are dying in the world each year, directly as a result of climate change.
"So, this Copenhagen summit is very important. A just outcome for the people who suffer at first hand would be for industrialised countries agreeing to cut their domestic emissions by at least 40pc compared to 1990 -- without offsetting or any other false solutions."
For this UCD science graduate, this is a pivotal time for green campaigners. "Do we really want our children and grandchildren to look back on this period in history and ask why nothing was done when we had the chance?" she asks.
Jerrieann Sullivan is keen to stress that she lives a life to match her idealism. Like many of the people who travelled with her by land and sea to Denmark, she refuses to fly. In fact, she hasn't taken a plane once in the past four years.
"The huge increase in airplanes has had a very detrimental impact on the planet," she says. "If enough people felt as strongly about it as I do, there would be fewer planes and less pollution.
While such pronouncements make her sound pompous in print, she is far less dogmatic in conversation.
"I don't judge my family and friends. I'm living my life as ecologically sound as I can and even though one person has very little impact in the great scheme of things, it is important to practise what you preach. And there's a growing awareness among people that if certain steps are taken collectively, significant change can happen."
One thing, she says, that could make the world a better place would be an increase in ethical eating. She points out the significance of eating food grown locally and ideally purchased in one of the many farmers' markets that have mushroomed throughout the country. For her, grocery shopping means visiting the Dublin Food Co-op market in the Liberties, where she stocks up on organic fruit and vegetables. The notion of relying on her local convenience store is anathema to her. She is a vegetarian -- simply because she doesn't like the taste of meat.
Sullivan has eschewed owning a car and most of her travel throughout the city is either on foot, bicycle or public transport.
Her interest in all things green started in her second year at college when she was encouraged to join the Environmental Society. It was then that she met people who turned her on to the idea of sustainable living.
Like many other activists, she finds public apathy and occasional hostility to be difficult to accept. "People often ask me what one person can do, but change can happen. Look at the US Civil Rights movement -- that started small, but grew into something huge. All campaigns are about strength in numbers."
Along with her compatriots in Young Friends of the Earth, Sullivan is hoping to meet environment minister John Gormley who will be attending Copenhagen. "He's good at talking the talk," she says. "But can he deliver? The Greens have made some small changes since being in Government, but a lot more should be done. Per capita, Ireland is one of the worst polluters in the EU. That has to be addressed -- and it is not acceptable to simply point the finger at places like China and talk about their environmental record."
Tara Clarke (22), a chemistry student from Cabra, Dublin, is also in Copenhagen this weekend. For her, too, this summit represents an opportunity to lobby Irish power brokers about the country's responsibilities to tackle climate change.
"A lot of people my age are very encouraged by the fact that I'm going to take part in the demonstration, but there have been those who think it's not important," she says. "They tell me that there are far more important things happening back home, what with the recession. But for me, our economy and climate change are linked together."
Clarke has little tolerance for people who don't share her views. "I don't waste any time on them, to be honest. Climate change is too important to be sidetracked by doubters. Look at those floods that have affected so much of the country -- that's a direct result of climate change."
Like Jerrieann Sullivan, Clarke walks the walk. She also refuses to fly -- "unless it's absolutely necessary" -- and lives her life as sustainably as possible. "My family has made changes as a direct result of my campaigning," she says. "Whether it's waste management or buying locally grown food or something as simple as turning the temperature down or changing light bulbs, they find that the changes have been easy to make and they can see the benefits for them and for the planet."
Clarke was one of the people that started Green Week at university in Maynooth and was heartened by the support she received from her college mates. "There's a real appetite for change, but of course you get the odd person who thinks they're being funny by calling you a hippy."
The UN Climate Change Conference is not without its critics, of course, not least when one looks at the considerable pollution generated by the event. Besides regular air traffic, some 140 private jets will be used to bring some of the world's most influential power brokers to Copenhagen while an estimated 1,200 gas-guzzling limos will transport them throughout the city when they are there. Jerrieann Sullivan recognises the hypocrisy, but believes the considerable carbon footprint generated at the summit will be worth it, if governments internationally make a commitment to reduce emissions significantly by 2020.
For Tara Clarke, the once-popular green buzzword "carbon offsetting", no longer carries weight. "It's just a cop-out.
"Each person needs to look into their heart -- everyone could be more environmentally friendly if they tried. It wouldn't take much, but it would make a huge difference."
Irish Independent
