Environmental and Political Changes in the Cryosphere

For the first time, leading international researchers have made an overview of snow and ice melting globally. The conclusions show that the snow-and ice-covered areas will disappear faster than previously thought. - This is frightening news. World leaders must now work out a solution that ensures dramatic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. It's not a lokal issue - its a global issue.

Today two alarming reports about climate change in the cryosphere has been presented at COP 15. Al Goore and Jonas Gahr Støre presented the report Melting snow and ice-A call for action (made in Tromsø) and Dorte Dahl Jensen presented the report The Greenland Ice Sheet in a Changing Climate.

At the pressconference with Denmarks’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Per Stig Møller and Greenland Premier Kuupik Kleist, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre, and researcher Dorte Dahl Jensen , it came up a really interesting discussion about Greenlands special position, located by the melting ice in a historical moment where they need to build up their own economy in order to get political freedom.
Kuupic Kleist, speech.

THERE IS NO PLANET B

Not to inform ourselves about the progress and setbacs in Copenhagen is no alternative. You can follow the climate negotiations at cop webcast, and read continiously uppdates at cop15.dk/news.

At klimaforum09, the alternative climate congress, the voices that are not heard in the official congress gather, share ideas, and creates strategies for a sustainable future. Here comes the environmental movement in the North, together with indigenous people from the South, so this can be a turning point.

xmas calendar window

As a litle christmas calendar gift we prestent Ivers homage to Miyazaki, his films has followed our family almost from the start...

from Ivers deviantart profile:
First of i just want to say thank you to Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, for creating all them wonderful movies. I've literally grown up with the Ghibli collection. And i've always loved it, from when i saw Spirited Away in first grade in year 2000, to now. And i think that it was the Miyazaki movies which awoke my interest in drawing. Anyway, here's a list of the characters i drew (and failed miserably) and the movies they belong to:Chihiro - Spirited away, Patzu - Castle in the sky, Sheeta - Castle in the sky, Kiki - Kiki's delivery service, Satsuki - My neighbour Totoro, Mei - My neighbour Totoro, Sen - Princess Mononoke, Porco - Porco Rosso, Nausicaa, Nausicaa of the walley of the wind, Sophie - Howl's moving castle, Totoro - My neighbour Totoro, Robot - Castle in the sky. And then again, thank you Miyazaki! - Pivers

Vulnerability

"We know too little, and it does not exist. We know too much, and it does not exist. To write is to draw what exists out of the shadows of what we know."

(Translated from Karl Ove Knausgård's book Min Kamp - bok 1, page 192. "Man vet for lite, og det finnes ikke. Man vet for mye, og det finnes ikke. Å skrive er å trekke det som finnes ut fra skyggene av det vi vet." )

The following text is written with the possible vulnerability of the event taking place in Copenhagen in December, the United Nations Climate Conference in mind – be aware.

Architecture and planning interacts with a wide range of disciplines. As an architect you need to get an overlook, an understanding of the dynamics in fields far outside our own discipline. How to get there? We already, by keeping updated on the news, know too much about climate change, injustice, financial crisis, poverty and wars to be touched by it. Only rarely something floats up, an image, a story, and moves us. We know too much and it does not exist. But in the undercurrent of this flow of information it is possible to find people, experts on their field, researchers, humanitarian workers and artists that lend their eyes and voice to for us invisible people. Discoveries on the web, dialogue, observations and findings can bring the dynamics of wast theoretical fields and actions within range, opening up for a possible cartography of vulnerability – a discovery.
(read more)

Tandi with news from Sendai

Tandi just sent this beautiful picture from Naroko, she is studying at Sendai this year. And she sends the most beautiful update letters to friends and family. We miss her a lot and wish her all the best!

"Japan is a riddle; although we now have a foot inside the door I am not certain it will be enough time to resolve the mysteries that sometimes constitutes our new everyday life....... I can say for certain that autumn here is the most beautiful I’ve seen. The ephemeral character of this season reminds me that this stay is a once in a lifetime opportunity."