Religion Drives Productive UN Climate Conference



Bearly surviving while UN meets

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, invoked the ancient jaguar goddess Ixchel in her opening statement to delegates gathered in Cancun, Mexico, noting that Ixchel was not only goddess of the moon, but also "the goddess of reason, creativity and weaving. May she inspire you -- because today, you are gathered in Cancun to weave together the elements of a solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity as your tools."

After offering praise to the moon god, the conference moved on to the business at hand. There was a motion questioning the appropriateness of invoking the moon god Ixtel instead of Arma, the Hittite moon god.  The debate carried on through the morning session but by noon the members resolved the issue.

They unanimously agreed to reopen the conference after lunch and invoke the aid of both moon gods.  A committee was also formed to investigate whether any other moon gods might be offended and need to be added to the ceremony.

After the post lunch moon god ceremony discussion turned to what other gods might have a role in solving the global warming emergency.  There were strained discussions about including Re, the sun god,  in the next day’s opening remarks in hopes that he will consider lowering the solar temperatures until mankind takes the hard steps needed to combat warming.

The discussions carried through the remainder of the day as members identified additional gods that could play a key role in their initiative.  By the end of the day they had identified a god list that sub groups would work for the remainder of the conference.  Each subgroup will report out at next year’s conference on the most effective way to engage each god and develop action plans that will be submitted to the gods at that time.

Christiana Figueres, closed the annual conference by complimenting the members for their ideas and expressing optimism that the work completed this year will lead to an even more productive conference next year.

She announced that next year’s three day conference will kick off with a 2 day ceremony in honor of the key climate related gods.  The 3rd day will be devoted to assessing the effectiveness of the first 2 days and planning for the 2013 conference.

Key UN Climate Committee gods 

Osiris: god of earth and vegetation

Arma:  Hittite moon god

Yu-huang:  Chinese god is the Jade Emperor who created the universe and is ruler of heaven and earth

Enlil:  The Babylonian god of the air between earth and sky.

Damkina:   The Babylonian earth mother goddess

Ixchel:  goddess of the moon,

Link to original story:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/11/cancun_talks_start_with_a_call.html