Press Mention The Tennessean December 16, 2009
SACE Quoted
Tennessee weighs in at climate conference
In this mention
Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, attended the Copenhagen climate summit and commented on ongoing treaty negotiations. Smith emphasized the universal impact of climate decisions on Americans across the country. The article covers Tennessee representatives' participation in the U.N. climate conference.
It's fundamental to every person in this country, whether you're from Nashville, Tennessee, or Key West, Florida. These decisions are going to impact you.
Stephen A. Smith
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Full transcript
"She hopes she can successfully make the argument that a regime of incentives to diversify energy sources is the appropriate action that the delegates of this summit should focus on," Chafin said.
Talks Believed Historic
Not all of those attending the conference from Tennessee are politicians. Stephen Smith, the executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, is also in Copenhagen this week. Smith called the ongoing climate talks "the most complicated and difficult treaty negotiations that's ever happened in the history of the world."
Among the measures U.N. leaders have discussed are emissions caps, which also are being considered by Congress.
"It's fundamental to every person in this country, whether you're from Nashville, Tennessee, or Key West, Florida. These decisions are going to impact you," Smith said.
Albert Bates, an author and environmental activist from the Farm in Summertown, has been regularly updating his blog — peaksurfer.blogspot.com — from Copenhagen. Bates has provided a word-on-the-street perspective from the conference.
"Kids all over Europe are dropping their classes, leaving their jobs and hopping trains, buses and rides to Denmark," Bates wrote in a blog entry on Wednesday. "Word is, this is where humanity's fate will be decided."
The conference has been the site of dramatic protests as those on both sides of the climate change issue weigh in and await word on the progress of treaty talks.
Nate Rau can be reached at 615-259-8094 or nrau@tennessean.com.
Reporter Anne Paine contributed to this story.