By: Kiersten DeBlaker
What is the first thing people ask me about my journey across the world? Did you see any elephants? I let everyone down when I tell them no, but I did meet the Secretary of the UNFCCC! They were not as pleased, however, still very excited for me. My journey to South Africa has changed a lot of my views and beliefs about global warming. I learned a lot from this experience and I am doing what I can to keep up with all the updates by receiving emails from the YOUNGO group. Through all the bumps and cracks created in the road to a better life that the United States and Canada created, in the end, all parties reached an agreement on a roadmap towards a new legal binding agreement; The Durban platform. This platform has an expiration date of 2015, but is this too long? Personally, I think this conference only delayed a real decision and was an excuse to pro-long the problem. Being a part of this conference has put a huge lasting memory in my head that I will always cherish. This has been a great experience and I cannot wait to follow up on my aspirations in San Diego.