Poznań: The Alleged Maturing of the Youth Contingent | Worldwatch Institute

As youth delegations have grown in their size and planning efforts, they have gained notoriety for large, visual activism. They played (melted) ice hockey in swimming pools in Montreal, greeted country delegates in Nairobi with their mouths taped shut to protest the lack of youth on government delegations, and gave swimming lessons and climate emergency kits (malaria pills, relocation coupons, water purification tablets, etc.) in Bali.

The parade of "self-boasting" speeches

I am currently sitting in the plenary session for what I like to call the "parade of self-boasting speeches." It's the time where country after country goes to the podium and addresses the UN plenary session including most if not all of the following elements in their speech:

1) Climate change is serious
2) We must do something about it soon
3) Developing countries should take the lead
4) Developing countries will accrue the most damage
5) The financial crisis is serious, but should not be used as excuse for not acting on climate change
6) "Fill in country name" is effectively addressing climate change by....
and for some countries...
7) Thank God for Obama (or more like, we are encouraged or welcomed by Obama's ambitious climate change plan)