Operation Copenhagen Commences

After more than twenty hours of travel via planes, trains and automobiles, Operation Copenhagen has arrived in its namesake destination. From the chilly and about to rain reality of Santa Babylon to the much colder and definitely raining weather of Denmark’s capitol city, our journey was relatively incident free save for a few bumps in the air east of Canada and a few hours worth of mind numbing layover delays in Paris. Less than 5 steps off the plane in Copenhagen Airport and the buzz of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (officially known as the Conference of the Parties 15 or COP15) is undeniable. From advertisements touting the perils of a climate change ravaged world lining the terminal hallways to green clothed Conference volunteers lurking at nearly every corner along the way to provide information to Conference specific instructions flashing at the airport’s metro stop, the city’s commitment to this international and potentially historic two-week gathering is impressive. Even the typically slow customs process enjoyed a COP15 express line.

We have taken up residence on the other end of the city from the Belle Center, the conference’s headquarters, in the Norrebro neighborhood. With a little help from the brilliantly simple accommodation website www.airbnb.com, we have secured a simple apartment in one of Copenhagen’s more ethnically diverse areas for the next 10 days. At first light tomorrow we will hop on the 5A bus and head into the heart of the Conference but for now, we sleep. Check back on Friday for a recap on our first day in the trenches of perhaps the biggest eco-minded gathering the world has ever seen.