In reading about the climate talks currently taking place in Durban, South Africa, I couldn't help but think of something Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace's international executive director, said when he visited Charlotte in early October: The governments of the world lack the political will to protect the planet and all of us from the dangers of climate change while making no attempt to hide being in bed with the industries that cause it.

On Oct. 4, Naidoo spent two days in Charlotte, visiting the dangerous coal-ash ponds that drain into the area's drinking-water reservoir and talking with local citizens during a speech at the International House. I recorded most of the speech for a Creative Loafing story. Today, I'm going to do something I thought I'd never do: share those private working notes with you. Keep in mind that this recording wasn't made to be shared. You can sometimes hear me scribbling notes or turning a page in my notebook; it's also not complete and it includes some background noise. But, if you weren't able to meet Naidoo when he was in town, you might be interested to hear him, in his own words, describe the challenges he faces on a global level when it comes to convincing the world's leaders to do something. Listen to his speech here:

Kumi Naidoo Charlotte Speech Sept 2011 by RhiannonFionn

According to Naidoo's assistant, he is currently in Durban where climate talks are happening. I can't help but wonder what he thinks of the reports coming out of the meetings suggesting that the Kyoto Protocol — signed in 1997 by most countries, though not the U.S. — may be on its last legs.

According to the United Nations, the Protocol "sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas emissions." The goal was to reduce emissions by 5 percent between 2008 and 2012. The UN also states, "Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity, the Protocol places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.”

It's those same countries — the ones most responsible for climate change — that want out of the agreement, mostly because the United States hasn't been willing to play along at all.

Here's a snippet from one of the reports, entitled, "Kyoto protocol may suffer fate of Julius Caesar at Durban climate talks" from The Guardian; the subtitle is "How many nations secretly conceal a dagger and intend to join the countries in Durban hoping to kill Kyoto off?":

Just one day into the Durban talks and, as we expected, we are witnessing the assassination of the Kyoto protocol. Canada has let the cat out of the bag with its environment minister, Peter Kent, saying: "Kyoto is the past" and suggesting that formally pulling out of the treaty is an option.

If Canada — once Kyoto's friend, now its undisguised enemy — were to withdraw it would probably be a death blow to the only international treaty that obliges by law rich countries to reduce emissions. The world can just about live with the US outside the treaty but to have Canada formally outside too, really signals the rich countries' diplomatic flight from the treaty that the world signed up to only 15 years ago. Japan and Russia are set against the treaty, leaving the EU as the only rich grouping of countries which is hedging its bets.

Read the entire article here.

Here's another snippet from MSNBC, entitled, "Kyoto Protocol in its death throes, 200 countries gather for climate talks":

"The South Africans are desperate to ensure that the COP does not fail, but they will not be able to deliver much," said Ian Fry, lead negotiator for the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, which could be erased by rising sea levels.

Fry blamed the United States, which has not ratified Kyoto, for blocking progress and said: "The EU seems to be going weak at the knees and will opt for a soft continuation of the Kyoto Protocol with a possible review process in 2015 to think about new legal options."

...

China is unwilling to make any commitments until Washington does while Russia, Japan and Canada say they will not sign up to a second commitment period unless the biggest emitters do too.

Emerging countries insist Kyoto must be extended and that rich nations, which have historically emitted most greenhouse gas pollution, should take on tougher targets to ensure they do their fair share in the fight against climate change.

Read the entire article here.

Here's Naidoo talking to me and others in our community about his work and the importance of working on climate change issues at the local level:

While headlines about coaches molesting children grab attention, it also begs the question —how do you protect children from sexual predators?

Most of the time, the abuse comes from someone whom a child and a parent trusts. Take Bernie Fine at Syracuse, for instance. The 65-year-old was fired by the university following an ESPN report about a now 39-year-old man who says he was abused by the coach as a seventh grader.

Bobby Davis was a seventh grader helping out around the Syracuse basketball court when he claims the abuse began.

Now 39, he says he made a recording in October 2002 of a phone call with Fine's wife, Laurie.

He says he did so so his allegations of molestation against Bernie Fine would be taken seriously.

"I know everything that went on, you know. I know everything that went on with him," the woman identified as Laurie Fine tells Davis, "Bernie has issues, maybe that he's not aware of, but he has issues ... And you trusted somebody you shouldn't have trusted."

Davis gave a copy of the tape to ESPN and recently to police. ESPN says a voice expert confirms the woman's voice on the audiotape matches Laurie Fine's.

How do you keep kids safe and give the the courage to come forward when the abuse happens? According to MSNBC:

The facts are that about 90 percent of sexual molestation is committed by a person known to the child. They are not strangers. They are family members, teachers, coaches, babysitters, religious instructors and others who are in a position of knowing, caring for and being an authority figure for your child.

Pedophiles are often drawn to areas where they work with children because they want to be around them. This is the biggest reason it is crucial to educate your kid about the possibility, the danger signs, the places to turn to and the necessity of trusting their own judgment (and you will shape that judgment) about sexual predators.

Experts say parents have to teach children that it is OK to say no and be rude if they're being approached by an adult to do something they're not comfortable with.

It's also important to know local laws.

• Huffington Post

The two journalists were on the road reporting on smaller Occupy movements across the South for a series that begins today at the HuffPost website. Cherkis was writing the story. Kenigsberg was capturing it all on film.

The duo's first installment is a piece on Occupy Gainesville, in Florida. Keep up with this series, because their dispatch from Charlotte will be coming soon.

Here's a little nugget from the story. It's on one of Occupy Gainesville's more famous members:

The camp is located in a plaza renamed after Bo Diddley. There is a stage with Diddley's iconic image painted on the wall, and a grassy quad. Occupy Gainesville took over the space in mid-October. On the second day, law enforcement authorities tried to enforce a curfew on the plaza. When that didn't clear out the camp, they told the demonstrators they could only sleep on the pavement.

The activists have spent a fair amount of time strategizing on how they can one day occupy the grass. For now, they have set up two tarp pavilions, some tables and a library and food area on the grass. A painted bed sheet marks their spot along with a number of American flags, and the sleeping bags on concrete.

Ellas Anthony McDaniel, Diddley's son, showed up on the Occupation's second night. He said he was just curious about what these activists were doing on land named for his father. He ended up getting arrested.

Gainesville cops tried to enforce the curfew while McDaniel was there. An officer had to drag him off what's called the "speaker's stand," a slab in the park inscribed with the First Amendment.

McDaniel told HuffPost he didn't think the First Amendment had a curfew.

"I didn't come to the Bo Diddley Plaza to commit a crime," he says.

McDaniel is now an Occupy member and a regular at the general assemblies.

Read the whole story and watch the video here.