The United Nations Climate Change Conference – also known as the Copenhagen summit – is underway.
The start of the summit has prompted demonstrations in Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin and London.
But an artist based in Cardiff has been raising an awareness of climate change through a much more laid back method – painting.
Rowan Huntley, who is originally from Berwick in Scotland, is displaying her depictions of ice and glaciers in the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay.
Ms Huntley has been painting icy landscapes for fifteen years and this most recent exhibition focuses on the Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland.
She hopes to raise awareness of climate change with visitors to the Senedd and the politicians based there. Ms Huntley said:
“As it’s the start of the Copenhagen climate summit this week in Denmark, it’s a fantastic opportunity to be able to show people what will be lost due to global warming.
To actually display iceberg paintings from an endangered site in the west of Greenland, I find that if I can contribute to raising awareness of their fragility, then hopefully that will be beneficial to everybody.”
Hear the full interview with Rowan Huntley:
Rowan Huntley Interview by adambearne
Ms Huntley said that she had noticed the change in the ice that she paints, even though fifteen years is no time at all in comparison to the lifespan of a glacier.
Welsh ministers will be travelling to Denmark by train. It will take them twenty-four hours to get to Copenhagen.
It will be Carwyn Jones’ first trip abroad if he is elected First Minister as expected.
Environment Minister Jane Davidson is also attending. She is the co-chair of a group dealing with sustainable development of small countries.
The exhibition in the Senedd is being hosted by Jenny Randerson, Assembly Member for Cardiff Central.
Hear the full interview with Jenny Randerson:
Interview with Jenny Randerson AM on Copenhagen Summit by adambearne
Mrs Randerson is confident in the ability of her colleagues:
“Jane Davidson has a reputation which has started to impact internationally because she has been so firm and so strong on climate change issues in Wales.
The key thing about having people like Jane there is that you can send out the message that this is like a jigsaw puzzle and even the small pieces matter.”
Ms Huntley agreed that the Welsh contingent could have an important role:
“If they can contribute to finding an agreement to reduce emissions to the level that will no longer effect places of ice in our planet then that has to be beneficial.”
Mrs Randerson also spoke of her fears for Cardiff should climate change continue unabated:
“The World Wildlife Fund produced a picture where they demonstrated climate change by pointing out that if we don’t do something about it the Millennium Stadium is going to be flooded. They have a mock up picture of boats floating around outside [it].
Certainly the Senedd building will be flooded if we don’t do something about [climate change].”
She also pointed out that the flooding that occurs now – such as that seen in Cardiff Bay recently – should be a warning of things to come:
“The regular flooding that we now get is a warning sign, to my mind, of something that will be very serious for us all in the future.”
Mrs Randerson was in no doubt as to what she thought was required from the talks in Copenhagen:
“I very much hope there will be a firm agreement between the nations of the world.
One of the exciting things this time is the full engagement of the USA because the fact that they were missing last time in terms of any commitment was a huge blow to the progress of climate change.
Measures need to be taken throughout the world.”
Although large countries like America and China are responsible for the majority of climate change causing emissions, Mrs Randerson believes that small countries like Wales also have to play their part:
“If the small countries are not doing their bit, then together that makes a huge difference.
I think what we have to accept nowadays is that in order to do something about climate change, we are going to have to alter our lifestyles.”
The protestors that travelled from all over Wales will have to wait until the end of the summit to see what contribution the Welsh team have made and to see whether or not a legally binding agreement will be reached.
Until then, they can brush up on their knowledge of the effects of climate change by visiting Rowan Huntley’s exhibition of paintings at the Senedd.
