Mexico: Blogosphere Previews United Nations Climate Change Conference- COP 16 · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

The next United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 16) will take place from November 29 until December 10, 2010 in Cancun, Mexico.
There are several discussions on the subject. Bloggers are analyzing whether the conference will bring the usual disappointment about a lack of action from the climate change and ecological actors, or if this time it will provide a new perspective and a new opportunity where failure is not an option.
Laguna Nichupté in Cancun Mexico. Image by Manuel Canela, Flickr user manuelcanela, used under an Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license
Ecoportal.net [es], one of the best-known Green websites for Spanish speakers, mentions the importance of COP 16 as an international commitment:
El fracaso no es una opción ya que condenaría al planeta, sus  ecosistemas y sus habitantes a un cambio climático catastrófico,  advirtieron organizaciones civiles respecto a la décimo sexta  Conferencia de las Partes de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas  sobre Cambio Climático (COP-16), que se llevará a cabo en nuestro país  del 29 de noviembre al 10 de diciembre de este año.
Por ello, las organizaciones de la sociedad civil Cemda, Greenpeace,  Oxfam y la Heinrich Böll Stiftung, lanzaron este día la campaña La  cumbre climática en Cancún debe ser exitosa, para exigir a los tomadores  de decisiones de la COP 16, que éste sea el espacio y el momento para  destrabar los acuerdos globales que evitarán el caos climático.
Failure is not an option because it would condemn the planet, its   ecosystems and their inhabitants to a catastrophic climate change, as civil organizations warned about the 16 Conference on Climate Change (COP-16 ), which will be held in our country (Mexico) from November 29 to December 10 this year.
This is why civil organizations like Cemda, Greenpeace, Oxfam and Heinrich Böll Stiftung, today launched the campaign “Climate summit in Cancun has to be successful,” in order to demand decision makers from the COP  16, [to make sure] this is the space and time   to unlock the global agreements that will prevent climate chaos.
In JOIN [es], an online magazine written by youth in Mexico, Adrian Monfort wrote the article “Cancun, COP 16 and the fight against climate change”,  where he discusses the importance of this event for current and future generations:
Esto nos pinta un panorama crítico, en donde las necesidades de  concretar acuerdos entre los países es urgente y el tiempo para hacerlos  es mínimo. México como anfitrión y participante de la reunión previa  (COP 15) promovió activamente el año pasado la negociación de un nuevo  acuerdo global, y al no conseguirlo, reafirmó su intención de lograrlo  en Cancún.
Para nosotros como jóvenes y ciudadanos esto tiene implicaciones  trascendentales, ya que seremos nosotros los que estaremos viviendo en  un mundo cada vez más deteriorado por los cambios medioambientales.
This paints a critical picture, where the need for specific  agreements  between countries becomes urgent and the time to make them  happen is  minimal. Mexico, as a host and participant of the previous  meeting (COP  15) actively promoted last year’s negotiation for a new  global agreement, and because of the failure to achieve it, they reaffirmed the  intention do it in Cancun.
For us, as young people and citizens  of the world, this has major implications, as we will be the ones  living in a world increasingly deteriorated by environmental changes.
Image from COP 15 by flickr user WWF FRANCE, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license
Bloggers from Espacio Mexicano Dialogo Climático Cancún [es] (Mexican Space for Climate Dialogue Cancun) consider that the role of Mexican and international organizations and  social movements at the  event is fundamental:
Se han minimizado las expectativas de la Conferencia de las Partes – COP-16: no se observan propuestas firmes de los países desarrollados en la mesa de negociaciones en materia de mitigación y está en riesgo el sistema multilateral de negociación. Por ello el movimiento social y las organizaciones civiles mexicanas y mundiales discutiremos en Cancún nuestras propuestas para hacer frente al problema y, a través de manifestaciones pacíficas haremos escuchar la diversidad y pluralidad de nuestras voces.
The expectations of the Conference –  COP-16 have been minimized: We have not seen firm proposals from developed  countries in the negotiating table in terms of mitigation, and the  multilateral negotiation system is at risk. Therefore, Mexican and international social movements and organizations will discuss in  Cancun our proposals to tackle the problem, and through peaceful  demonstrations we will make the diversity and plurality of our  voices heard.
Finally, in the webpage Mexicohazalgo.org.mx (Mexico Do Something)  there is an article written by Alejandra Biotes, where she discusses  how COP 16 attendants will be able to learn about and experience firsthand the natural resources Cancun has to offer:
Recientemente una comitiva de activistas, proveniente de Copenhague,  estuvo de visita en Puerto Morelos para ver de cerca las instalaciones y  servicios con los que se cuenta en ese lugar.
Los integrantes de  las ONG’s, que visitaron Puerto Morelos, eligieron las zonas de cenotes  y otras áreas naturales para que quienes asistan a la Cumbre acampen  ahí ¿Un pretexto para disfrutar los escenarios naturales que ofrece  nuestro país, o la opción más accesible para estar presentes en la  discusión del futuro del planeta?
Recently a delegation of activists from Copenhagen visited  Puerto Morelos to see up close the facilities and services that the place has to offer.
The members of NGOs, who visited Puerto Morelos, chose the areas of cenotes and other natural areas so that those attending the summit may camp out there. A good excuse to enjoy the natural  scenery that our country offers? or the most affordable option to attend the discussion on the future of the planet?