VikkiChowney

In short, I should be. I finally got semi-accreditation at the end of last week (in the form of an NGO pass no less), but as is always the issue, logistics and red tape have been the only prohibiting factor in gaining access to the summit.

Oxfam once again invested resource and time in sponsoring me to attend. Without being part of a large news group or agency, it's almost impossible to get in as a blogger without this. They've always been very good at providing this support without expecting specific coverage in return, which gave me a lot of freedom at the G20 summits in London and Pittsburgh.

The accreditation process for COP15 raised the usual issues, the first of which was an online form that timed out after a few minutes, making it a veritable race to complete before you got thrown off the site. Then, like Pittsburgh, when some of the bloggers under the Tck Tck Tck banner (the group that represents a wide variety of charities) weren't approved - we were asked to re-apply, putting NGO contacts down to signal to the UN that we'd be attending under their approval. When I found out that this process had been closed, as the accreditation team had approved TOO many media, journalists and NGOs than the venue could actually hold - without even processing governmental staff yet - I threw my hands up in despair.

I decided then not to go, as I didn't see the point in adding to the estimated 41,000 tonnes of "carbon dioxide equivalent" that will be emitted "for the whole conference including travel to and from Copenhagen". I didn't get accreditation for Pittsburgh either, and spent a lot of the time in the official offsite media centre. It was fine, but I found it frustrating as I could have watched the live feeds on Sky or the BBC from anywhere.

Even though the majority of world leaders only flew out late this week, lending my input for Copenhagen while back in the UK is proving to be tough. I'm led to conclude that actually, though being there but not BEING there was irritating to me, being in the local vicinity meant that I was still plugged in. I could still talk to the other delegates, media and observers for a different opinion. Whatever people might say, sitting in a room with someone that can answer a question vs. blogging from the other side of Europe with relatively little external input is a very different thing.

I'm disappointed that even though time and time again, online journalists and bloggers have proven themselves to be vital in providing a diverse range of viewpoints, it's still incredibly difficult to get an appropriate level of access. I'm not asking for a free for all, but I haven't seen any input on what's happening at COP15 from any perspective other than major broadcasters or NGOs. What I'm really missing is what this means to the average person on the street, and an opportunity to influence or ask questions as the summit happens. 

I'm planning to visit Ghost Forest in Trafalgar Square, London on Monday. It's an 'original and ambitious art installation' by Angela Palmer that visually expresses the connection between deforestation and climate change.

The project itself involves a series of 10 rainforest tree stumps with roots still attached, which have been transported from Ghana and rearranged as a 'ghost forest'.

It'll be there from the 16-22 November, before heading off to Thorvaldsens Plads in Copenhagen for COP15 throughout 7-18 December.

I was just sent a link to this fantastic article by Jess McCabe in The Guardian, in which she talks about climate change being a feminist issue not because of population control - but because it is women who are on the front line, facing the effects of climate change and dealing with them for their communities.

She quotes some statistics from the Women's Manifesto on Climate Change to frame this. "Poor people are likely to bear the brunt as the climate changes and 70% of the world's poor are women. According to one estimate, 85% of the victims of climate disasters are women. Another study found 75% of environmental refugees are women."

I was reminded of New York Climate Week, during which I chaired a heartbreaking debate that included 'four courageous women' as part of ClimateVoice and the work I do with Oxfam.

I sat and listened to their stories of how climate change was changing their lives. Sharon Hanshaw lost everything during Hurricane Katrina but is still not receiving any help to rebuild her own life, Ulamila Kurai Wragg from the Cook Islands has seen things change first hand having been born and raised in the Pacific. Constance Okollet spoke to us about Uganda, and how her village once thought God was punishing them, and Ursula told us that she had been tasked with telling the world about her home in the South Pacific by her elders.

It was probably the first time I'd spent time with those in the thick of it, and it scared me. I felt selfish and I felt like most of what I was doing wasn't making a difference. The kind words of Ulamila (who gave up a high paying job to focus on campaigning around this issue) put things into perspective however. She said that it's unfortunately in the hands of a few - at the time she was talking about the G20 in Pittsburgh - to put their money where there mouth is. 

I'd like to think that trying to live with a little more awareness and not waste so much can still make a difference, but these women were all too aware that for them, it was too late. Sad yes, but the most poignant moment of my trip and not one I'll forget easily.

So, I've just signed up in less than a minute to the 10:10 campaign.

Launched last week with help from The Guardian, it's a major new climate campaign that asks individuals, businesses and organisations to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

As most won't have made it to the opening at The Tate Modern, the 10:10 website (http://www.1010uk.org) makes up for it and then some. Beautifully designed (with more than a hint of Guardian-esque influence), it includes the ability to invite friends, share through social media and post badges galore on your sites. See case in point above.

You can buy a tag (made from a recycled Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet), print out a cheat sheet to stick on your fridge, view a timeline of events and news, donate directly or click directly through to a Google search listing to see what other people are saying.

The people behind this new initiative - namely Age of Stupid creator Franny Armstrong - are obviously trying to utilise the trend for wearing your charity on your sleeve (kicked off by the introduction of the those plastic bracelets made fashionable by the likes of Bono), and have made it as easy as humanly possible to get involved.

Instead of the usual 'fluff', 10:10 will be supported by specific tips and actions to help cut emissions throughout the year, focusing on national and international inclusion as well as individuals and communities. Over the weekend, the entire cabinet signed up, so Brown, Cameron and Clegg are all jumping on the bandwagon.

This may simply be remembered as just another high profile carbon campaign, or it could make a real difference, only time will tell. At the very least, it has parameters that we'll be able to measure its success or failure against.