Statement: How to write the future now? How to perform end speech? What is an insincere or false statement of intent? Is an insincere or false statement of intent that comes true a successful prophesy or failed speech? To what extent is a prediction a socio-political performative? What is an unutterable prognosis made public? How does prognosis socially construct the now? How do words change the world?

Each day Question Time hold a summit somewhere in Copenhagen- in cafes, street corners, domestic apartments, and train stations – after which a new statement of intent is produced towards an alternative declaration of the way forward on climate change.

Summit 20 December (Post COP15)
Attending: Rachel Lois Clapham and lots of other random passers-by
Location: Copenhagen Airport
minute taker Rachel Lois Clapham

On the 6^th December, on my way into Copenhagen, I passed a poster. On it, an aged, grey haired President Sarkozy was pictured, looking apologetic, saying :

‘I’m sorry. We could have stopped catastrophic climate change dot dot dot  we didn’t’

A latent apology from a world leader and COP15 delegate predicting the failure of the conference and envisioning the attendant global catastrophe.

Back then, I read the doom-laden poster as a bold statement of hope, as the setting up of the horizon line for ‘Hopenhagen’, for COP15; the conference would dispel the sure and forthcoming global disaster. Success was imminent since the conference could not fail. Too much was at stake within our own lifetimes.

I’m on my way to the airport today, C0P15 having ended with no definable agreement other than to carry on trying to agree, and I just passed the same poster.

There is a lot to be considered between my initial reading of the poster and this one.