December 17, 2009

How Are Things in Copenhagen?

Image courtesy of Greenpeace Finland

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Over at the Blue Marble blog, MoJo and our collaborators are deep into the second week of climate talks in Copenhagen. And things are getting messy. While the US hasn’t exactly been a climate hero, our friendly neighbors to the north have emerged as climate’s enemy #1: Canada has negotiated so hard for soft emissions targets that the Yes Men pranksters targeted them earlier this week. And it’s about to get worse: On Tuesday, leaked documents from the Harper administration indicated that the nation is considering even weaker emission reduction targets for fossil fuel industries.

Meanwhile, the world’s poorest nations have been fighting for a binding treaty. Will it happen? A recent Gallup poll found that 55 percent of Americans support signing such a treaty, while thirty-eight percent give it a thumbs down. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t about to let all the uncertainty get to him. In fact, he thinks the conference has been a resounding success. 

Plus: Comedian Eugene Mirman skulks around the Bella Center, makes new friends, and even makes a local apologize for the loud dance music played in all the restaurants in Copenhagen.

Read more breaking news from Copenhagen here.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

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