Youth Delegate Anjali Appadurai Speaks Truth to Power at Conclusion of COP17 in Durban

onDec 9, 2011 @ 19:48 PST

Perhaps the most powerful speech made in all of COP17 at Durban came at the very end, a statement by Anjali Appadurai, a student at the College of the Atlantic in Maine, who addressed the conference on behalf of the youth delegates.

Her scornful depiction of the utter failure of the international community to act on climate change – a failure chiefly owned by the largest polluting nations who have caused most of the damage to the global climate – is spot on.

Watch coverage of Ms. Appadurai’s statement, courtesy of Democracy Now!

By Brendan DeMelle

Brendan is Executive Director of DeSmog. He is also a writer focused on disinformation and corporate accountability.

Event | Join Naomi Klein, Michael E. Mann, and Jim Hoggan to Celebrate DeSmog's 20th Anniversary

ByDeSmog

onJul 1, 2026 @ 16:56 PDT

Sign up for our July 8 virtual conversation on combatting fossil fuels and fascism, keeping up with climate denial, and solving polluted information ecosystems.

Seafood Industry Giants Failing to Tackle Pollution, New Study Finds

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onJul 1, 2026 @ 03:12 PDT

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Series: Spotlight on Industrial Aquaculture

uk/‘Detailed and Determined Scoop’: DeSmog Wins Association of British Science Writers’ Award

ByDeSmog

onJun 30, 2026 @ 04:10 PDT

Clare Carlile's reporting was recognized under the ‘News Item of the Year’ award for revealing how UK government staffing shortages would harm the environment during a historic drought.