I was invited and sponsored by Dr.Stephen O. Andersen to come to Paris to attend the Open-Ended Working Group of the Montreal Protocol.  In case most of those 8 words mean nothing to you, the MP is a climate change agreement originally signed in 1987. It has since been ratified by every country. Yes. Every. Single. Country.  This is not the sad Kyoto Protocol, this is the muscular, super successful agreement that successful phased out ozone depleting chemicals and added years of life to the planet.  The Open-Ended working group is a time for all the parties to come together to assess progress and discuss amendments to the treaty.  I sat in a room with Iran and Iraq along with most of the other 196 nations. An amazing experience in and of itself.  I knew, going in, that the meeting was going to be controversial.    I need to give you some back ground.  The process of phasing out ozone depleting chemicals necessitated the invention and development of alternative substances for all the stuff we like to use like air conditioning and refrigeration. There are thousands of other products as well like electronics, but let's focus on these two key essentials.  The first replacement products that allowed for a transition away from substances that destroyed the ozone layer were called HFCFs (originated in the 50s).  They were very good on ozone, but, as it turns out, bad on greenhouse gases.  Originally, the MP folks, thought that the Kyoto folks would take care of HCFCs, but the Kyoto folks are focused on CO2.  In fact, someone told me, they say at Kyoto that CO2 sucks all the oxygen out of the room.  Meaning, they are busy looking at the BIG problem and are missing solving the lower-hanging fruit. So, the MP guys decided to phase out HCFCs as well under their protocol under the premise that reducing ozone depleting substances resulted in the use of HCFCs so it was, essentially, their problem.  The phasing out of HCFCs, then, brought into use a new class of compounds developed in the 90s called HFCs.  From the start, the MP folks knew that these chemicals were better on greenhouse gas, but not great on greenhouse gas. They assumed that too HCFs would be a transitional substance. Is this making sense?  It is complicated and kind of a pain in the ass. Why couldn't they have gone to compounds that were good for ozone and greenhouse gas the first time. Well, because they didn't exist.  So these steps needed to be taken.  Now, to the controversy.  Many at the MP are trying to now phase out HCFs.  In truth, only some replacement products are yet available.  This was also the case when the effort started way back in the 80s, and, I would say, there is some replacement fatigue in the group.  In addition, air conditioning is a big deal in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India and many other parts of the world.  I learned this term last week for the first time: high ambient. This refers to countries where temperatures exceed 120 degrees fahrenheit or 50 degrees Celsius.  I'll stay in Celsius because that was what the Saudis and Kuwaits used.  The delegate from Kuwait expressed that he lived in temperatures that could range as high as 60 degrees (140 - 140!) and that often when he went to take a shower the water was 42 degrees (107!)  They have to cool their water to bath. The opposite of what we do in the States.  So having the right alternatives for AC is critical to them.  As I mentioned, there are some alternatives that are ready and others in development.  I came to believe that some of what is ready or nearly ready can work in high ambient, but many have a new problem. The chemicals are flammable.  The manufacturers and engineers and scientists explain that the flammability can be managed. Certainly service people and technicians need to be trained.  This is a legitimate added worry, but I am convinced it can be handled.  The thing is, bottom line, we have to phase out HCF to extend the life of the planet.  Phasing out HCFs is much easier to phase out than the use of fossil fuels. It is low hanging climate fruit that must be managed.  But, at this meeting, the Arab nations and select other nations argued against because the technology isn't ready.  At the same time, small island nations like Seychelles and other nations with large coast lines argued as vehemently for the phasing out.  Things got quite heated (no pun intended.)  Finally, a very soft agreement was reached by the end of the week to, essentially, continue to discuss. Given the vehemence, this was, essentially, progress.  The opposing Pakistanis, for example, said, they will eventually agree. Big step forward, even if we aren't taking the step today. But the final wording is soft littered with what is known as Square Brackets. You can picture those on your keyboard. Square Brackets are used in any agreement to highlight areas of disagreement.  Our future is in those [  ].

That's the nitty gritty. And the subject of my play WORLD AVOIDED.  But, I want to share too, the people part of the week.  When Steve and I arrived the first day of the meeting, he was swarmed by people from around the world hugging and kissing him. People he has worked with from 1 - 30 years on ozone.  I stood back admiring the love. By about three days in, I was in the love.  I was so embraced by this remarkable clan of people.  I made like 12 fast friends. At least...more than 12. I've never quite had this experience before.  Each was smart, dedicated, honest, fun, driven.  We connected on so many levels.  I should take a step back and say that as I was introduced the range of expressions on people's faces when we said I was writing a play on the MP was hysterical.  Ultimately, most - there are some interesting holdouts - supported and were excited by the project.  Then, as often happens to writers, one by one folks started telling me about their writing projects.  I heard about novels, nonfiction work, screenplays, a wide range.  And everyone has offered to help, invited me to email or call them, happy to read drafts.  Lots of jokes about "auditioning" to be in the play and who would play who.  I am one lucky and happy playwright. The experience was life changing. I hope I am expressing it clearly enough.  We threw a last night party at our apartment.  Served cheese and bread and everyone brought a bottle for wine tasting.  There are three atmospheric scientists many acknowledged in Gore's Nobel win, a plant pathologist, a former Ozone Secretariat, a major NGO head, folks from EPA and other NGOs. Everyone is laughing, guessing the wines, eating the cheese.  We can't say good-bye yet and head out to dinner.  Finally we tear each other apart on the sidewalk promising to write, to call, to come together again soon. So much love.   I am begging Steve to take me to the next meeting also in Paris in November.  We shall see.  As I said, happy playwright.  I have a good sense now of what the play wants to be and am more confident that I can get there with the help of the connections I have made.  I will share more as the work continues.  I'll attach some photos that you might have seen on FB.  Onward!  To saving the planet.  

This gives you a slight feel for the room. We're at UNESCO.  There are about 400 folks.  Delegates from 196 countries (not quite all showed up, but most.)  Bunches of staff, NGOs, the various committees like the Scientific Assessment Panel, all sorts of scientists, some industry, etc.  

Thought I got more people in this shot, ah well, but this is Marco Gonzales, former Ozone Secretariat and all around extraordinary person from Costa Rica at our closing night dinner.

Selfie with translation headset on.  And I so don't know the woman behind me, but really love the Moroccan over the other shoulder.

Where do the time go?  Originally, it was my goal to write weekly.  Then, my Social Media Guru Lillian Rodriguez told me I could write monthly.  So I'm around on time. It's a funny process this. I have no clue if anyone is reading.  I like the idea if someone looks me up it looks like I'm here. Like the last post isn't from 2009 or 1978.  Enough about process.
WHAT THE HECK IS UP? 
I've been back and forth between New York City and Maine this month.  I had so much time in NY, I had to engage my friend Nan to put my garden in and she did an amazing job.  There are only about 110 growing days in Seal Cove and I didn't want to miss too many of them.  We ended up about a week or so late, but everyone was late because the winter had been hard and the Spring late too.  Everything it growing well now especially after the July 4th deluge.  I'll snap some pictures before I finish. The exciting addition this year is the Arugula box.  My genius gardening friend Terry helped me put it together (note both she and I spell our names with a Y. Terry. Andy.  Y.)  We had an old large window box lying around. We placed it where it would get partial shade. Loaded it with hay, then soil and compost.  Put in Arugula seeds really close together. They popped up soooo fast.  What Terry does is she let's it grow fairly high and then cuts it with a scissor when she wants some. And it grows and fills that in pretty quickly. So it will be Arugula salads all summer long.  Arugula and lettuce. Arugula and kale - my other new favorite salad ingredient.  Photos start with the main vegetable garden featuring brussell sprouts, kale, swiss chard, spinach, lettuce, squashes, tomatoes and, off camera, garlic.  The fencing is to save the veggies from the deer that sleep in the yard.  Next is the potato sunflower patch.  Next the arugula box.  

The blueberries aren't doing much yet and I'm worried it will be an off season. We shall see.  But the single wild strawberry plant that Loie's Mom gave me is producing like crazy the sweetest berries.  I am hoping this plant will spread.  Delish!

Alright, I know you know, everything isn't all gardening.  Progress was made on The World Avoided as I reported was in the works last time.  I attended a climate change conference at Pace with some of the characters it the play and learned alot there.  The most valuable was the sense that the greenhouse gas problem is not one big unsolvable problem about oil.  There are various layers to the problem and plenty of low hanging fruit we can solve easily adding years of life to the plant. It is almost now a problem of how people are thinking about the problem.  More on this as I learn and work.  Then, Steve Andersen, the lead character in the play and my connection to the Ozone story, and I heard the first draft of the play.  Penelope Canan, one of the key people in Ozone, also was there for Act One before she had to run and catch a plane.  Penelope is a new friend, a terrific woman and climate change hero.  Linsay Firman and Graeme Gillis from EST were also with us. This was all at home base the Lark. Love those folks.  Ten terrific actors who jumped into the rambling mess that this first draft was.  Was.  Nice to know this draft is in the past tense. It wasn't bad. And I learned a ton. But it likely has little to do with the ultimate play.  But that's what first drafts are for. I had to write this whole sprawling story - 25 plus years - down to see what I had.  In doing so, it was amazing how often I managed to leave the action off stage.  La!  So I am now mid-ponder to figure out what the structure wants to be. What the play wants to be.  I'm off in a matter of days to Paris.  What?  Yes!  I am off in a matter of days to Paris to attend the 34th Open-Ended Working Group Meeting - Montreal Protocol. I'm on the in now, thanks to Steve and his flying mileage and generosity. I'm going to meet even more characters and, more importantly, be in the thick of the current debate about phasing out HCFCs (good for ozone, bad for greenhouse gases.)  I believe the play may be right there in Paris. We shall see.  
In between World and after finally finishing the television spec and pilot scripts, I returned to Lf&Tms, the rock musical.  We had heard it in March and gotten a ton of feedback we digested and slept on. I had started to work, but mostly hadn't had time until this month.  I worked away. Sent questions to Ariel. He contributed some monologues. There was stuff we had we loved. And there was stuff we had that didn't work. The classic problem of Ariel and I got it, but not too many other people. We needed to open up the experience of the show.  We also were grappling with the balance of story and plot.  Mostly it doesn't have a big plot. Mostly it functions as story. The story of reluctant transformation.  We feel we have that more now.  We also, because it is a musical, have been looking for the dialogue song balance.  this draft, we felt where the characters had shit they needed to work out through dialogue and let them have it. we also found more places where music is organically there. Bobby, the lead, will talk, but he often will talk with a guitar in his hands, so part of what he will express is through music. Finding those dynamics.  We're digging this new draft at the moment. Next up: I'm seeing Hedwig to see what I learn - Ariel feels there is much to learn there particularly about how to set up and rock the songs.  And then we'll hear the new draft and see what we have.  Excited for that right after I get back from Paris. Did I mention I'm going to Paris?
That's about the shape of things, though I feel I'm forgetting stuff. It's been feeling like there's too much paper and bills in adult life lately. What is that about?  But I'm pressing through it.  Forcing myself to be organized so shit doesn't haunt. 
The ankle is much better, but not all better.  It is a process. I walk now without a limp most days, though I can have a set back and a limp.  I'm still doing my exercises and likely will have to for a while.  Hope is that by the time I'm back in late July I'll be mountain ready.  I miss my hiking.  
I think that's all the dreaming, achieving, yearning and hoping I have to report at the moment.   I'll have wireless in Paris and will try to report from there with some good photos.  
Signing off for now.  Enjoy!

Andrea