A veteran observer reports out from the COP15 climate talks in Copenhagen

International attention to last month's climate change meeting in Copenhagen was intense. Tens of thousands of people were there, inside and outside the two-week long COP15 negotiations. There were street protests, traffic jams, lots of congestion and confusion as NGOs and heads of state gathered. A handful of developed nations, including the U.S. and China, reached a last-minute accord that fell short of hopes for a binding agreement on carbon reduction targets.

Reports and analysis since the climate change talks closed have not been enthusiastic. Jon Rosales teaches environmental studies at St. Lawrence University. He was in Copenhagen with four students, who blogged from the conference for NCPR. Rosales is a veteran observer; it was his eighth COP meeting. He spoke with Martha Foley about how the Copenhagen gathering was different, and what that could mean for future climate change negotiations and policy.