hello chris-forum people
i've been contacted by Phil Thornhill of the Campaign against Climate change
(www.campaigncc.org). unfortunately i'm really busy at the moment and can
only offer to book LT's in the uni (the perks of being a committee member in
so many student socs!). please read the request below, if your intrested in
giving or being part of a presentation or helping in general please, please
contact Phil ([log in to unmask]); this event wont happen
without your support.
in solidarity,
naveed
From: "Phil Thornhill" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>,<[log in to unmask]>
CC: "Chris Blake" <[log in to unmask]>,"Anna" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Public Meeting on Climate Change in Southampton
Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 00:12:45 -0000
Hi,
I'm Phil Thornhill of the 'Campaign against Climate Change' and I got your
email(s) from Chris Blake of Southampton FOE .
I had contacted him about our plans for a Public Meeting on the "Climate
Crisis" in Southampton and this is what I'm asking for your help/advice on.
I'll need to explain the context for this, though, first, which is as
follows:
Basically our (Campaign against Climate Change's ) big project for the
moment is a 'Kyoto Climate March' for when Kyoto comes into force, to make
the most of that event and especially to highlight the isolation of the US
in this context . The event will be on 12th Feb (as the first Saturday
before the actual coming into force date of 16th Feb). It will involve a
parade of the flags of all the countries that have ratified (129 at last
count) ....terminating at the US embassy. Details are at www.campaigncc.org
We have also tried to promote this date as one for international action,
and the letter we have been using to send around for this, which also
explains our general thinking, is appended below.
But in order to raise interest in this demo we are going to try & hold a
series of "Climate Crisis" meetings (on climate change/climate change
politics) around the country. The meetings will be in the last week of
January and first week of February, probably evenings Monday-Thursday. The
biggest will be in London and others in Oxford, Brighton, Norwich,
Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff (something is in
process of being set up at all these places) - and, hopefully Southampton.
The meetings are being organised by us - Campaign against Climate Change' -,
the Green Party and Globalise Resistance. So basically its an attempt to get
as many people together both from Green groups and the Left to create some
kind of 'critical mass' for our demo - though also of course the meetings
should serve the purpose of informing people about the Climate change issue
generally.
I have been working with Anna Hoyles from Globalise, up here in London and I
think she knows some people at the Uni at Southampton who might be able to
book a venue etc ..though she has been away in Sweden over Christmas and
I'm not sure when she gets back. I think anyway we'd want to try and
organise something at the Uni : Chris Blake from FOE and hopefully Colin
Reader from the Green party (who I have emailed about this) would be able to
spread the word around Green groups in the city.
Anyway any help you felt able to offer, to organise this or any thoughts or
suggestions about this that you might have would be greatly appreciated.
Plus obviously anything you can do to spread the word about it. Ideas for
speakers might be useful - if you could recommend someone who could speak on
behalf of 'Socialist Students', for instance, that would be great. Also if
you have any ideas/preferences on the date - more or less within the 24th
Jan - 3rd Feb window outlined above, that would be helpful, too.
Thanks for your attention to this,
Cheers,
Phil Thornhill
Campaign against Climate Change
0208 8553327 mob: 07903 316 331
--------------------------------------------
This is the letter we've been sending round the world to all & sundry
Dear XXXXXXXXXXXX
As you will know, now that Russia has ratified it, the Kyoto Protocol will
at last be coming into force. This is a piece of good news at last - when
much of the news, around the fight against climate change, has been fairly
bleak over the last few years.
This will happen 90 days after the formal deposition of the 'instrument of
ratification' at the UN, which ocurred on Thursday 18th November. The
Protocol will therefore come into force on Wednesday 16th February 2005.
This will be a very significant date because we will have the world's first
international agreement on emissions reductions actually coming into force.
Whilst this will achieve very little in terms of actual significant
emissions reductions it is of enormous political and symbolic significance.
In particular it will emphasise the isolation of the United States as the
only major nation (with the exception only of Australia) not playing its
part in this, the only international cooperative effort to deal with the
awesome threat we all face from the destabilisation of global climate.
We feel therefore that when the treaty comes into force, it would be the
ideal moment to both celebrate this groundbreaking event and to highlight
the non-participation of the United States and the enormous damage that that
is doing to our fight against climate change and to the hopes of all
humanity for a secure future.
Whilst we will certainly organise a demonstration here in London, UK, we
feel that it woud be infinitely more effective, and more appropriate, if
there were demonstrations around the world - in as many places as possible -
in favour of effective international action to avert the threat from the
destabilisation of global climate and against the irresponsible and
obstructive position taken by the United States on this issue. In a
nutshell, since the the whole world's future is threatened by the United
States and its sabotage of the international effort to fight climate change,
then it would be appropriate for the whole world to be protesting against
the United States, on this issue.
We are therefore looking for anyone who feels similarly about this and
supports this idea. If you do we would be grateful if you could get in touch
with us ([log in to unmask]) so that we can have some idea of how much
support, around the world, we have for this: we will then be able to pass
this information on to hopefully encourage others. At the same time it would
be great if you are able to spread the word about this, and fantastic if you
could take any steps towards organising something in your country or region.
We are in the process of setting up a web page about the actions taking
place at www.kyotofortheworld.net
To be more specific we have in mind demonstrations at US embassies or
consulates around the world (and - ideally - at the Whitehouse in the US
???), synchronised for the same date. We feel that the Saturday before the
actual date of the 'coming into force' would be the best day to chose, that
is Saturday 12th February. As stated above we will certainly be organising a
demonstration here in London. This will be focussed on the US embassy and
involve a parade of the flags of all the countries that have ratified the
Protocol (129, with Russia).
Yours Sincerely,
Phil Thornhill on behalf of Campaign against Climate Change
Jean Lambert MEP on behalf of the Green Party of England and Wales
Jonathan Neale on behalf of Globalise Resistance
Paul Bodenham on behalf of Christian Ecology Link
Muzammal Hussain on behalf of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and
Environmental Sciences
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