Thousands rally against climate change
-06/11/06
More than 20,000 people, including ma
Thousands rally against climate change
-06/11/06
More than 20,000 people, including many Christian groups, rallied in London at the weekend, calling for urgent action on climate change ahead of today’s UN conference on the issues in Nairobi.
As marchers from the Stop Climate Chaos coalition of environmental and development groups assembled in Grosvenor Square, events began with a protest bike ride past the US embassy to Downing Street to hand in a petition calling for a tightening of emission targets.
The Bishop of London also led a ëService of Challenge, Commitment and Blessingí at Grosvenor Chapel.
The climax was a rally in Trafalgar Square with performers including singer KT Tunstall and Razorlight. Activists urged the government to negotiate an international deal to keep the increase in global warming to less than 2C.
On stage Tunstall said: “I’m here today because of the situation with the environment. We are screwing it up.”
A UN report published on the eve of the conference said Africa could suffer greater effects from global warming than previously feared, with the risk of widespread coastal flooding, substantial loss of animal habitat and lower cereal yields all likely in coming decades. Environmentalists said the continent needed help in dealing with a problem created by the industrialised world.
“Africa has made the lowest contribution to climate change,” said Achim Steiner, the executive director of the UN Environment Programme. “It is also the least prepared to cope with the consequences … and has the most to lose.”
The report states that rising sea levels could place 30% of Africa’s coastal settlements at risk from flooding by 2080. By then, more than a quarter of animal species’ habitats may have disappeared.
The report follows others by Christian aid agencies who have made similar claims.
Some churches also took part in a ‘power down’ on Saturday evening where they switched off their floodlights, joining businesses and public buildings with the aim of increasing ‘negawatts’ (and reducing megawatts) at local power stations. Green Party members of the London Assembly Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones also won the backing of London mayor Ken Livingstone to switch off the lights at City Hall.
Thousands rally against climate change
-06/11/06
More than 20,000 people, including many Christian groups, rallied in London at the weekend, calling for urgent action on climate change ahead of today’s UN conference on the issues in Nairobi.
As marchers from the Stop Climate Chaos coalition of environmental and development groups assembled in Grosvenor Square, events began with a protest bike ride past the US embassy to Downing Street to hand in a petition calling for a tightening of emission targets.
The Bishop of London also led a ëService of Challenge, Commitment and Blessingí at Grosvenor Chapel.
The climax was a rally in Trafalgar Square with performers including singer KT Tunstall and Razorlight. Activists urged the government to negotiate an international deal to keep the increase in global warming to less than 2C.
On stage Tunstall said: “I’m here today because of the situation with the environment. We are screwing it up.”
A UN report published on the eve of the conference said Africa could suffer greater effects from global warming than previously feared, with the risk of widespread coastal flooding, substantial loss of animal habitat and lower cereal yields all likely in coming decades. Environmentalists said the continent needed help in dealing with a problem created by the industrialised world.
“Africa has made the lowest contribution to climate change,” said Achim Steiner, the executive director of the UN Environment Programme. “It is also the least prepared to cope with the consequences … and has the most to lose.”
The report states that rising sea levels could place 30% of Africa’s coastal settlements at risk from flooding by 2080. By then, more than a quarter of animal species’ habitats may have disappeared.
The report follows others by Christian aid agencies who have made similar claims.
Some churches also took part in a ‘power down’ on Saturday evening where they switched off their floodlights, joining businesses and public buildings with the aim of increasing ‘negawatts’ (and reducing megawatts) at local power stations. Green Party members of the London Assembly Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones also won the backing of London mayor Ken Livingstone to switch off the lights at City Hall.