from Sunday Herald, 09 December 2007
An innovative new campaign is to be launched in Scotland this week to help communities take action to cut the pollution that causes global warming.
The launch follows a global day of protest timed to put pressure on the governments which are meeting in Bali, Indonesia, to decide the world's next moves to combat climate change.
There were more than 60 protests around the globe yesterday, including a march and rally in Glasgow. In Dumfries a Bangladeshi student, Ahsanul Kishore, walked in simple clothes to raise awareness of the problems faced by his home country.
As many as 10,000 people had been killed by a recent hurricane in Bangladesh, he pointed out. “I have never marched before, but I feel I must because of these disasters that are affecting people and children of the world and my home country,” he said.
“I am asking people to act now, reduce pollution, use energy efficiently, do not drive when you don’t have to. Please do not let your negligence be our life sentence.”
Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “In the cold dark days of December global warming might seem remote but the nations gathering in Bali to begin to negotiate a new treaty hold the fate of civilisation in their hands.”
On Tuesday, Scottish Education for Action and Development (SEAD), a campaign group based in Edinburgh, will be unveiling ‘Switch on to Climate Change’, a grassroots programme encouraging people to combat global warming in their areas.
Instead of urging a series of individual actions like fitting low-energy light bulbs, the campaign will back collective action, and warn against “false solutions” like carbon trading and offsetting.
“Communities need to be engaged with the issues and know that big changes are possible," said Lorraine McCauley from SEAD. “That is why we will focus on case studies of community action that are influencing policy and that flag up barriers to tackling climate change and then break through them.”
There were numerous places across the globe where communities were successfully taking action, including the sustainable street movement in Australia and transition towns in the UK. “Listening carefully to communities who want to make changes but feel blocked and then supporting them and enabling them to come up with creative means of achieving their aims is the way forward,” McCauley argued.
I have just dicovered your bril blog.
Cynefin y Werin (Common Ground) is an all Wales network of organisations which promotes equality, peace, justice, human rights and co-operation between nations, peoples and communities on the basis of sustainable environmental, economic and social development.
We are campaigning against the massive privatised military training academy coming to Wales to train 10,000 young people for war! This government is privatising military training no less. How crazy is that and who to, arms dealers Raytheon, dodgy corporations like Qinetiq and Serco. You might worry about who they will they be training, mercenaries and anyone from anywhere with the money! Stop the arms dealers and US taking over our military. Sign our e-petition today! See http://www.cynefinywerin based at the Temple of Peace Cathays Park Cardiff.
http://www.cynefinywerin.org.uk
Posted by: anne | 09 December 2007 at 12:39 PM