What You Can Do for Climate Justice TODAY #cop15
This message comes from Josh Lynch, an organizer with AVAAZ Action Factory:
Friends -
On Tuesday morning I posted this note on facebook:
“If you could see what is happening here in Copenhagen you would be outraged. After two decades of negotiating climate change policy to death, wealthy countries are blocking a real deal with weak targets and loopholes. The next 72 hours I will need you to act to seize the moment of Copenhagen. Please be prepared to act.”
Now is the time to act. First I will ask for what is needed. Then I will explain some context.
1. This is going to sound crazy. I need as many of you who possibly can to organize a sit-in in your Senator’s office to read 12 millions names of global voices demanding a fair, ambitious, and
legally-binding climate treaty in Copenhagen. The first sit-in of this kind was a nine-hour act of civil disobedience by 19 international youth outside the main plenary in Copenhagen. This sparked solidarity reader sit-ins at the Canadian Prime Minister’s office and the U.S.
State Department on Thursday. On Friday youth are calling for a non-violent civil disobedience to demand a fair, ambitious, and binding climate treaty on the final day.
Here is a guide to help you pull it off:
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/12/17/solidarity-sit-ins-spread-resources-for-your-own-event/
The original story:
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/12/17/live-blog-youth-activists-refuse-to-leave-before-everyones-voices-are-heard/
2. Call President Obama (202-456-1111) to urge him to “support the call of the most vulnerable nations for a 350ppm carbon reduction target and a goal of keeping temperatures below 1.5 degrees celsius in the global climate treaty.” This has been a critical demand of vulnerable nations in Copenhagen fighting for their survival.
That’s it. Now some context as promised.
A TRANSFORMATIONAL MOMENT
These are no ordinary times. The moment to tackle climate change on a global scale was twelve years ago. The US opted out of Kyoto and has since fought for business as usual while the planet remains in desperate need of a heart transplant and the worlds’ poor face increasing famine, flooding, and disease. In this unique moment, world leaders must act.
More than 100 heads of state are now in Copenhagen. It has already become a transformational political moment for the climate movement. Everyone is talking about the backlash for Danish police to peaceful demonstrations and the preemptive move by the UN to kick out 14,700 members of civil society before the high level summit on the final two days. What’s even more important than the silencing of our voices in Copenhagen is the fact that President Obama and the U.S. Congress have yet to listen to the voices of millions of their own citizens and those around the world calling for an ambitious, fair, and binding global climate treaty now. I can tell you from being in the belly of the beast – our voices WILL be heard.
RICH AND POOR: OUR FATES ARE BOUND TOGETHER
Small island nations, Africa, and developing countries that are least responsible for global warming pollution have shown the most leadership and courage for a fair, ambitious, and binding treaty in Copenhagen. They have worked without office space out of small booths
with NGOs, and withstood intimidation and isolation from wealthy countries throughout COP15. All of us who live in the U.S. and other wealthy nations must know that our fates are all bound to theirs. Experts warn that if we allow warming to reach 2 degrees celsius, the rich may build levees to hold back the seas for a while, but resource conflicts will escalate, crops will fail, and diseases will spread in every corner of the planet. As Africa burns and the people of Tuvalu and the Maldives are forced to evacuate their islands, the planet will reach climate tipping points that put the future of all humanity at risk.
STEPS FORWARD TODAY
The COP15 climate talks have stalled these past ten days over and over again on the issue of low ambitions from the US and other wealthy countries and the issue of ensuring the treaty is legally-binding. Today there was finally movement on both fronts. First, Hillary Clinton arrived and shocked many by supporting a global finance target for developing countries of $100 billion/year by 2020, conditional on strong measures to ensure transparency in the use of the funds. Afterwards, China came out and supported some steps to allow transparency of climate finance reporting, an issue they had previously stood steadfast against for sovereignty concerns.
There now does seem like there could be a reasonably ambitious deal in Copenhagen. We are still more likely to end up in a collapse or delay scenario, I am hearing. Regardless, countries will need to return in 6-12 months to finish the details of the agreement. The problem with even the optimistic end of the current scenario is that ‘close enough’ doesn’t cut it on climate change. If carbon emissions are slashed, but not enough to prevent the Greenland ice shelf from melting, sea levels are expected to rise by six feet – with devastating consequences for coastal cities like New York, London, Amsterdam, and hundreds more.
THE REAL STORY OF COPENHAGEN
There is so much hope and possibility amidst the crisis of Copenhagen. A global movement is growing up here. Simple solutions that create jobs for people living in daily poverty are gaining global attention. The world’s most vulnerable are finally gaining the attention of world leaders – if not with actions, at least with words. What gives me hope is the resolve of people living in crisis who I’ve met here in Copenhagen. People in our group have talked to people from Lebanon, Israel, and Sudan who have lived with conflict their whole lives, but have come here because of climate change and a solidarity they feel with others around the world ready to do something about it.
I hope that you will act with me today and hold President Obama accountable to restoring global good will and reaching a real deal in Copenhagen. Further, I hope the stories of what has happened here these past two weeks and for me, four weeks before that, will leave you inspired rather than discouraged. Struggle is to be expected when something really matters. It is the only way change is possible.
With love and conviction,
Josh
