Climate Emergency Campaign

The Copenhagen Climate talks ended in a failure even worse than many had feared - even  if great steps were taken to build the global campaign for action and justice on climate (see here).

We need powerful national campaigns to force governments to act. Here in the UK our best chance to  influence the international community is by conspicuously bold action here at home - action that matches up to the scale of the Climate Emergency we face. The Campaign against Climate Change is demanding emergency action on climate that includes:

10% CUT IN EMISSIONS BY THE END OF 2010 - or within one year.

A MILLION CLIMATE JOBS - by the end of 2010 - or within one year -  through a GREEN ENERGY REVOLUTION  with massive investment in renewable energy, insulation programs, improved public transport etc... See more here.

BANNING DOMESTIC FLIGHTS - building a better train/coach network

55 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT - ending the roads program, massive investment in public transport

END AGROFUEL USE - and eliminate the demand for products associated with rainforest destruction. See more here.

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION PROGRAM - massive campaign to inform the public of the scale of the climate threat - booklet in every home, regular TV info, etc..

A Climate Emergency 'EARLY DAY MOTION'  was tabled by Colin Challen MP, that includes most of these demands:

 
Climate Emergency 'Early Day Motion'

Before the election there was an 'Early Day Motion'  EDM 189 (originally tabled as EDM 2057) put forward by Colin Challen MP that incorporates most of the Campaign's 'Climate Emergency' demands (it did not cover agrofuels but EDM 230 did -see here). An Early Day Motion is a statement made by MPs (they are sometimes the first stage in the genesis of an actual Bill) that other MPs can show their support for. The Climate Emergency EDM read as follows:

That this House recognises that there is a climate emergency and that the catastrophic destabilisation of global climate represents the greatest threat that humanity faces; further recognises that the world is already above the safe level of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration for a stable planet; further recognises the need to reduce this level to 350 particles per million or below; believes it is impossible to predict how close the world is to dangerous tipping points and that action to reduce emissions now is worth considerably more than doing the same later; further believes that immediate action is required to enact a program of emergency measures with substantial emissions reductions in the short term of the order of 10 per cent. by the end of 2010; further believes that the majority of money spent on reviving the economy should be on green measures and that at least two hours of prime time television per week should be used to explain the gravity of the crisis to the public; further believes that unabated coal and domestic flights should be phased out by the end of 2010, that a speed limit of 55 miles per hour should be introduced and investment made in energy efficiency and renewable energy, public transport and the retro-fitting of efficient insulation to existing housing stock technologies leading to the creation of a million green jobs by the end of 2010; and further believes that the introduction of such measures would send a positive signal to other countries leading up to the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen and beyond.

45 MPs signed up to the original EDM 2057 last autumn. This is much more than we envisaged, and shows that there is real support for emergency climate measures amongst MPs. But we need your help to build on this! The EDM was subsequently retabled as EDM 189 this year and this re-tabled EDM attracted 41 signatures. Some MPs signed both EDMs : the total number of MPs who signed either EDM was 69.  30 of these are still MPs after the election.

Here is a list of current MPs who signed the EDM:

 Is your local MP on this list ? Maybe you could get them to speak at a climate change meeting, or find another way of making use of their stated support for radical action on climate.

thisiscornwall.co.uk: Cut speed limit to 55mph - MPs

Yorkshire Post: MP urges cut in speed limit to save the planet

Herald Scotland: “Phase out UK flights by next year” MPs say

Morley Observer & Advertiser: Green MP in bid to reduce speed limit

Lancashire Evening Post: Save the planet... just slow down and get off the plane

If you know of any more then please let us know!