Oxford World Development Movement Group (OxWDM) and Oxford Friends of the Earth brought the climate change message to Oxford's Cowley Road Carnival. A giant plane saying Climate Change Kills, 'flew' down Cowley Road as part of the annual procession.
Oxford WDM, campaigning on climate change, is concerned that this is the single biggest threat to the world’s poor, already responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in developing countries.
A climate change bill is currently passing through the UK parliament. This presents a unique opportunity to enshrine into law the frameworks within which the UK will reduce its emissions. But the government must get the bill right if it is to be effective.
Oxford WDM and Oxford FOE are asking for Oxfordshire's residents to take action and write to their MPs urging them to ensure that the climate change bill includes:
A carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction target of at least 80 per cent by 2050
International aviation and shipping emissions included in the reduction targets
WDM campaigners lobbying Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East. L-R: Sam Partington, Andrew Smith, Ruth Conway, Martin Conway, Kelvin Gascoyne, Andrew Hodgson, Jenny Nicholson
On Friday June 6th, at Rose Hill Community Centre, members of Oxford World Development Movement (WDM) lobbied Andrew Smith and presented him with a giant postcard as part of their campaign to toughen the Climate Change Bill currently going through Parliament, being debated in the Commons from today.
Kelvin Gascoyne of Oxford WDM said, "Andrew Smith will be involved in debates and will be voting on this Bill so we asked him to take science into account when discussing the issue in the Commons. The new law needs to demand cuts of 80% in emissions by 2050, with annual targets until then, and to include emissions from flights and shipping in the targets."
Climate change is the single biggest threat to the world’s poor, already responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in developing countries (see: summary) . These countries have not caused the problem, but are being hit first, and hardest, and have the least resources to cope. Rich countries like our own must do their fair share to reduce emissions because we create so much of them, and also because other countries will not listen to our arguments unless we lead by example.
Andrew Smith said he was sympathetic to WDM's point of view. He did not make any promises but said he would ensure he looked into the detail when the Bill goes to Parliament.
Sam Partington of Oxford WDM said, “It is not too late to do something about climate change to stop some of the worst catastrophes from happening, but our Government needs to act now. It is not good enough to set vague targets for years' time and continue to expect individuals to take action without the Government taking a lead.”
On Saturday in Carfax, passersby saw a larger than life Gordon Brown covering his eyes while playing with an aeroplane - hoping that aviation emissions will just go away. Oxford Friends of the Earth (FoE) and World Development Movement (WDM) joined forces as part of the 'Big Ask' National Day of Action to ask Gordon Brown and local MPs Andrew Smith and Evan Harris to stop ignoring aviation.
Karl Wallendszus, of Oxford FoE, said, "We want the Government’s new Climate Change Law to cover all sources of carbon dioxide emissions, including the UK’s share of emissions from international aviation and shipping, which are not included in the current proposed law." Andrew Smith and Evan Harris will have the opportunity to vote on this law when it is debated in Parliament later this month.
Aviation is a fast growing source of carbon dioxide emissions. Government figures published in January 2008 showed aviation accounts for 6.4 per cent of UK carbon emissions*. The impact of aviation emissions is double that of carbon dioxide alone because of other gases that planes emit**.
Kevin Meaney of Oxford WDM said, “It’s crazy for Gordon Brown to leave out climate changing emissions from planes and ships from the new Climate Change Law but that’s what he is doing. Why should our local industry and businesses be held to account for their carbon emissions but not the aviation industry? We hope our MPs, Andrew Smith and Evan Harris, will use their votes to call for a strong Climate Change law that covers all emissions.”
The Big Ask is calling on MPs to vote for a climate change law that: • Includes the UK’s share of emissions from international shipping and aviation • Commits the UK to cutting its emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 • Ensures steady progress by cutting emissions by at least 3 per cent a year.
To view the video of the stunt see Windows Media version below. If using Flash Player, click here.
Notes: 1. *www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics 2. **Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (2002). The Environmental Effects of Civil Aircraft in Flight (see www.rcep.org.uk/aviation.html).
Contact: Jenny Nicholson, Oxford WDM: 07766 676371 or Karl Wallendszus, Oxford FoE: 07908 315374
The Oxford WDM Group, along with a number community and local campaigning groups from the Oxfordshire area, have had a letter published in the Oxford Times, calling for improved target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the draft UK Climate Change Bill. Read the letter here.
Oxford WDM attended the Climate Chaos rally in London on Saturday 4th November 2006. Below are some pictures of the days events, including of Kelvin Gascoyne, who cycled in from Didcot!
Oxford World Development Movement (WDM) staged the "G8 Olympics" in Oxford City Centre on Tuesday 18th July, drawing attention to the fact that the promises made at last year's G8 Summit by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have not been kept. Oxford WDM members dressed as Bob Geldof and Bono judged others dressed as Blair and Brown in a triathlon of debt, aid and trade.
The 'more and better aid' limbo - the barrier high as their aims were low
Oxford WDM Secretary Kevin Meaney said, "After all the effort that people from Oxford put into campaigning to Make Poverty History last year we feel it's important that they know the promises have not been kept. We hope this event will encourage people to demand more action from their elected representatives."
corporate clones assisting Blair & Brown with jumping over the barriers to debt cancellation, with Geldof and Bono cheering them on.
Poverty in the developing world is not going away: in the year since the G8 Summit one child every three seconds has died from poverty, conflict and disease, while one woman every minute has died during pregnancy and childbirth. We now face a situation where most developing countries stand to lose more than they will gain from the agreements made by the G8 last year.
Blair and Brown take a look at the barrier to changing trade rules which are currently skewed in favour of rich countries, to the detriment of developing countries...
then walk away... they have no interst in making trade rules fairer.
Kevin Meaney said, "The most important promise, that poor countries would be allowed to decide their own economic policies, has been broken. Poor countries are being forced to privatise their water services, cut public services and open up to free trade before they are given the debt cancellation they were promised last year. We need to keep up the pressure on the Government to deliver a fair deal."
Oxford WDM, campaigning on climate change, is concerned that this is the single biggest threat to the world’s poor, already responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in developing countries.
A climate change bill is currently passing through the UK parliament. This presents a unique opportunity to enshrine into law the frameworks within which the UK will reduce its emissions. But the government must get the bill right if it is to be effective.
Oxford WDM and Oxford FOE are asking for Oxfordshire's residents to take action and write to their MPs urging them to ensure that the climate change bill includes:
