Mediterranean Climate Actions on 6/11
bod | 31.10.2001 23:44
The Mediterranean Social-Ecological Youth Network calls for an international action day on the 6th of November. Grass-roots climate activist networks in Northern Europe have said to support the Call For Action.
The Mediterranean Social-Ecological Youth Network calls for an international action day on the 6th of November. Grass-roots climate activist networks in Northern Europe have said to support the Call For Action.
Local action is the most effective response to global problems. Take action in your community and
STOP GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
6th November 2001
Mediterranean Day of Action against Climate Change
Between the 7th and 9th of November, ministers from across the world will gather in Marrakech, Morocco for the “COP 7” climate summit. This meeting will bring the political response to climate change into the Mediterranean region for the first time.
In the Mediterranean we can expect unbelievable upheaval if this process fails to take climate change seriously.
Greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2, are causing the temperature of the Earth to rise. This is causing the weather system of the planet to plunge into chaos – bringing droughts, flooding, heat waves, making millions of people refugees, and leading to the disappearance of animal and plant species. The industrialized nations are most to blame for this; an average Greek person produces nearly 7 times as much CO2 as a Moroccan. Independent climate scientists calculate that we need a reduction of 60-80% in CO2 emissions to stop climate change.
In the Mediterranean, and across the globe, CO2 emissions continue to rise.
So far, the international community’s response to this catastrophe has underestimated the desperate need for sweeping cuts in CO2 emissions. It has also established principles that will create deeper divisions between the North and the South.
The chaos that climate change will bring will be catastrophic for all nations. As ever though, it is the countries of the South that will be hit hardest. The richer countries of the Northern Mediterranean will struggle to cope with the enormous costs of climate change. For the developing countries in the area it will be impossible to afford measures to protect themselves. They will experience more problems as a result of the collapse of the weather system, and the financial costs to them will grow more rapidly. The economic gap between the North and the South - in the Mediterranean and around the world - will grow as a result of climate change.
The COP 7 meeting will extend the earlier failures of the climate negotiations. Now, the Kyoto Protocol relies so heavily on the faulty concept of "carbon sinks" that there is unlikely to be any reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, even if countries were to achieve their reduction targets.
The Bonn meeting in July 2001 also set up a global market in CO2 emissions, letting rich countries buy their way out of reducing the amount they pollute. The experience of the last 50 years - experience of the policies the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and of the World Trade Organization - shows us that "free-market solutions" are not solutions for developing countries. Emissions Trading looks set to make the gap between North and South still bigger. And make a healthy profit for the same old transnational corporations at the same time.
Recently there has been a massive increase in people's political involvement. Opposition to "globalization" has grown, with spectacular mass demonstrations in Europe. Throughout the Mediterranean, civil society movements are strengthening. Climate change will lead to greater unfairness in the world. If these movements are to be successful in creating a more just world then climate change must be stopped. This is an amazing opportunity though – the massive changes that dealing with climate change requires are a great chance to make the massive changes that will create the fairer world we want.
The MARE Network will be taking action in the entire Mediterranean area on the 6th of November. Actions will happen on the eve of the high-level climate talks in Marrakech. The political process is coming to the Mediterranean, and we are calling on all members of the network, and society as a whole - in the Mediterranean and elsewhere - to take action in your community.
By acting together we will send a clear message:
We desperately need ACTION NOW to cut CO2 emissions and win back the future
and
Any "solution" that promotes the interests of a wealthy few at the expense of the many is doomed to fail.
The actions can take any form you want - leafleting gas stations, organizing information events, demonstrations, direct actions against polluters - anything you feel inspired to do.
Mediterranean Day of Action against Climate Change
6th November 2001
For more information contact the MARE network (f.a.o. Greg) at
medsos@ath.forthnet.gr
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Checkout our homepage at
http://www.geocities.com/j18hellas
and our e-list which is situated at http://www.egroups.com/group/SustainableMediterranean
Local action is the most effective response to global problems. Take action in your community and
STOP GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
6th November 2001
Mediterranean Day of Action against Climate Change
Between the 7th and 9th of November, ministers from across the world will gather in Marrakech, Morocco for the “COP 7” climate summit. This meeting will bring the political response to climate change into the Mediterranean region for the first time.
In the Mediterranean we can expect unbelievable upheaval if this process fails to take climate change seriously.
Greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2, are causing the temperature of the Earth to rise. This is causing the weather system of the planet to plunge into chaos – bringing droughts, flooding, heat waves, making millions of people refugees, and leading to the disappearance of animal and plant species. The industrialized nations are most to blame for this; an average Greek person produces nearly 7 times as much CO2 as a Moroccan. Independent climate scientists calculate that we need a reduction of 60-80% in CO2 emissions to stop climate change.
In the Mediterranean, and across the globe, CO2 emissions continue to rise.
So far, the international community’s response to this catastrophe has underestimated the desperate need for sweeping cuts in CO2 emissions. It has also established principles that will create deeper divisions between the North and the South.
The chaos that climate change will bring will be catastrophic for all nations. As ever though, it is the countries of the South that will be hit hardest. The richer countries of the Northern Mediterranean will struggle to cope with the enormous costs of climate change. For the developing countries in the area it will be impossible to afford measures to protect themselves. They will experience more problems as a result of the collapse of the weather system, and the financial costs to them will grow more rapidly. The economic gap between the North and the South - in the Mediterranean and around the world - will grow as a result of climate change.
The COP 7 meeting will extend the earlier failures of the climate negotiations. Now, the Kyoto Protocol relies so heavily on the faulty concept of "carbon sinks" that there is unlikely to be any reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, even if countries were to achieve their reduction targets.
The Bonn meeting in July 2001 also set up a global market in CO2 emissions, letting rich countries buy their way out of reducing the amount they pollute. The experience of the last 50 years - experience of the policies the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and of the World Trade Organization - shows us that "free-market solutions" are not solutions for developing countries. Emissions Trading looks set to make the gap between North and South still bigger. And make a healthy profit for the same old transnational corporations at the same time.
Recently there has been a massive increase in people's political involvement. Opposition to "globalization" has grown, with spectacular mass demonstrations in Europe. Throughout the Mediterranean, civil society movements are strengthening. Climate change will lead to greater unfairness in the world. If these movements are to be successful in creating a more just world then climate change must be stopped. This is an amazing opportunity though – the massive changes that dealing with climate change requires are a great chance to make the massive changes that will create the fairer world we want.
The MARE Network will be taking action in the entire Mediterranean area on the 6th of November. Actions will happen on the eve of the high-level climate talks in Marrakech. The political process is coming to the Mediterranean, and we are calling on all members of the network, and society as a whole - in the Mediterranean and elsewhere - to take action in your community.
By acting together we will send a clear message:
We desperately need ACTION NOW to cut CO2 emissions and win back the future
and
Any "solution" that promotes the interests of a wealthy few at the expense of the many is doomed to fail.
The actions can take any form you want - leafleting gas stations, organizing information events, demonstrations, direct actions against polluters - anything you feel inspired to do.
Mediterranean Day of Action against Climate Change
6th November 2001
For more information contact the MARE network (f.a.o. Greg) at
medsos@ath.forthnet.gr +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Checkout our homepage at
http://www.geocities.com/j18hellas and our e-list which is situated at
http://www.egroups.com/group/SustainableMediterranean
bod