Cambridge campaign aims to stop climate change

Public Meeting 7.30 pm, 7 January 2004, Emmanuel URC Church, Trumpington Street, Cambridge.

The Cambridge Simultaneous Policy Adopters Group will be holding a public meeting with the title: "Achieving sustainable energy use" at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 7th January. Dr. Jonathan Köhler will present information on the problem of climate change - blamed in part for the freak weather experienced around the world in recent years - and ways to address it. Dr. Köhler will argue that existing agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing pollution are not doing enough to address the problem. John Bunzl, author and Director of the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation, will discuss how campaigners can compel politicians to bring in the changes necessary to guarantee our future survival. Measures being promoted by Cambridge Environmental Office to household improve energy efficiency will also be highlighted.

Dr. Jonathan Köhler, a member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Norwich ( http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/) and Cambridge University Department of Applied Economics ( http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/dae/people/kohler/index.htm) has researched and written on topics including climate change, energy use and ecotax to promote reduction in greenhouse gases. He has commented that the UK Government has a target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 60% of 1990 levels by 2050, but is short on policy action. Wind power takeup is small and it is questionable whether the Government will meet its target of 10% renewable use in 2010, and 20% in 2020. Combined Heat and Power installations have almost stopped.

John Bunzl is the author of "The Simultaneous Policy" and "Monetary Reform - Making it Happen!" (the latter with James Robertson) and is founder and Director of the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO). The Simultaneous Policy (SP) is a package of measures being developed by SP Adopters around the world, in policy fora such as that taking place on Wednesday. SP Adopters pledge to vote for any politician, within reason, who promises to implement the policy package when all or nearly all other governments have made a similar pledge. The Cambridge SP Adopters Group is calling on candidates at the forthcoming European elections to sign up to the SP process.

Mike Brady, Coordinator of the Cambridge SP Adopters Group (CAMSPAG) said: "Our insatiable demand for energy is not only blamed for causing climate change, but is creating a scramble for resources. Rich countries use far more than their fair share of the world's oil reserves. This cannot go on forever, particularly if we are serious about improving the standard of living in poor countries. We have to radically re-think the way the world uses energy and plan how to manage this. If politicians are failing in this task, it falls to we, the people, to discuss and develop the policies we want to see implemented. If our politicians refuse to take our ideas on board, they lose our votes. Everyone is welcome to become an SP Adopter and take part."

Documents from the meeting will be available on the CAMSPAG website at  http://spdev.gn.apc.org/ and can be discussed using the BBC iCan message boards (follow the link). CAMSPAG's first policy forum was on "Making all trade Fair Trade".

For further information contact: Mike Brady 07986 736179.