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Climate Emergency Alternative UK Parliament

Peter Marshall | 16.07.2009 10:04 | Climate Chaos

In response to the muddled and inadequate response of the UK Government over the challenges of climate change, an emergency session of an alternative Parliament was held by the Campaign against Climate Change (CCC) on Wednesday evening, 15 July, in Old Palace Yard opposite the Houses of Parliament. Pictures Copyright (C) 2009, Peter Marshall, all rights reserved.

The main demands
The main demands

The Green Queen
The Green Queen

Tamsin hands out Climate Rush flyers for Dec 5
Tamsin hands out Climate Rush flyers for Dec 5

Bike power
Bike power

John Steward - No Tjhird Runway
John Steward - No Tjhird Runway

Chris Baugh, Assistant General Secretary PCS
Chris Baugh, Assistant General Secretary PCS

'Deeds Not Words' Tamsin Omond
'Deeds Not Words' Tamsin Omond

Phil Thornhill, CCC, speaking
Phil Thornhill, CCC, speaking


Around 150 climate activists turned up at 6pm to stand in the intermittent rain for a couple of hours, some taking advantage of the shelter of the plane trees to the side.

Four bills were debated at this parliament, calling for immediate 10% cuts in carbon emission by the end of 2010, the creation of 1.5 million new green jobs, an end to airport expansion and a ban on domestic flights, an end to the road programme and the introduction of an overall 55 mph speed limits as well as an informed government campaign about the effects of climate change.

The sitting of the emergency parliament was opened and closed by the ‘Green Queen’ and presided over by a speaker who lost his wig when Colin Challen MP, one of the speakers, pointed out that there had been a recent change to this effect in proceedings in the House over the road.

Other speakers included Darren Johnson, leader of the Green Group in the London Assembly, John Stewart of HACAN, Tim Helweg-Larsen, Director of the Public Interest Research Centre, Chris Baugh, Assistant General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and Deepak Rughani from Biofuelwatch.

Drew, a former worker from Vestas Blades UK Ltd on the Isle of Wight talked about the impending closure of the UK's only wind turbine manufacturing plant there with the loss of 700 jobs. The company is making profits here but is moving production to the USA to take advantage of the greater support from the US government under Obama.

The final session was a spirited call by Climate Rush’s Tamsin Omond, wearing her suffragette 'Deeds Not Words' sash, for everyone to join in and occupy Parliament at the end of the National Climate March on Dec 5 which was followed by CCC National Co-ordinator Phil Thornhill, who stressed the importance of the clearly argued political approach and mass demonstrations which the CCC has been organising for more than ten years.

Here is what the CCC site says:

The Climate Emergency should be the overriding priority of every politician and to which all available human and material resources should be immediately directed. Those in power, however, are not currently acting with anything approaching the degree of urgency and resolution required by the circumstances – until they do it is the duty of each and every one of us to do our utmost to influence them to do so. If they will not declare a Climate Emergency and act accordingly then we have to do everything possible to communicate that sense of emergency to others and to push for the action that it demands.
(from  http://www.campaigncc.org/ )

More pictures on My London Diary soon.
 http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2009/07/jul.htm#climate

Peter Marshall
- e-mail: petermarshall@cix.co.uk
- Homepage: http://mylondondiary.co.uk