Assemble 11.30 am Lincoln's Inn Fields (Holborn Tube)
Bicycle Ride Protest 9.00 am Thames Barrier (South Side, 10 mins from Charlton Rail) Via Greenwich (about 10 am) and London Bridge (about 11 am) to Lincoln's Inn Fields. More details here.
The main march will involve a parade of the flags of all the countries (129) that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and will go from Lincoln's Inn Fields via the ExxonMobil offices and the Australian embassy (Aldwych) to end at the US embassy for speeches at around 2.00 pm.
Speakers will include Caroline Lucas MEP (Green Party), Tony Juniper , Director, Friends of the Earth, Norman Baker MP (Lib Dem Shadow Environment Minister) and Fazlun Khalid from the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and the Environmental Sciences.
In February 2005 the world's first international agreement on emissions reductions comes into force (the Kyoto Protocol, subsequent to its ratification by Russia). This is despite all that the US, under George Bush, could do to prevent it.
The Bush administration which rejected the Kyoto Protocol in 2001, is dominated by oil men and the fossil fuel lobby. A network of Republican think tanks, funded by the fossil fuel corporate dollar (see www.Exxonsecrets.com) determines US energy policy and, under Bush, the US has put short term corporate greed before the vital interests of humanity as a whole. The refusal of the US to join the rest of the world in any kind of meaningful cooperative action to prevent the destabilisation of global climate threatens the future of everyone on the planet.
Though the Kyoto protocol does not go anywhere near far enough in reducing emissions and no international agreement can be really effective without the US on board, its coming into force is of immense political and symbolic significance. It demonstrates the rest of the world is willing to go ahead without the US, which is left isolated on the issue - with only John Howard's Australia (home of a huge coal industry) for company.
That is why this is the ideal moment to target the US on this issue, to make a stand for our childrens' future and to demand that the US join the rest of the world in taking action to prevent an 'eco-catastrophe' of almost unimaginable scale. At the same time it is an opportunity to remind everyone of the urgency of the issue and to point the way to the just and effective international agreement on emissions that we so desperately need.
Route Leave Lincoln's Inn Fields via Sardinia street, Kingsway, Aldwych, the Strand, Trafalgar Square, Pall Mall, Lower Regents St, Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly, Dover St, Hay Hill, Berkley Sq, Davies St, Grosvenor St to the US embassy, Grosvenor Sq.
To get to Lincon's Inn Fields from Holborn tube, turn left down Kingsway, and then take another left down a side street (either Remnant street, or the next left, Sardinia street) into Lincoln's Inn Fields : the march assembles on the far, South, side).
For the Cycle Route and how to get to the Thames Barrier (Assemble 9.oo am for photo-op, leave 9.30 am)
More info
info@campaigncc.org, 02088553327, 07903316331 INTERNATIONAL ACTION
We are also promoting international action on this day (February 12th). We feel it would be most appropriate and effective if the whole world protested together against the damage that the US is doing to its prospects for a secure future by refusing to cooperate in the fight against the destabilisation of global climate. We are inviting like minded people all around the world to organise 'climate protests' on February 12th - especially at US embassies and consulates. To check up on the progress of the international action go to
http://www.kyotofortheworld.net ---------------------------------
CLIMATE CRISIS
Public Meetings
Globalise Resistance (
http://www.resist.org.uk) has teamed up with the Campaign Against Climate Change to turn the spotlight on the US and Australia for being the only countries not to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol on emissions reduction. In the run up to the Kyoto Climate March we will be holding a number of Public Meetings on the 'Climate Crisis' (scale & nature of the Climate threat, politics of Climate change, how to fight the Bush administration on climate, building a movement to press for urgent action) around the country. Details of the meetings (available so far) are as follows:
Birmingham - meeting rescheduled for Thurdsay, February 3rd, see below.
Cardiff Tuesday, 25th January, 7.00 pm, at the Catholic Chaplaincy, University of Cardiff, 62 Park place, Cardiff CF10 3AS. Speakers include Tim-Helweg Larsen, lately of the Global Commons Institute with a presentation as given to the United nations at the COP Climate conference in Buenos Aires in December; Neil Crumpton from Friends of the Earth Cymru; Helen-Mary Jones, Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly spokesperson for the environment; and Phil Thornhill from Campaign against Climate Change. Contact 07811 835 345 or 07903316331.
Oxford Wednesday 26th January, 7.30pm. at The Vaults and Garden cafe at St Mary's Church, High Street, Oxford (entrance via Radcliffe Square).
Talks and climate change slideshow by Mark Lynas and George Marshall; with Jo Hamilton, 'No New Oil' campaigner, Oxford councillor Craig Simmons (Green Party) and Anna Hoyles from Globalise Resistance; chaired by Phil Thornhill from Campaign against Climate Change. Organic, fair-trade bar available for snacks and drinks including beer and wine.
Liverpool meeting resurrected - see below.
Brighton Thursday, January 27th 2005, 18.00-20.00 pm, at the Chichester Lecture Theatre, University of Sussex
A Meeting on 'Global Climate Change' with Mark Lynas, author of 'High Tide: News from a Warming World', Dr. Mayer Hillman, author of 'How We Can Save the Planet', Keith Taylor, Brighton & Hove Green Party Parliamentary candidate and Phil Thornhill from Campaign against Climate Change.
Manchester Thursday, January 27th, 7.00 pm at Cross Street Chapel, Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL
Speakers include Chris Davies MEP (Lib Dem), Steven Durrant, Green Party ppc for Manchester Central, Dave Coleman from Manchester Friends of the Earth and Graham Thompson from Campaign against Climate Change.
Bristol Monday, January 31st, 7.30 pm at the Central Quaker Meeting House, River street, Bristol 2.
Speakers include Mike Birkin from South West Friends of the Earth, Charlie Bolton from Bristol Green Party, Ann Lemon from Globalise Resistance and Phil Thornhill from Campaign against Climate Change.
Norwich Tuesday 1st February, 7.30 pm at the Friends Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane (off St Giles Street- directly down the hill from the side of City Hall). Map here . Speakers include Tim-Helweg Larsen, lately of the Global Commons Institute with a presentation as given to the United nations at the COP Climate conference in Buenos Aires in December; Norwich councillor Adrian Ramsey (Green Party), Marie Bunting from Globalise Resistance and Phil Thornhill from Campaign against Climate Change.
Southampton Wednesday 2nd February. 7.00 pm at Southampton University on Highfield Campus in the Nuffield Building Lecture Theatre A. Speakers include Phil Thornhill from Campaign against Climate Change, Dave Hubble, local Greenpeace Co-ordinator and Anna Hoyles from Globalise Resistance; chaired by Southampton Friends of the Earth.
London Thursday, 3rd February, 7.00 pm at the Edward Lewis Lecture Theatre, University College London, on the corner of Howland Street and Cleveland street - under the Post Office Tower [PLEASE NOTE NOT GOWER STREET AS LISTED EARLIER & ON SOME LEAFLETS], London.
Speakers: George Monbiot , Jean Lambert MEP (Green party) and Tony Juniper, Director, Friends of the Earth, with Jonathan Neale from Globalise Resistance, Harfiyah Haleem from the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Phil Thornhill from the Campaign against Climate Change.
Birmingham Thursday February 3rd, 7.30 pm at Carrs Lane Church Centre, Top Foyer. Contact Birmingham Friends of the Earth, 0121 632 6909.
Speakers: Clare Short MP , Fazlun Khalid, Director of IFEES ('Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences', Barney Smith from Birmingham Green Party, a speaker from Birmingham Friends of the Earth and Graham Thompson from Campaign against Climate Change; chaired by Chris Crean, co-ordinator West Midlands Friends of the Earth.
Liverpool Friday February 4th. 6.00 pm in the 'Heart and Soul' Restaurant/Bar, 62 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool 3. Contact Clara Paillard 07910 097 607, clarouf[at]yahoo.fr A speaker from Globalise Resistance, Phil Thornhill from Campaign against Climate Change and Frank Kennedy, North West Co-ordinator for Friends of the Earth.
