-
A National Renewable Energy GridAustralia should set an international example by implementing the plan designed and fully costed by Beyond Zero Emissions environmental organisation and The University of Melbourne Energy Research Institute. In the absence of any agreed plan to rapidly phase out the burning of fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions are set to go on increasing for decades. This will prevent any chance of restricting global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius. As James Hansen of NASA bluntly states "The target that has been talked about in international negotiations for two degrees of warming is actually a prescription for long-term disaster." The current Australian target of 5% reduction of emissions by 2020 is dangerously inadequate. A target of 40-60% by 2030 is needed and may still be within reach if we begin construction of a national renewable energy grid over a ten year time frame without more loss of time. With accelerating release of methane from permafrost and the ocean floor, a positive feedback effect we could do nothing to slow could lead to runaway and irreversible warming, causing temperature rises of three to four degrees or more above pre-industrial. This would be disastrous for all life on the planet. We must stop burning fossil fuels. A national and international wind and solar transition scheme is urgently needed, technically achievable, and humanly possible. Ref: Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan – http://bze.org.au/ I believe Australia’s great resource of sunlight should be the opportunity for the country to lead the world in exploiting this renewable energy. – David Suzuki “The time has come, once and for all, for this nation to fully embrace a clean-energy future.” - Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, June 2010 Image: SOLUCAR PS10 afloresm306 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Harry Stevens
-
Ecocide is a Crime against Peace and needs an additional International Law to Stop it.Our environment is unprotected from the misuse of its abundant assets. Damaging it ultimately damages all living organisms of which Humans are just one. Perils such as climate change, toxification of land, river systems and oceans, loss of tropical and temperate rain forests with all their dependent species and loss of polar and mountain glacial deposits are some of the well known consequences of Ecocide in action, unchallenged by an unaware populace in who's name the destruction is excused. This must stop and we all must say it. The world already has produced 4 laws that protect peace that can be enforced in the International Criminal Court including the crime of Genocide. An additional law, Ecocide would protect all species that enjoy an ecosystem from deliberate harm to the system. This would disincentivise investments in corporations who damage our environment and would make CEO's of them liable to criminal charges if they break the law. This legal process has already been proved to work in a mock trial in 2011 in London, UK. Please will you also sign the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) which has a legal standing? www.endecocide.eu670 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Greg Dance
-
Stop coal-based Rampal power plant and save Sundarban.Sundarban is the world’s largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO world’s heritage site. This proposed power plant is going to be built within 14 km of the forest, more precisely just 9km away from many reserved sections of the forest. This will definitely have a devastating and irreversible impact on the Sundarbans, its ecology and biodiversity. For establishing this 1320 Megawatt power plant, Bangladesh will need to import about 4.72 million tons of coal each year. This massive freight will need about 59 ships each having an 80,000 ton capacity that take to the port which is 40 Kilometers away from the plant and its route cuts through the Sundarbans. The scale of impact is beyond doubt and that has stirred the local dwellers and environmental activists to stop this dangerous project. Many esteemed organisations, political parties and national leaders have spoken against the Rampal plant. The message has been simple - “There are many alternatives to generate power, but Sundarbans has no alternative”. We need you to join the struggle and build international support to stop the Rampal plant, demand alternative energy and preserve the beautiful forests of the Sundarbans.3,602 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Marzia Israt
-
Climate Justice for TuvaluansTuvaluans are not as aware of the reasons why they are experiencing extreme climatic changes. Most just think that it is an act of God that is constantly punishing people for various reasons through droughts especially. This not only shows ignorance of the facts and reality around them but a need to change mind sets so that people can easily adapt and also prepare them for the worst to come. Tuvalu is one of the smallest island nations in the world and it is almost ignored in the international arena because of its population and land mass size. The international arena may not be paying so much attention because we have no wealth in terms of GDP and GNP. However, just because we do not have monetary significance as a developing small island nation we are humans and deserve the rights afforded upon all to have a home, identity, language and self determination. Most Tuvaluans have no clue of what the climate justice stance Tuvalu has as in where will we be moving if sea level rises to a point where people are forced to migrate? Where will our 10,000 Tuvaluans live in 50years time? What plans do we have in terms of fighting climate change? Are we asking developed and powerful nations to mitigate? Are we just going to sit back and try to adapt as best possible? So many unanswered questions need to have answers.385 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Lisepa Paeniu
-
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, on our climate threatThe year of 2013 has witnessed 3 MAJOR STRIKES on the climate front. ONE - passing the mark of 400 parts per million of atmospheric carbon, in MAY 2013. TWO - a study was released in AUGUST 2013, revealing the fastest acceleration yet, of acidification in the ocean, marking ten times the norm, which was substantiated by a Columbia Univ study in March 2012, indicating the pace of ocean acidification has no parallel in 300 million years. THREE - at the writing of this petition, a major city - San Francisco - is currently threatened by wildfire, potentially shutting down its water and power supply - AUGUST 2013. World cities are showing constant threat now from wildfire, floods and hurricanes.17 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Priscilla Rich
-
Foot paths and Bicycle Tracks shoud be mandatory for urban roadsThe last mile mobility should not be by Fossil Fuel powered vehicles. The rate of growth of cars and 2 wheelers powered by petroleum products is contributing to the dangerous raise of green house gases and fast raise of global temperatures. More immediate effect is urban heat Islands that is making life in cities unbearable during summer months. So a shit to pedal power and walking is to be encouraged by design of the roads.18 of 100 SignaturesCreated by George C Paul
-
BBC news reporting should feature a regular climate change reportThe BBC has a responsibility to licence fee payers to report items of interest to the general public. Arguably, the single most important newsworthy item both now, and into the foreseeable future, is global warming and climate change. Now, more than ever, national -- and international -- education on the facts of human-induced climate change is ever more relevant for informed debate on action. The BBC is perfectly placed to take a leadership role in this important area. Featuring a climate change report in the BBC's standard programming schedule would be immensely useful in counteracting the ongoing, and very damaging, effects of myths and misinformation.973 of 1,000 SignaturesCreated by Colin Reynolds
-
Stop LNG Exports in Oregon!Without fracking there would not be enough gas to export. Hydraulic fracturing is a process that pollutes and uses huge amounts of drinking water, compromises public health, and threatens agriculture. This type of gas extraction is bitterly opposed by communities across the country. Liquefied natural gas is also extremely dangerous to transport, because it is highly volatile. An accident at either of the proposed Oregon terminals could easily wipe out large portions of the North Bend, Coos Bay, and Warrenton communities. Close to 17,000 people live in the hazard zones of concern for the Coos Bay project alone. Residents up to a mile away could receive second degree burns within 30 seconds if an LNG pool-fire were to develop. The proposed facility is in sight of the town's mall, schools, and commercial airport. These risks become even more frightening given the high probability of a major earthquake and tsunami in this region over the next 50 years. The proposed terminals would be fed by a series of pipelines that would cross hundreds of fish-bearing rivers and streams, public and private lands, acres of pristine forest, and many Oregon towns. Landowners will have their property taken by eminent domain, receiving a one time payment while assuming the continued devaluation and risk. These LNG export terminals would do nothing to lower energy prices, while threatening North Bend, Coos Bay, and Warrenton residents with increased pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This means increased respiratory and other health problems, especially for "at risk" children and elders. The terminals would compromise local industries, like farming, fishing, and tourism while deeply impacting unique coastal ecosystems, including a federally protected estuary. Export of LNG is no future for Oregon. We want a better vision!54 of 100 SignaturesCreated by JC Williams
-
Say NO to an Oil Terminal in Vancouver WAThe proposed oil terminal would bring five miles of oil trains through the beautiful Columbia River Gorge to Vancouver every day. The oil would be transferred to tanks, and then barges or ships to be taken to California or maybe abroad. The Oil Terminal and Oil Trains would: • Kill two jobs for each job it might create • Endanger a million people with trains that explode • Kill the Vancouver Waterfront Development • Change Vancouver from green to grimy • Endanger our salmon industry • Depress downtown development in Vancouver • Degrade air quality and endanger our health Furthermore it is urgent that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We should not build more fossil fuel infrastructure. All the car makers have cars in production that exceed 80 MPG equivalent. We don’t even need the oil.1,700 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Don Steinke
-
Climate Action Now - Together Herefordshire people CAN address Climate ChangeClimate Action Now - CAN - aims to give a voice to ordinary people, resident in Herefordshire, who are concerned about the impact of Climate Change but who may not have known how to make their views and feelings known to their political representatives. 97 per cent of Climate Change scientists conclude that man-made Climate Change is a reality. The scientific evidence is now so compelling that, if a ‘business as usual’ approach continues, there is a 50:50 chance that the average global temperature is likely to rise by 5 degrees centigrade or more relative to 1850 by the turn of the century. According to the report of the International Panel on Climate Change in 2007, a moderate international body of climate experts from around the world, the effects of this on the lives of our children and grandchildren would be devastating : crop yields would be decimated, dangerous extreme weather events such as flooding, heatwaves and hurricanes would become commonplace, large tracts of the world’s agricultural land would become desert causing widespread famine, many animal and plant species would be lost forever, sea-level rise would threaten to obliterate coastal areas and cities and severe water shortages in some parts of the world would be likely to lead to mass migration and political and social instability. The last time the planet was this hot was nearly 100 million years ago when dinosaurs lived in rain forests at the north pole and most of Europe was desert. Our existing human economies and natural ecosystems could not be sustained at such a temperature rise. Lord Stern, an economist who wrote the respected Stern Report on Climate Change in 2007 which was based on his consultations with a wide range of international climate specialists, speaking at this year's Hay Festival, told the audience that things appear to be a lot worse than when he wrote the report. This is because the climate models used then did not take account of the positive feedback effects of Climate Change. For instance, the rapid melting of the polar ice-cap causes the sea to absorb more of the sun's heat whereas the white ice reflected it back into space, the melting of the permafrost regions is releasing massive amounts of methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon, into the atmosphere, and vast tracts of tropical forests which previously absorbed carbon have been destroyed. Climate Change is happening a lot faster than was previously thought. We are already experiencing the effects of Climate Change. The unstable weather and the increase of extreme weather events in this country and across the globe has been felt by all. The NFU has reported a one third drop in wheat production this year, 2013, due to extreme weather. Putting short-term economic goals ahead of halting Climate Change would be disastrous for future generations because, if Climate Change proceeds at the current rate unchecked, there is unlikely even to be a viable economy as we know it by the end of the century or before. Many researchers believe that it may already be too late to prevent global warming reaching a tipping point where Climate Change becomes irreversible and will threaten the very survival of the human race but while there may still be a chance to take effective action this should be the utmost priority for our politicians. We cannot specify which actions should be taken but we need to know clearly that our political representatives are prioritising this critical issue with the utmost seriousness and urgency. There are many economists, ecologists, scientists and renewable energy experts who tell us that there are solutions to avert runaway Climate Change, but only if we act now with determination, focus and international co-operation. It is vital that government policies urgently address the impact of Climate Change. As representatives of our parliamentary and local government voice we urge you most strongly to support our concerns at every opportunity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------685 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Wendy Harvey
-
Stop Dirty Energy Development in Santa Barbara!The fossil fuel industry has recently targeted California's Monterey Shale and other heavy oil reserves as their latest get-rich-quick scheme. They've calculated that there are 15.4 billion barrels of dirty oil underneath our feet -- about as much as would flow through the Keystone XL Pipeline over 40 years if it were approved. The industry plans on using "enhanced techniques" to get at this oil, such as fracking, cyclic steam injection, and acidization. Each of these techniques is dangerous and unnecessary. This expansion project alone would generate 88,000 tons of global warming pollution per year, or the equivalent of an additional 17,000 cars on Santa Barbara County roads. And that's just to get the oil out of the ground! Nobody has calculated the emissions from transporting, refining and burning this dirty oil. The Santa Maria expansion project would inject 300,000 gallons of water per day to heat up the oily sludge underground. That's water our farmers would otherwise use for irrigation. Santa Barbara county has a choice: do we prioritize renewable energy and scarce natural resources, or do we keep investing in dirty, dangerous fossil fuels?797 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Max Golding