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Manchester FoE Call for Shoppers to Face Up to Climate Change

news release

On Saturday 14 July, Manchester Friends of the Earth (FoE) will be asking Manchester shoppers to face up to climate change. The group will be in St Ann’s Square asking passers by to have their photographs taken for a hugh photo-montage which will be sent to next week’s international climate talks in Bonn [1].

The environmental pressure group are urging Tony Blair and other world leaders to take urgent action on global climatic change (“global warming”) by implementing the “Kyoto Protocol” [2].

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the world’s leading body of climate scientists – predict average global temperature could rise 5.8C by 2100 as a result of human activity, and will change our weather (leading to an increase in extreme weather events), adversely affect many habitats, and cause sea level rises of up to 1 metre. The temperature is set to rise as a result of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. The worse culprit of these gases is carbon dioxide which is produced when fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, are burned to produce energy.

Manchester Friends of the Earth believe that it is imperative that the Bonn talks are a success and that countries start to actively, and urgently, implement measures in the Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Thousands of people will be taking part at a demonstration outside the climate talks, and photographs collected by the local group will be taken over to represent Manchester people who can’t make it in person.

Manchester Friends of the Earth’s climate change campaigner, Dr Michael Bane, said:
“Climate change is an issue that affects everyone. The talks in Bonn are crucial for the future of the planet. The extreme floods we experienced this winter could be just the tip of the melting iceberg. If we don’t act to prevent global warming now, our children and our children’s children will pay a heavy price.

We’re calling on shoppers to have their photo taken and to tell Tony Blair to face up to climate change by implementing the Kyoto Protocol.”

ENDS

For More Information
Michael Bane, Campaigns Coordinator, Manchester FoE:
0161 275 6134 (w) / 07 947 606 950 (m)

Notes to Editors
1. From Tuesday 16 until Friday 27, world leaders will be meeting in Bonn, Germany under the heading “COP (Conference of Parties) 6.5” to discuss the Kyoto Protocol.

2. The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and is a product of 10 years of negotiations. If implemented, industrialised countries will have to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5% (from 1990 levels) by 2012 at the latest. More information on the Protocol is available at http://www.unfccc.de/resource/convkp.html

Notes for Photo Editors
Manchester FoE campaigners will be available for a photo call in St Ann’s Square at 11am on Saturday 14 July. The campaigns will have large “I’m facing up to climate change” speech bubbles. Interviews at other times can be arranged by contacting Michael Bane on 0161 275 6134 (w) or 07 947 606 960(m)

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