Strike for Climate Action - prison dispatch from Jeffrey Free Luers

Strike for Climate Action - prison dispatch from Jeffrey Free

March 20, 2009

Twenty years ago governments of the world met for the first ever
climate talks. The talks, then, focused largely on the growing hole
in the world’s ozone layer (a hole that still exists today) and the
need to eliminate CFC emissions (which also still exist today though
in much smaller amounts). The other climate item on the agenda was
global warming. Scientists warned that there was growing evidence
that the world was warming, possibly due to human activity much like
the root cause of the ozone hole.

Unfortunately, in 1988 it was decided that global warming did not
pose a significant threat to warrant action. The problem could wait
to be addressed.

Nearly a decade later, in 1997, the governments of the world met for
their annual climate talks in Kyoto, Japan. The United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a panel of the
world’s leading scientists from countries around the globe, presented
growing evidence that the world faced a severe threat from climate
change. These scientists concluded that the single largest
contributor to climate change were human greenhouse gas emissions,
most notably carbon dioxide (CO2).

For the first time since the inception of the climate talks, world
leaders agreed action was needed to combat climate change. The world
took notice with a collective gasp as 180 governments pledged their
support to a worldwide climate treaty to reduce CO2 emissions in an
effort to conquer global warming.

In 2007, a decade after Kyoto and twenty years since the first
climate talks, the IPCC declared in its strongest language yet that
the world faced imminent global catastrophe unless immediate and
drastic action was taken to reduce and then eliminate greenhouse
emissions.

In the years following the Kyoto protocol, the United States – the
highest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita in the world – pulled
out of the treaty. CO2 emission around the world continued to rise.
Governments that had promised to reduce emissions failed to impose
strict limits, instead relying on voluntary cuts from industry. As
industries refused to limit their emissions and governments balked at
regulation, the Kyoto protocol collapsed.

The U.S. and numerous other countries with high greenhouse emissions
have steadfastly refused to cut CO2 emissions, claiming that doing so
would harm their ability remain economically competitive.

In the face of the largest economic collapse in world history,
brought about by the very same green, deceit and malfeasance of the
worlds most powerful multinational and government deregulation that
has allowed CO2 emissions to go unchecked. Government and corporate
claims that reducing emissions would create economic hard ring hollow.

People around the world put faith in our governments and institutions
to act on our behalf and in our best interests. Our governments have
had 20 years to act on global warming and climate change. 20 years to
act on a threat that the world’s leading scientists say is the
greatest threat to human kind the world has ever faced.

Climate change is the greatest threat to human kind the world has ever faced.

Not war or nuclear weapons, no a falling GNP or economic collapse,
but climate change. And our governments tell us they won’t reduce CO2
emissions because it could – not would, but could – hurt the economy.
In reality governments are being pressured by corporate interests
that don’t want to reduce emissions or switch to a non-carbon based
economy because they would have to invest money to do so – money that
would otherwise go into corporate coffers or executive bonuses.

This December, world leaders will again meet for climate talks in
Copenhagen, Denmark. While protests are sure to greet the conference,
we must not limit our influence on the climate discussions to
protesting them.

Climate change will impact the lives of every human being in the
world. The poorest will be hurt the most. Many are already suffering
its effects. We must send our leaders a message in the strongest of
languages. One which every nation understands. A message that cannot
be ignored.

On December 11, we must unite for a day of international solidarity;
we must demand immediate and real action on climate change, not more
false promises. We must strike for climate justice.

This is an urgent call to unions, workers and concerned citizens
around the world. Organize in your workplace, in your union halls, on
your streets. On December 11th, we must unite.

Failure of our governments to take immediate action to regulate and
reduce CO2 emissions will cost human lives and untold economic loss.
It is not companies or governments that will suffer, but ordinary
people in every town and city, in every nation.

It is in our hands to demand action. It is in our hands to show our
leaders the true cost of inaction. Workers unite. Demand action.
Strike for climate justice on December 11, 2009.

Jeffrey Free Luers
http://climatestrike.wordpress.com/
http://www.freejeffluers.org

write to Jeff:
Jeffrey Luers # 13797671
CRCI
9111 NE Sunderland Ave
Portland, OR 97211-1708