CLIMATE CHANGE: THE VICTIMS BEAR WITNESS

Dike-Building Action Planned for Hague Summit

While Governments listen to the dinosaur energy-industry lobbyists that want to wreck the Kyoto Protocol and avoid confronting the true causes of climate change, climate disasters are wrecking lives and local economies around the world.

"Gathering Storm", a new publication from Friends of the Earth International, sets out the latest evidence on dangerous climate change as well as moving eye witness testimony from survivors of Hurricane Mitch, the Mozambique floods and other recent extreme weather events.

FOEI has also announced a major action outside the Hague talks on Saturday 18th November. Thousands of protestors will build a Climate Change Dike around the conference centre. Present will be witnesses of extreme weather events from around the world.

In the run-up to The Hague November meeting, the stance taken by many EU member states could end up in a recklessly weakened Kyoto Protocol, riddled with loopholes and get-out clauses. Two recent reports of the European Parliament Environment Committee described the Commission's outline for a European climate change programme as "unambitious and non-commital" and criticizes moves to "relegate domestic policies and measures to an unacceptably insignificant role."

Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest environment network with groups in more than 65 countries, wants Governments at COP VI to:

ensure that the Kyoto Protocol results in real and permanent emissions reductions through the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.
commit industrialised countries to achieving 80% of their Kyoto target through cuts in emissions at home.
agree the principle of equity for future emissions reductions, based on an equal per capita approach and on the principle of ecological limits.

Commenting, FOEI Climate Campaigner Roger Higman said:
"Our report sets out the latest shocking evidence on the extent of climate change, and the damage it will do to health, security and the environment. It also contains moving testimony of the human costs of weather disasters. The world's Governments must seize the last chance offered to save the Kyoto agreement in the Hague this November. Otherwise millions of us around the world will pay a terrible price for their failure. We'll be in the Hague throughout the talks demanding that the planet's politicians finally face up to their responsibilities."

Friends of the Earth contacts:

Howard Mollett (Press contact): +32-2-5420189
Roda Verheyen (Climate contact): +44-7771-843216

the report | background