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I was reading this article on BBC News about U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki Moon opening the international climate talks in Bali with “a call to action”. He made it pretty plain: the planet is in crisis and we have to do something NOW. However, the thing about U.N. General Secretarys is, they are employed to say all the right things while the guys who are really in charge just keep nodding wisely and then going ahead and doing as they please. So my heart always sinks when I read that kind of article because I know what happens next. And then I read this article of which I’d say this is the key heart-sinking bit:

Professors Sir David King and John Schellnhuber say the world is more than 50% likely to experience dangerous levels of climate change. They believe politicians have been too slow to cut emissions. Current science suggests that above 2C, billions of people will face water shortages, the world’s food supplies could be threatened and widespread extinction could be triggered. Neither scientist believes that the world would achieve the goal of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of stabilising emissions by around 2015.

Now bearing that in mind, isn’t it amazing that the guys in power are still reluctant to actually do anything? And then I received a mail from Avaaz which, well here’s the key bit from that:

Working late, negotiators were nearing consensus that developed countries should pledge post-Kyoto emissions cuts by 2020–a step which the scientists say is needed to avert the worst ravages of global warming, and which will help to bring China and the developing world onboard. But…

“But what?” I hear you ask (tremulously). Well, it seems three very powerful industrialised countries are rejecting all talk of emissions cuts out of hand and effectively rendering the entire debate meaningless. (Wonders!) Can you guess which three? Well, the US is in there of course (no surprises), and Canada too (why Canada I wonder? I always thought Canadians were nice. Boring. But nice…) and then (drum-roll please!)…..

…Japan! (Woot!)

So, in light of the fact that the politicians who are framing our future and who really ought to be working for us are clearly not doing so, Avaaz has started an emergency campaign. Here are the details:

…we’re launching a global emergency petition before the summit climax in 48 hours. We’ll deliver our message every way we can — a stark full-page advertisement in the Financial Times Asia, stunts at the conference gates, direct to country delegations — telling Canada, Japan and the US to accept the option of post-Kyoto targets, and the rest of the world to settle for nothing less.

Please take a moment right now to sign the new global emergency petition — then tell all your friends: http://www.avaaz.org/en/bali_emergency/

…We’re doing everything we can. Tens of thousands of Canadian Avaaz members have launched an ad campaign telling their government not to betray them — our Japanese members are emailing their leaders — while our American members will send their own message to Bali as Al Gore and Congressional and local representatives land there, asking negotiators to ignore the official US delegation because it does not represent them.

Coming from every country on earth, all of us can play a direct role in the Bali face-off by signing this global emergency petition — delivered at the summit gates, in a full-page Financial Times ad, and direct to delegates. Add your name at this link, act now and spread the word — we have just 48 hours:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/bali_emergency/

Now as always there is of course the very valid line of reasoning that no matter how many people petition, those guys in suits will just go ahead and do what they want to do anyway. However, sometimes these things do have an effect, and you know, even if there’s just the teeniest tiniest chance that it may do some good, if it makes the difference between being doomed and not doomed, I’ll choose not doomed. I signed the petition. Quickly now! You sign it too!