Petition Planet Earth

Issue

In recent years there has been a shift in the debate about climate change. There is now no question that human induced climate change is happening, the debate now centres on how much and how fast the world's climatic patterns will change. Still missing from this debate is the human dimension, particularly the impacts of climate change on the planet's poorest people.

Climate Change and Climate Injustice

Overconsumption in the developed world is causing climate chaos. The energy intensive economy and lifestyle of the developed world, based around gross over-consumption of fossil fuels, is responsible for over 80% of all greenhouse emissions. Yet most of the people who are and have been seriously affected by climate change are in the developing world.

Climate Negotiations

The parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meet to review implementation and find agreement on how to best combat climate change. The conference in Copenhagen in December 2009 is the last time the parties will meet to form a new agreement before the period of action covered by the Kyoto Protocol ends.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change explicitly recognises that the rich, industrialised countries must take the first steps to tackle global climate change.

Impacts

The poor in the developing world are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The UN Environment Program summarises, "The predicted impacts of climate change would probably exacerbate hunger and poverty around the world... people who are highly dependent on farming, fishing or forestry will well see their livelihoods destroyed... The poor would suffer the most because they have fewer options for responding to climate change." 

The predicted impacts of climate change include increases in temperature; longer periods of drought; reduced agricultural yields; increased regularity and intensity of weather extremes (e.g. flooding, increases in cyclone intensity); and higher sea levels (including increased height in storm surges and threats to fresh water resources). These are all significant threats to livelihood, food security and quality of life.

The follow-on effects of these impacts include; increases in communicable diseases such as dysentery and greater numbers of mortality and illness related to heat stress (especially for vulnerable populations of the sick, elderly and children).

The UN Environment Program predicts the impacts of climate change may lead to mass migration, subsequent social and political conflict and loss of cultural identity. Island nations in the Pacific, Caribbean and South Asia are likely to be hit hardest and earliest, suffering salinisation of the water table and soil leading to significant damage to food production. Some low-lying islands may become totally uninhabitable, and entire populations become environmental refugees. Families on the Pacific islands of Kiribati and Tuvalu have already been forced to leave their homes. The vulnerability of these areas is increased due to limited financial and technological ability to adapt to climate change.

The Red Cross has assessed that changes in the environment and climate are the major reason people are forced to move from their homes. It is estimated there will be approximately 150 million environmental refugees by 2050.

Solutions

As a global community we need to remove the human causes of global warming and allowing the Earth to continue supporting our lives and the lives of all living beings.  

All countries need to ensure a drastic reduction of greenhouse emissions but it is the industrialised nations that need to lead this action. We need to create the framework for a transition to a healthier environment and more just society. The developed world must support poorer and more vulnerable nations and communities; providing support to refugees whose lives and homelands have been devastated by the impacts of climate change; foster transformation to sustainable and equitable development based on clean energy technologies; and address the inequalities of wealth, power and access to the earth's resources.

The people of developed world nations must consume less. A reduction in the consumption of greenhouse gas intensive energy in industrialised countries will have a dramatic effect on mitigating climate change and alter future predictions of environmental damage. We must bring an end to reliance on fossil fuels and shift to ecologically sound energy sources. Governments in the developed world must reduce financial and political support and subsidies for fossil fuel industries.

The Ride Planet Earth Project is creating a video petition that will be delivered to delegates at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen December 09, collecting messages throughout Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe on an epic cycling journey. Please be part of this project and sign this online petition which will also be delivered at the conference. Together we can and will make a difference.