Thousands say: 'Climage Change Action Now'

Montreal, December 3 2005, the movement for climate action exploded onto the streets of Montreal.

At the convergence of two marches outside the conference centre, 40,000 people marched through the streets of Montreal to demand government action to counteract the already perceivable effects of climate change. The Montreal protests were part of worldwide protests in over 30 countries. The march coincided with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) meetings in Montreal (Nov. 28 – Dec. 9). On the day when the politicians were arriving, the demonstrators the message that action – not just words – is needed to stop climate change.

The march, organized by a Montreal based environmental NGO, stated the following as demands (see www.3dec2005.org):

- “During the UNFCC conference, all countries ... must make important steps towards the negotiation of a long term, ambitious and fair plan to intensify the global fight against climate change that will be ready to adopt in 2008 and ready to implement in 2012.”

- “As the host ... Canada must act as a leader to facilitate action in the global fight against climate change.”

- “Canada must also increase its domestic efforts to prevent climate change. It must not only achieve, but surpass its commitments taken under the Kyoto Protocol. It must also give itself a strong action plan to green its economy, to make its society sustainable and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent to 80 per cent by 2050.”

The UNFCC “Meeting of Parties”, as the meeting in Montreal was called, had a mandate to resolve how Kyoto is to be implemented by the signing countries and what the next steps beyond Kyoto should be to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb the effects of climate change.

Prior to the march, at 10:30 in the morning, 100 people demonstrated outside the US Consulate demanding “USA, join the world”.

But during the march, far more signs pointed the finger at the Liberals and the Canadian government for their terrible record as one of the world’s worst polluters.

Many people attended from a coalition named Energy Action in Vermont as well as people representing other US climate change campaigns. Liz Veazey of Energy Action (www.energyaction.net) presented their “Declaration of Independence from Dirty Energy” at the Consulate.

Ted Glick of the Climate Crisis Coalition said that over 650,000 people and counting have signed their petition demanded that the US federal government act to curb climate change. Chris Miller of Greenpeace USA pointed out the distinction between ordinary Americans and the Bush administration and Tom Kelley reported on the US Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, signed by 188 municipalities in the US (see www.seattle.gov/mayor/climate), challenging cities to adopt the goals of the Kyoto protocol and not wait for Bush: “Americans are with the world, it is Bush who is not”, he said of the movement in the US.

These heartening messages help shatter the myth that Bush’s stance on Kyoto represents the ordinary people of the US. Although Kyoto does not go far enough, it would be a victory to drag the Bush administration kicking and screaming into the global emissions reduction agreement. Then we will need to keep up the pressure on all our governments to continue moving forward. Montreal shows that we can build mass mobilizations linking these struggles together to create a powerful movement.

In every locale across the country we need climate change coalitions that focus on educating and mobilizing people in their own communities to help counteract climate change. But we also need to help coordinate more international actions that address the concerns that climate change represents.

Hundreds of thousands of people on the streets throughout the world demanding action on climate change is a qualitative step forward for the environmental movement, showing that this issue holds the interest of broad layers of people.

In addition, the troubles of the Bush administration have vindicated what the anti-war movement has said all along and validated mass mobilization as an effective strategy.

One of the most heartening things about Montreal that was clear by the presence of a new generation of students, is that many new people are getting involved for the first time. Many of these people were brought into political activity by the huge anti-war mobilizations that have been organized over the past three years.

For more infomation on local climate change activites go to www.ACTfortheEarth.org.