One of the biggest and scariest, if not THE biggest and THE scariest, threats to this planet is global warming. We helped build and organise a big protest in London against the threat.

As with many of the other threats to the earth it is being exacerbated by the multi-nationals and George Bush. Bribed as he is by the major oil companies there was no chance that Bush was going to sign the Kyoto Treaty (in which industrialised nations pledge to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 5%).

Since to come into force the treaty requires 55 countries, who collectively produce 55% of the world’s carbon emissions to sign, and the US produces 25% of all emissions, this created a problem. However 142 other countries did sign and once Russia finally came on board the necessary number was reached. The treaty came into force on 16th February 2005, 90 days after Russia ratified. This left the US and Australia as the only two major non-signatories.

The coalition Campaign Against Climate Change, of which Globalise Resistance is a part, organised a demonstration the weekend before celebrating, with their national flags, those countries which had signed and protesting outside the embassies of Australia and the United States. For about a month before the demo Campaign Against Climate Change arranged talks with speakers from among others Greenpeace, Globalise Resistance, the Green Party and Friends of the Earth to inform people about climate change and to encourage them to come on the demonstration.

The Campaign Against Climate Change was also instrumental in getting hundreds of people to demonstrate in other countries such as Greece, Bangladesh, Brazil, Japan (Kyoto) and Belgium.

Another even larger London demonstration is being planned for November when climate talks will be held in Montreal. Groups from India, Italy and the US are also planning demos or actions.

Anna Hoyles