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Auckland – December 7 2007 - Aucklanders will get the chance to show their concern over climate change this weekend and help send a message to political leaders that urgent action is needed to solve this global crisis.

As part of a Global Day of Action (GDA) on climate change, the Be The Change campaign (1) is hosting a Climate Rescue Carnival at Western Park in Ponsonby on Saturday, December 8.

As well as MC Clarke Gayford, live music from Steve Abel and AK Samba, and food and entertainment, the carnival will offer people the chance to be part of a giant human banner, which will spell out a message to be sent around the world and to political leaders currently in Bali negotiating the second phase of Kyoto (2).

Aucklanders will be the first across 85 countries to send a message that urgent global action is needed on climate change.

“The jury is in and it’s now widely accepted that this is the single biggest threat that’s ever faced civilisation,” said Be The Change spokesperson Jo McVeagh.

“Many of us have taken steps in our own lives to reduce our contribution to the problem, but it’s not often you get a day where everyone can band together and show that we care about the crisis, and are prepared to do something about it.

“The GDA will bring many thousands of people together around the world to demand immediate and effective action from our political leaders in tackling climate change.”

The Be The Change campaign has toured New Zealand over the past month, via a biodiesel-fuelled bus. Ms McVeagh said the tour had proved that New Zealanders were deeply concerned about climate change, and already taking action in their own lives.

“We’ve travelled from Bluff to Auckland, holding open days and talking to individuals, schools and communities. What’s come through is an overwhelming commitment from people to do their bit.

The Be The Change website http://www.bethechange.org.nz has quickly become a vibrant online community where people are networking and discussing ways to combat climate change.

The website features a weblog and videos from the bus as it tours the country.

“The risk is people think the climate change problem is too big. It’s not. Every little bit helps and once you get a whole lot of people making small changes, it really makes a difference. This really is an all-hands-on-deck situation. We're all in this together so we all need to be involved in the solutions.”

*Images and video footage of the human banner will be available after the event

1. The Be The Change campaign is a nation-wide campaign to tackle climate change, spearheaded by Oxfam, Forest & Bird and Greenpeace. Launched in late October, it aims to engage and encourage individuals and communities across New Zealand to take a range of achievable actions in their everyday lives to minimise their greenhouse gas emissions. It is also recording and publicising these actions via its community website www.bethechange.org.nz

2. The 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Bali from 3-15 December will shape the ambition, content, process and timetable for the negotiation of the next stage of the Kyoto Protocol (ie – post 2012) including the setting of mandatory global emission reduction targets. These are widely considered the most crucial international climate talks to date.

ENDS

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