Help Shame Harper, Bush And Fukuda For Blocking Progress On Climate Change At G8

Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 05:10:58 -0700
From: avaaz@avaaz.org
Subject: G8 climate spoilers ad
 
Dear friends,

Canada, Japan, and the USA are blocking talks at the G8 on targets to
cut climate change by 2020. Donate now toward a full-page Financial
Times ad calling for action:

The ad uses the Japanese "Hello Kitty" cartoon to shame them for
their childish irresponsibility on climate. Click to see it:

The vast majority of the world's people want urgent, bold action on
climate change -- but here at the G8 summit, three politicians stand
in the way. Canada's Harper, Japan's Fukuda, and the United States'
Bush are refusing to discuss climate targets for the year 2020.

Scientists agree that the next 12 years will make or break our
response to the climate crisis. But if the facts haven't grabbed
these leaders' attention, something else might: humour.

Avaaz has arranged a full-page satirical advert for Tuesday's global
Financial Times newspaper, shaming Harper, Fukuda, and Bush for their
climate irresponsibility. The paper will be delivered to the hotel
rooms of every G8 delegate. Together, we can make it costly and
embarrassing enough that these leaders will think twice before
squandering another opportunity for climate progress. Click below to
make a donation to help cover the cost, and then pass this message to
friends and family!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/g8_2020_ads/1.php?cl=105803762

Why this last-moment push? Our strategy is based on two important
stories--Australia and Bali.[2]

At the UN climate negotiations in Bali, Harper, Fukuda, and Bush were
trying to block any reference to climate targets for the year 2020 --
just as they are now at the G8. But a global uproar turned the tide.
Negotiators from the global South rose, one after the next, to demand
that the spoilers step aside. Citizen groups in every nation raised
their voices -- including 320,000 Avaaz members in the final 72
hours. And a satirical full-page Avaaz ad in the Jakarta Post (a
remake of the Titanic movie poster featuring Harper, Bush, and
Fukuda) made headlines worldwide. A major Japanese paper later
reported that this ad was waved at a top-level Japanese cabinet
meeting -- leading to a step forward in Fukuda's climate policy.[3]

The second story, of Australia, shows what happens when humour
combines with mass political power.

In Australia, former Prime Minister John Howard was as bad on climate
as Harper, Fukuda, and Bush are now. Last fall, he chaired a summit
global summit, APEC, where he tried to paint himself as a world
leader on climate change. But Avaaz and other groups pushed back --
with stunts, marches, and a terrific parody television spot from our
friends at GetUp, exposing Howard's charade and demanding real
targets for climate emissions cuts. Climate change emerged as the
defining issue of the election -- and when Howard lost, the first
action of the new government was to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

Harper faces a difficult election this fall, and climate change is
emerging as a key issue. In the US, the campaign to succeed Bush
could hinge on climate policy. And Fukuda's political opponents are
challenging him sharply on how to confront the climate crisis.

In short, Our global efforts now can send political shock waves
through all three countries. It's up to us to raise a cry once again.
Done now, and spread the word:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/g8_2020_ads/1.php?cl=105803762

We can't always be certain of the results of our actions. But in the
face of the climate crisis, it's worth trying everything we can. We
make green decisions in our private lives. And when the big public
decisions are made, if enough of us stand together -- this time, next
time, and every time -- then, one way or another, our message will be
heard. Our leaders will change ... or we'll change our leaders.

With hope and determination,

Ben, Iain, Alice, Ricken, Paul, Graziela, Pascal, Veronique, Mark,
and Milena -- the Avaaz.org team

PS: The climate change ad is one of four full-page ads we're running
in the global Financial Times this week, all designed to multiply the
impact of member-driven Avaaz campaigns. Look for them in the paper,
or find them at http://www.avaaz.org/ads.

PPS: Here are the sources for this alert.

[1] Global and Mail: "Climate-change goals fall short at G8"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080707.G807/TPStory
/
and AFP: "Climate deadlock seen at G8 despite 'constructive' Bush."
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jP0zW0kW5h1m3Yl7omV7sk34R6hA

[2] See the ads and learn more about the Bali and Australia stories
at http://www.avaaz.org/climate-victories.

[3] Fukuda announced that Japan would adopt mid-term targets for
2020. That was a major step forward -- except that Fukuda now refuses
to include these targets in the G8 negotiations. Moreover, though
Fukuda has promised 2020 targets, he hasn't actually set them. See:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/09/japan.climatechange

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