Copenhagen Diary
Posted: Thursday 10th December; last updated: Tuesday 15th December
Four Fifers went to Copenhagen this weekend for the UN climate change summit – see previous news story below. The group – David Hansen of Inverkeithing, Susan Horsman of Cupar, Ros Browning of Kirkcaldy and Francis Stuart of Falkland – travelled overland, by train and bus, via England, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany then into Denmark. This travel diary tells some of the high points of their trip…
Friends of the Earth Scotland campaigners on their way to Copenhagen. Fifer David Hansen is on the right-hand side.
Thursday 10th: The party from Friends of the Earth Fife travel to London by train and stay overnight.
Friday 11th: after a 4.30 am start and a 6am photocall with Helen Baxendale, the Fife contingent catch the Eurostar train from London to Brussels. The journey then continues by coach to Copenhagen.
Saturday 12th: Our intrepid campaigners arrive in Copenhagen in the early hours (after a delay at the German-Danish border – security is tight) and find their accommodation for the next 2 nights – a school hall.
Saturday was busy taking part in the mass rally for climate justice through the streets on Copenhagen, with an estimated 100,000 people taking part. The group carried messages and a petition collected at Kirkcaldy Farmer’s Market to the Bella Centre where the crucial talks are taking place.
Ros Browning of Kirkcaldy, marching for climate justice in Copenhagen.
David Hansen (left) and Susan Horsman in Copenhagen.
Sunday 13th: the group were free to explore Copenhagen (or rest after a very long few days).
Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th: after a 15 hour coach journey and the return Eurostar to London, the group travel back to Scotland, tired but in good spirits – they have done all they can to make sure world leaders know how strongly people feel about climate change.
“With others in Friends of the Earth Fife I have done all I can to get
my MP, Gordon Brown, to represent me at the talks”, said Ros upon her return, “we now urgently need him to clinch a deal at Copenhagen that will prevent dangerous climate change.”
Fife Activists Travel To Copenhagen For Climate Summit
Posted: Wednesday 9th December
Four Fife members of Friends of the Earth are going to Copenhagen this week as part of a Scottish delegation travelling over land to attend the climate march “The Flood” in Copenhagen in December.
Friends of the Earth Scotland has organised a group of 30 activists from Scotland, who have all paid for the trip themselves, to join “The Flood for climate justice” 12 December. It will take the campaigners two days reach the Danish Capital, via trains to London and Brussels, and then coach and ferry the rest of the way.
Susan Horsman, of Cupar, said: “I’m going to Copenhagen because I think that reaching an international agreement on managing carbon emissions at this point is crucial if we are to have a chance at preventing global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees. Copenhagen is a great opportunity to show the politicians how strongly we feel about climate change, and to emphasise the need to take action now.”
David Hansen of Inverkeithing said: “I want to demonstrate support for a proper solution to the climate crisis. I want to encourage the Prime Minister, who used to be my MP, to do more. I have been campaigning on climate change for several years. This conference will not be the end of climate campaigning, but if it is not the beginning of the end then politicians have let society down badly.”
Friends of the Earth is asking rich nations take a lead and make a serious commitment to tackle climate change during the discussions in Copenhagen. The Scottish Government has commited to reduce emissions by 42% by 2020, and we need other developed countries to commit to similar cuts. Our “Big Ask” campaign helped shape the outcome of the world-leading Scottish Climate Change Law in 2009, showing the way for Europe and the rest of the world.
Climate justice is a call for developed countries to live up to their historical responsibility for causing climate change and cut domestic emissions, as well as helping developing countries to grow cleanly and adapt to climate change.
Penguins in Kirkcaldy!
Posted: Saturday 28th November 2009
Penguins at Kirkcaldy Farmer's Market on Saturday 28th November
Penguins, climate refugees from the Antarctic, visited the Farmer’s Market at Kirkcaldy this morning.
The penguins were collecting messages from the public, which will be given to local MP Gordon Brown. Copies of the messages will also be taken to Copenhagen in December for the UN climate change talks. The penguins also encouraged humans to go to the Wave demonstration in Glasgow on 5/12/09
www.stopclimatechaos.org/thewavescotland .
The penguins, assisted by Friends of the Earth Fife, came from the Antarctic to campaign to save the humans. They are calling on world leaders to commit to a fair and credible deal on climate change at Copenhagen. They want the agreement to recognise that rich countries have done the most damage to our climate and they should take action first.
