Global Day of Action

Global Day of Action is a direct action environmentalism initiative begun in 2005 by the Global Climate Campaign and created to focus world attention on the anthropogenic effect that humans are having on global warming. Its main objective is to spearhead demands that elected representatives of their respective governments honor commitments set forth by the Kyoto Protocol, by conducting in unison peaceful demonstrations around the world. The demonstration, or rallies, are intended to coincide with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a meeting of world leaders from 189 nations, that meet annually to discuss climate change.

History

In response to entering into force of the Kyoto Protocol, following ratification by Russia, on February 16, 2005, Global Day of Action rallies were on December 3, 2005 to coincide with the UNFCCC's "First Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol", or MOP 1, in Montreal, Canada. The following year on November 3 and 11, 2006, rallies were conducted again when the UNFCCC convened for the "Second Meeting of Parties", or MOP 2, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Locations of demonstrations in 2005

# Sydney (Australia)
# Bangladesh
# Brazil
# Sofia (Bulgaria)
# Montreal (Canada)
# Chile
# Congo (Democratic Republic of)
# Zagreb (Croatia)
# Helsinki (Finland)
# Paris (France)
# Berlin (Germany)
# Athens (Greece)
# Dublin (Ireland)
# Indonesia
# Italy
# Japan
# Mexico
# Wellington (New Zealand)
# Nicaragua
# Oslo (Norway)
# Peru
# Manila (Philippines)
# Lisbon (Portugal)
# Romania
# Moscow (Russia)
# South Africa
# Barcelona (Spain)
# Istanbul (Turkey)
# Uganda See more
# London (England)
# Edinburgh (Scotland)
# Belfast (Northern Ireland)
# United States
# Venezuela

2007

The most recent Global Day of Action event, entitled "Kyoto Now!", occurred on December 8, 2007 to coincide with the UNFCCC's conference, otherwise known as COP 13/MOP 3, convening Dec 3-14, 2007 in Bali, Indonesia. Numerous groups and coalitions, as well as independent grassroots efforts, were organized in over eighty countries worldwide to march in open rallies in support of this initiative. Chief among them was Campaign against Climate Change, Stop Climate Chaos and Greenpeace.

There were citizens in 84 [cite web
url=http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org/
title=Global Climate Campaign
accessdate=2008-02-03
format=html
work=International Demonstrations on Climate Change] countries - fifty more than the first year - participating in simultaneous rallies and marches around the world. Industrialized, G8 nations like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, UK, and USA had multiple rallies - 36 in Canada alone - being planned in cities nationwide.

In Athens, a Saturday demonstration featured music, juggling and stilt-walking acts, with traffic being interrupted around Syntagma Square by the 102 organizations taking part [cite web
url=http://www.ana.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=5955008&maindoc

title=ANA-MPA © (2004-2005)
accessdate=2008-02-03
format=html
work=Action Against Climate Change rally in Athens] . In Taiwan, about 1,500 people marched through the streets holding banners and placards saying "No to carbon dioxide [cite web
url=http://torontosun.com/News/World/2007/12/09/4715118-sun.html
title=Brian Gray, Sun Media, 2007-12-02 © (2007), Canoe Inc.
accessdate=2008-02-03
format=html
work=TO joins world for climate rally ] ." Toronto activists also congested its main thoroughfare of Yonge Street, with an estimated 2000-3000 marchers [Estimate according to Toronto Police and Security Services measuring the percentage of Dundas Square being occupied at the time of the demonstration] , although another report estimated 500 [http://torontosun.com/News/World/2007/12/09/4715118-sun.html TO joins world for climate rally: Protesters urge stronger action, By Brian Gray - Sun Media, Dec. 9, 2007] ] . Speaking at that event under a sunny sky, which began at Dundas Square, was NDP federal party leader Jack Layton, and an impassioned and well received speech, in both French and English, by 12 year old Misha Hamu [ [http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20071208/climate_change_rally_07128/20071208?hub=TorontoHome Activists gather in T.O. for climate change rally - toronto.ctv.ca] ] . Elsewhere in Canada, a mock funeral was conducted in Edmonton [ [http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2007/12/08/4714781.html Mock funeral for Mother Earth - Edmonton Sun, Dec. 8, 2007] ] , where black-clad protesters sang songs and gave eulogies over a long black coffin, and David Suzuki spoke at a rally in Vancouver.

In Bangalore [ [http://sify.com/sports/cricket/fullstory.php?id=14573027 Greenpeace volunteers paint Chinnaswamy stadium yellow, December 8, 2007] ] , more than 1000 volunteers of Greenpeace descended on M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, dressed head to toe in yellow, holding up a large number of placards with climate messages, making human art formations and wearing fun masks. Greenpeace Southeast Asia [ [http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/day-of-climate-action071208 Global Day of Action on climate change - Greenpeace] ] , Thailand celebrated their event by releasing their new edition of "Save the Climate Handbook" at Chatuchak weekend market, which also featured a demonstration clinic on solar energy. In Istanbul there was over 7000 [ [http://gallery.globalclimatecampaign.org/node/2443 Global Action Group (KEG)] ] participants rallying under a clear blue sky.

In Berlin, German ice sculpture artist Christian Funk, carved a polar bear out of 15 tons of ice in front of the Brandenburg Gate on December 7, 2007, in honor of the protest. Measuring 4m x 4m x 1.5m, it was on display all the following day as it slowly melted [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/09/tech/main3595484.shtml CBS News] ] . In London over 10,000 [ [http://www.campaigncc.org/ Campaign against Climate Change] ] supporters turned out in the rain carrying placards denouncing a planned expansion at Heathrow Airport of a third runway [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2145139.stm BBC News] ] .

Locations of demonstrations in 2007

#Albania
#Andorra
#Argentina
#Australia
#Austria
#Bangladesh
#Belarus
#Belgium
#Benin
#Bermuda
#Bolivia
#Brazil
#Bulgaria
#Burundi
#Cameroon
#Canada
#Colombia
#Congo (DR)
#Costa Rica
#Croatia
#Czech Republic
#Denmark
#Egypt
#Finland
#France
#Germany
#Ghana
#Greece
#Guinea
#Iceland
#India
#Indonesia
#Ireland
#Italy
#Japan
#Jordan
#Kenya
#Lebanon
#Liberia
#Macedonia
#Malta
#Mexico
#Morocco
#Nepal
#Netherlands
#New Caledonia
#New Zealand
#Nicaragua
#Nigeria
#Northern Ireland
#Norway
#Pakistan
#Palestine
#Panama
#Paraguay
#Philippines
#Poland
#Portugal
#Puerto Rico
#Romania
#Russia
#Scotland
#Senegal
#Serbia
#Sierra Leone
#Singapore
#Slovenia
#South Africa
#South Korea
#Spain
#Sri Lanka
#Sweden
#Switzerland
#Taiwan
#Tanzania
#Thailand
#Togo
#Turkey
#Uganda
#Ukraine
#United Arab Emirates
#United Kingdom
#United States
#Uruguay

See also

*An Inconvenient Truth
*Climate change
*Earth Day
*Individual and political action on climate change
*World Environment Day

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org/ Global Climate Campaign]
* [http://www.campaigncc.org/ Campaign against Climate Change]
* [http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/ Stop Climate Chaos]
* [http://www.climatechaos.ca/ Stop Climate Chaos - Canada]
* [http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change/take_action/global-day-of-climate-action Greenpeace]