Every day, more people are waking up to climate change. What scientists predicted decades ago is happening right now. Last year has now been confirmed, by NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as the warmest year since records began in 1880. And the 10 warmest years in the instrumental record, with the exception of 1998, have now occurred since 2000.

The fact is that humans have, in the context of geological timescales, produced near instantaneous planetary-scale disruption. (See this link). And we have little time left to avert catastrophe. But those in power have not yet woken up, or are unwilling to act.

Following on from the tremendous success of the People’s Climate March in September, on March 7th 2015, the Time to Act on Climate Change march will bring people together again on the streets of London to demand real change and tell politicians seeking election that there is no mandate for climate-wrecking business as usual.

2015 is a crucial year for the climate. In December, governments will come together in Paris to strike a new deal for the climate – we must make our voices heard.

The groundswell is gathering momentum. Coaches have been booked from Derby, Nottingham and now Derby. The Derby coach ticket prices are £12 full price, £4 subsidised, £1 unwaged.  The coach will leave Full Street at 8.30 am. Tickets need to be booked as soon as possible. Click here to reserve your place. Note that arrangements are subject to change but we will keep you fully updated.

We are also looking for donations from sympathetic organisations and people. Donations can be sent  instead, or as well as buying a ticket; all you have to do is click here. Or contact us directly.

March 7^th  acts as a springboard for further campaigning in the run-up to the election (and of course throughout the year). We want to challenge all parties, nationally and locally, on their climate policies (or lack of!).

Here is a picture from Derby railway station this morning, January 5.

It shows only one woman in the picture (Nadine from the TSSA), but there were a lot more at the other entrance. In all we had about 15 people including two from the rail unions, an official from Unite, and activist from the FBU and a handful of environmentalists. The leaflets seemed to go down very well. None were thrown to the ground! Lots of people were seen to be reading them.

BBC East Midlands today came down (too early) and filmed some of us and we hope to be on East Midlands today at 6.30 pm. We were  also interviewed on Radio Derby. (Links to follow).

This action was one of about 55 that took place up and down the country. See the report on the People Assembly website.

Supporters may remember that the Council slashed severely the resolution on fracking, in effect saying that this is something that should be considered by the scrutiny board.

Well this met the 21st of October. A paper was prepared, by an officer presumably, and approved by two other officers. Note that officers are very unlikely to let there own views, or politics, to influence the report, therefore resulting in advice about procedures.   Continue reading Council Scrutiny board is intimidated →

PUBLIC MEETING

TIME TO ACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

7 pm, Wednesday, 19 November

St Peters Church (opp BHS)

St Peters Street,  Derby.

Please book your free tickets here

 This will help us deal with catering, but you can phone 07876595993 or email Derbyclimatecoalition@gmail.com  or just turn up on the 19^th.  Continue reading Time to Act On Climate Change Public Meeting November 19 →

Seven of us went down from Derby(shire) on a mini-bus to the London Peoples Climate Change march, (click here for a picture ) others went independently and others went elsewhere. The front of the march arrived at Westminster about 2 pm. I walked back to the end. It took 50 minutes and I got to the Embankment station. I then went back to the front, by then the rally was ending and many people were leaving. It will have taken about 90 minutes for the march to pass a fixed point. Sometimes 30-40 abreast. So I guessed there were 30,000 people there. Avaaz said 40,000.

Here are some more photos https://secure.avaaz.org/en/climate_march_reportback/?bXgsfcb&v=46379

Avaaz also said there were more than 2,700 demonstrations across the world. And 380,000 people in Manhattan.  The New York Times says the march was “a spectacle even for a city known for doing things big”,.

I believe there were a couple of hundred people in Nottingham (organised at very short notice), 400 or so at Sheffield, a couple of thousand in Manchester (focusing upon fracking and the Labour party conference) and more than two thousand in Bristol and Edinburgh

So all this is absolutely magnificent and should provide a fillip for activists up and down the country. We in Derby came back fired up, determined to do more locally, and to intertwine across the region and nationally. At long last the world might be waking up!

But the London demonstration also highlighted a weakness. There were very few trade union banners on the march. The million climate jobs argument can help provide a bridge.

Peter Robinson

Chair of Derby Climate Coalition