Blackout London

4th November 2006

http://www.workface-limited.co.uk/html/blackout.html

You are invited to take part in the largest demonstration of People Power that London has ever seen on Saturday 4th November 2006, by turning off all your lights, and switching off all your non-essential electrical equipment.

Climate Change is already compromising the water supply, crops, habitat and livelihoods of millions of people worldwide, and threatens to undermine the Global Economy within a few decades, as well as creating waves of Climate Refugees, and driving countless animals and plants to extinction.

The principal cause of Global Warming is the rising Carbon Dioxide emissions into the atmosphere from the burning of Fossil Fuels, for electricity generation, transport, manufacturing, industry, space heating and air conditioning.

Remember, remember, the fourth of November!

For one day in November, we are asking everyone who receives this message to think about what they can turn off, switch off and unplug, to show support.

We want the power demand in the United Kingdom to reduce so much that the newspapers are obliged to report it.

We want the lights to go out in London, so that on the night of 4th November 2006, the dimming effect will be visible from space.

To protect us from the Enemy of Climate Change, we need a War on Energy Abuse. Just like Britain during World War Two, we need to see a Blackout all over London.

Celebrate The Night Of Power: Turn Off! Switch Off! Unplug!

If you are a security guard for an office block in London, please ask your employers when you should be turning the lights out. If you are a church warden, please check with your church council to see if they agree to switching off the floodlights. If you are working for your local Council, ask if you can help them implement an energy reduction plan to turn off lights, computers and fans at the weekend. If you are at home, switch off your set-top boxes, pull all the chargers out of the wall sockets, turn off lights in any room you are not using, switch off any machine with a digital clock in it, unplug the hi-fi and the TV and the games console, de-frost your freezer, switch off your fridge for a couple of hours. Turn the central heating thermostat down to 16 degrees and put a woolly sweater/jumper on if you're cold.

Power cut

Blackout London is being called by the same group that organised the Power Cut on 31st August 2006, and is being promoted by workface :-
http://www.workface-limited.co.uk/html/blackout.html
http://www.workface-limited.co.uk/html/powercut.html

Come off it!

Blackout London is being called in cooperation with Come Off It ! the campaign from Dave Hampton, the Carbon Coach, as part of a series of regular events to produce negawatts - negative power demand - from the People's Power Station :- http://www.carboncoach.com/comeoffit/index.html

Stop climate chaos

Over 2 million people in the United Kingdom are members of organisations that have been invited by Stop Climate Chaos to take part in the I-Count event in Trafalgar Square, London on Saturday 4th November 2006.
I-Count is a national campaign to invite people to pledge to reduce their personal Carbon Dioxide emissions, and the I-Count Total Carbon Saved will be celebrated on 4th November 2006 :-
http://www.icount.org.uk
http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/66.asp

Big ask

Friends of the Earth are running the Big Ask campaign up until 11th October 2006, encouraging everyone to ask their UK Member of Parliament to support the Climate Change Bill. Big Ask Members of Parliament will be speaking at the Stop Climate Chaos rally in Trafalgar Square, London on Saturday 4th November 2006 :-
http://www.foe.org.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/big_month/index.html
http://www.foe.org.uk

Climate march

The Campaign against Climate Change is calling for people from all sectors of society to join the Global March for Climate Justice on 4th November 2006. The Climate March will hear speeches at Grosvenor Square, London at 12 midday under the shadow of the United States Embassy before moving off to join the I-Count rally in Trafalgar Square, London :-
http://www.campaigncc.org
http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org
http://portal.campaigncc.org

Carnival of climate chaos

People and Planet are holding a street carnival of Climate Chaos on 4th November :- http://peopleandplanet.org/november4

Guy Fawkes

We need to return to the time of Guy Fawkes : light candles instead of lightbulbs; burn wood instead of Natural Gas; travel by foot instead of by car; power our labour with windmills and water mills instead of coal-fired electricity generation.

To support Blackout London and the Climate Rally, instead of holding your Bonfire Party on 4th November 2006, please hold it the Saturday afterwards, or enjoy your bonfire and fireworks on 5th November 2006 itself.

Links

Global Commons Institute : http://www.gci.org.uk
Stop Climate Chaos : http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/66.asp
I Count : http://www.icount.org.uk
workface : http://www.workface.org
Campaign against Climate Change forum : http://portal.campaigncc.org
Campaign against Climate Change : http://www.campaigncc.org
Global Climate Campaign : http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org
Christian Ecology Link : http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk
Operation Noah : http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/noah/index.htm
Big Ask : http://www.foe.org.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/big_month/index.html
Climate Outreach Information Network : http://www.coinet.org.uk
Quaker Green Action : http://www.livingwitness.org.uk
People & Planet : http://peopleandplanet.org
Speak : http://www.speak.org.uk
Year of Living Generously : http://www.generous.org.uk
Take Global Warming Seriously : http://www.tgws.org.uk

Technorati Tags: Energy; Oil; Environment; ClimateChange; Nuclear;

The solar potential

Solar power can deliver electricity to more than two billion people and provide more than two million jobs with an annual investment of 113bn Euros by 2025

This is in a new report, Solar Generation [4MB pdf], from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and Greenpeace International.

This excellent report is packed with vital statstics and shows what industrial and political moves are required to let solar pv reach its full potential and become cost competitive.

Also see: European Photovoltaic Industry Association

Technorati Tags: Energy; Environment; ClimateChange;

UK's first climate road map

The UK now has a comprehensive roadmap to a low carbon economy that would deliver on Government commitments to keep temperatures from rising beyond a critical point.

It's contained in a report from The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research published by The Co-operative Bank and Friends of the Earth.

It suggests that a carbon budget of around 4.6 Giga tonnes between 2000 and 2050 would allow the UK to play its part in keeping temperatures from rising two degree centigrade above pre-industrial levels - the danger level. If emissions continue at the current rate the UK would emit close to double this amount by 2050.

It also claims that the UK can achieve the necessary carbon reductions if the Government implements a major programme of action within the next four years. Delaying action will require much more drastic and less manageable cuts. The UK needs to achieve significant emission cuts - of around 70 per cent - within the next 30 years. Government targets of a 60 per cent cut in emissions by 2050 are insufficient as they do not provide for enough reductions within the necessary timescale.

UK carbon emissions have not fallen since 1990. Government calculations which show a decrease are misleading as they fail to take into account emissions from international shipping and aviation. The route map shows what policy framework implemented now will drive the technological solutions necessary to shift smoothly to cleaner energy sources, and the changes to come in daily life as the UK moves to a healthy, low-carbon economy.

The Future Starts Here: The Route to a Low Carbon Economy is an important read.

Technorati Tags: Energy; Oil; Environment; ClimateChange;