The Manchester Band played on the Trick or Treat
Climate Procession on Halloween. They were joined
by a 15 ft high Skeleton puppet. Members of the public
were leafleted and asked to write to their M.P.'s demanding
a Climate "Treat" in Copenhagen, for example real binding
cuts in emissions and serious carbon targets rather than a Carbon
"Trick", for example classifying Palm plantations as forests
and in so doing paying countries a green subsidy to
destroy pristine rainforest and grow commercial palm oil.
Palm plantations actually accelerate climate change because
rainforests grow on natural peatland, millions of years
of dead wood. Peatland is one of the most concentrated stores
of carbon on earth. Clearing the forest on top, draining the
peat and burning it releases vast amounts of greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere. Indonesia's peatlands represent just 0.1 per
cent of the Earth's land mass, but contribute a staggering
4 per cent of global emissions. James from the band said
"It is the ultimate irony that the climate change negotiations at
Copenhagen now contain a clause permitting virgin rainforest
to be felled and replaced by commercial palm oil monocultures
because these plantations can be classed as "forests". This is like
saying it's OK to destroy a priceless Leonardo Da Vinci
painting as long as you replace it with a poster.
If these ancient forests, and their indigenous peoples and diversity
are destroyed, the Copenhagen talks will be no more than hot air and
will give us no hope of survival."
