Twenty years ago governments of the world met for the first ever climate talks.
The talks, then, focused largely on the growing hole in the world’s ozone
layer (a hole that still exists today) and the need to eliminate CFC emissions
(which also still exist today though in much smaller amounts). The other
climate item on the agenda was global warming. Scientists warned that there was growing evidence that the world was warming, possibly due to human activity much like the root cause of the ozone hole.

Unfortunately, in 1988 it was decided that global warming did not pose a
significant threat to warrant action. The problem could wait to be addressed.

Nearly a decade later, in 1997, the governments of the world met for their
annual climate talks in Kyoto, Japan. The United Nations Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a panel of the world’s leading scientists
from countries around the globe, presented growing evidence that the world
faced a severe threat from climate change. These scientists concluded that the
single largest contributor to climate change were human greenhouse gas
emissions, most notably carbon dioxide (CO2).

For the first time since the inception of the climate talks, world leaders
agreed action was needed to combat climate change. The world took notice with a
collective gasp as 180 governments pledged their support to a worldwide climate
treaty to reduce CO2 emissions in an effort to conquer global warming.

In 2007, a decade after Kyoto and twenty years since the first climate talks,
the IPCC declared in its strongest language yet that the world faced imminent
global catastrophe unless immediate and drastic action was taken to reduce and
then eliminate greenhouse emissions.

In the years following the Kyoto protocol, the United States – the highest
emitter of greenhouse gases per capita in the world – pulled out of the
treaty. CO2 emission around the world continued to rise. Governments that had
promised to reduce emissions failed to impose strict limits, instead relying on
voluntary cuts from industry. As industries refused to limit their emissions
and governments balked at regulation, the Kyoto protocol collapsed.

The U.S. and numerous other countries with high greenhouse emissions have
steadfastly refused to cut CO2 emissions, claiming that doing so would harm
their ability remain economically competitive.

In the face of the largest economic collapse in world history, brought about by
the very same green, deceit and malfeasance of the worlds most powerful
multinational and government deregulation that has allowed CO2 emissions to go
unchecked. Government and corporate claims that reducing emissions would create
economic hard ring hollow.

People around the world put faith in our governments and institutions to act on
our behalf and in our best interests. Our governments have had 20 years to act
on global warming and climate change. 20 years to act on a threat that the
world’s leading scientists say is the greatest threat to human kind the world
has ever faced.

Climate change is the greatest threat to human kind the world has ever faced.

Not war or nuclear weapons, no a falling GNP or economic collapse, but climate
change. And our governments tell us they won’t reduce CO2 emissions because
it could – not would, but could – hurt the economy. In reality governments
are being pressured by corporate interests that don’t want to reduce
emissions or switch to a non-carbon based economy because they would have to
invest money to do so – money that would otherwise go into corporate coffers
or executive bonuses.

This December, world leaders will again meet for climate talks in Copenhagen,
Denmark. While protests are sure to greet the conference, we must not limit our
influence on the climate discussions to protesting them.

Climate change will impact the lives of every human being in the world. The
poorest will be hurt the most. Many are already suffering its effects.
We must send our leaders a message in the strongest of languages. One which
every nation understands. A message that cannot be ignored.

On December 11, we must unite for a day of international solidarity; we must
demand immediate and real action on climate change, not more false promises. We
must strike for climate justice.

This is an urgent call to unions, workers and concerned citizens around the
world. Organize in your workplace, in your union halls, on your streets. On
December 11th, we must unite.

Failure of our governments to take immediate action to regulate and reduce CO2
emissions will cost human lives and untold economic loss. It is not companies
or governments that will suffer, but ordinary people in every town and city, in
every nation.

It is in our hands to demand action. It is in our hands to show our leaders the
true cost of inaction. Workers unite. Demand action. Strike for climate justice
on December 11, 2009.

-Jeffrey Free Luers
http://climatestrike.wordpress.com/
http://www.freejeffluers.org

write to Jeff:
Jeffrey Luers # 13797671
CRCI
9111 NE Sunderland Ave
Portland, OR 97211-1708