Click photo to enlarge
Greenpeace ambassadors Keisha Castle-Hughes and Lucy
Lawless launch the latest Greenpeace 'Sign On' campaign in
Vulcan Lane, Auckland. Credit: NZPA / David Rowland.
Actresses Lucy Lawless and Keisha Castle-Hughes sported
blue casts on their arms to help launch a climate campaign in
Auckland today.
The cast, which had the slogan, "Come on John, Sign On"
written across it, aims to urge the Government to adopt a 40
percent emissions reduction target by 2020.
The Sign On campaign has already attracted nearly 100,000
supporters in three months, and Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey
and climate scientist Jim Salinger were among the people who
helped raise the campaign's profile today.
Passers-by in Auckland's Vulcan Lane were invited to sign the
arm casts, which will then be worn at events in the lead-up
to the Copenhagen climate summit in December.
Simon Boxer, senior climate campaigner at Greenpeace, said
Prime Minister John Key was the one person who could ensure
New Zealand upped its climate change commitments.
"John Key may think that by announcing a conditional target
of 10 to 20 percent the issue is done and dusted. I think
he'll find quite the opposite as we get closer to Copenhagen.
After all it's only New Zealand's initial offer in the
negotiations," Mr Boxer said.
Ms Lawless said scientists believed an emissions reduction
target of 40 percent by 2020 was needed.
"100,000 Kiwis have already signed on to 40 percent by 2020
and John Key needs to listen. A government belongs to its
people - not the other way round," Ms Lawless said.
Campaigners held a banner which read, "Join the cast of
thousands" to encourage people to sign on to the campaign.
Castle-Hughes said it was all about creating a public mandate
for Mr Key to "do the right thing".
"We are not saying it's going to be easy, and we do not envy
him being the one who has to make the hard call. But the
science is clear and the time is right. It's now or never,"
she said.
According to Greenpeace, the most recent science assessments
state that a 40 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
by 2020 on 1990 levels for the developed world is essential
to give the planet a 50/50 chance of avoiding runaway climate
change.
