Because climate change is seriously uncool.

Copenhegn: why your voice matters, more than ever before (ideas of actions you can take)

** A guest post from our past UN Climate Tracker, Cara who is in Australia **

For the past 11 days the eyes of the world, mine included, have been on Copenhagen. Each morning as the sun slides up over my beach side suburb on Australia's east coast I’ve been scouring my inbox, the newspaper, tuning into radio (and of course reading the Adopt A Negotiator blogs) to get the latest on the overnight developments in Copenhagen.

In turn, the eyes of Copenhagen have at times been on Australia. When we took to the streets to Walk Against Warming, as Greenpeace activists scaled the Sydney Opera House, as candle light vigils where held across our great country. Our actions, our messages, our words, are travelling to the other side of the globe and they are being heard!

As we head into the final days of the UN Climate Summit, now is the time to up the pressure, to continue to demand action, to continue to call on our leaders to act with courage, to continue to remind the nay sayers exactly what is at stake here. We have seen time and time again, that people motivated by hope for the future can change the course of history. Let's be those people.

We have a "toolbox" to guide you and give you tips on what actions you can take. And a number of petitions you can add your name to. We are part of the most important social movement in history. Be creative, be bold, and share your stories of what actions you are taking, or that you have heard of, on here to inspire and inform others.

*******
16, 029.44km: distance from Canberra to Copenhagen.
4.5metres:The highest point that the Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu reaches above sea level.
100, 000: The number of Australian’s who Walked Against Warming on Saturday 12 December

and 4: the number of super heroes who marched in the Sydney Walk Against Warming

5: The number of Greenpeace activists who abseiled the Sydney Opera House to hang a banner to demand that world leaders: “Stop the Politics. Climate Treaty Now”

112: The number of candle light vigils held across Australia over the past week.

48: The number of hours we have left to raise our voices and ensure our government knows that we want nothing less than a Fair, Ambitious and Binding global climate deal.
0: The number of alternative planets we have.
Countless: the number of ways you can ensure your voice is heard loud and clear, demanding our leaders come home with nothing less than a fair, ambitious and binding global climate treaty.

Tags: change, climate, copenhagen, kevin, rudd, unfccc

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Comment by Madeleine Holme on December 18, 2009 at 8:21am: I managed to meet with my local MP Tanya Plibersek (ALP) on the first day of the Copenhagen talks. Frighteningly she indicated that she felt community support for urgent action on climate change was not particularly strong in her electorate or in Australia generally. It is up to us to prove to our politicians that this is not the case. It's no use being concerned about an issue if you don't translate that concern into action! Write letters, sign petitions, have meetings, talk to your friends who may not know as much about an issue or may be uncertain of what they can do, hold your own event - we need to act now or we're as bad as the politicians we're accussing of being all talk and no action!!

Comment by Andrew Mudie on December 17, 2009 at 6:14pm: Cara, love your work! There is a very human face to this crisis, but it is too often buried under pledges of percentage cuts, parts of a degree (C) and parts per million. You've highlighted numbers that really mean something. I'm sharing this with everybody I can. Thanks : )

Comment by Marja Vernice Gibbons on December 17, 2009 at 4:42pm: I have just sent an appeal to 188 of my facebook friends to make a stand and take action against climate change NOW before the UN Climate Change Conference finishes tomorrow - i have directed them to the UN Climate Trackers toolbox and A Climate for Change site - i really really hope this helps. I know its stating the obvious but MONEY MEANS NOTHING ON A DEAD PLANET.

Comment by Cara on December 17, 2009 at 8:28am: Today I am fasting for climate justice in solidarity with 1000s around the world, www.climatejusticefast.com and at 5pm this evening I will be joining a Climate Emergency Rally in Sydney, meet Martin Place 5pm. See here for more details.