Fwd: Shine a light: Closing the door to dangerous industrial activity

[Kirstie Wielandt]

Hello all - Here fyi is an interesting initiative by the organisation Eradicating Ecocide and their inspiring founder lawyer Polly Higgins on closing the door to destructive industrial activity, read on for more info. Ta, Kirstie

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Polly Higgins <nor...@eradicatingecocide.com>
Date: 22 March 2012 18:33
Subject: Shine a light: Closing the door to dangerous industrial activity
To: Kirstie Wielandt <findk...@gmail.com>

Web version  |  Update preferences  |  Unsubscribe Like Tweet Forward Dear Kirstie, Sometimes there comes a moment when it is right to speak out and shine a light on a dark corner. Such are the consequences of our current business practices that we are now on a course that spells disaster for humanity and the Earth. To ignore the warning issued by the OECD last week – that current policy will increase the Earth's temperature 3 or more degrees by 2100 – is in fact a breach of our human right to life. However, I believe we can change our course very fast. This week I have submitted to all governments a concept paper, entitled Closing the door to dangerous industrial activity.   This is a moment in time to speak out. Closing the door to dangerous industrial activity has been made freely available to the public on our website at www.eradicatingecocide.com/the-law-of-ecocide/. You can download the paper here and a 1 page summary here. I ask each and every one of you: please will you email it or send it to anyone who can take action -- your MP or Congressman/woman, or anyone else you feel needs to read it. This is our wake-up call: to act now on the knowledge we have and change the course of history. With belief that we can close the door to ecocide, Polly Polly Higgins Lawyer for the Earth OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050: The consequences of inaction On the 15th of March 2012 the OECD issued a stark warning: continued use of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas will make up 85% of energy sources by 2050. Carbon dioxide emissions from energy use are expected to grow by 70%. As a result, by 2100 the global average temperature will have increased to between 3 and 6 degrees celsius. The OECD report, Environmental Outloook to 2050: the consequences of inaction, calls upon governments to wake to the fact that current policy is not working. What is clear is that business as usual is no longer an option. You can read the OECD report here. Closing the door to dangerous industrial activity In response to the OECD report and looking ahead to the Rio+20 Earth Summit, Polly Higgins has submitted a concept paper outlining how governments can implement emergency measures.  The paper expands upon her proposal to make ecocide a crime and sets out a route-map and sets our why support for a law of Ecocide is essential: to create the legislative framework for a green economy ; to create jobs and build resilient economies ; to gain electoral support. A law of ecocide will close the door in one direction; only when we do that can we open another door in a completely different direction. Read the concept paper and read the summary here The People and Environment Awards were announced last night... and Polly won - twice! She won the award for Campaigner of the Year as well as the Overall Champion Award. Winning the awards will help us enormously -- it includes some free advertising space for a really big campaign we want to roll out very soon. For Polly the awards are the team's as well - as Tony Juniper said when announcing her as the overall Champion, 'Polly's work is only possible thanks to her team, and many others who help her along the way.' In just over one week on Saturday 31st, the Ecocide Restorative Justice Sentencing event will take place in the UK -- deciding the fate of the two CEOs convicted of Ecocide in the mock trial at the Supreme Court in London last September. There are still some tickets left for this very special event: book your free ticket here. Don't live in the UK or can't be there in person? Watch it live online on the day and Tweet with the hashtags #Ecocide #Sentencing. Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture: Ending the Era of Ecocide Polly will be this year's speaker at the annual Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture. Friday 30th March 6.30pm. Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA. Tickets are £20 waged or £12 unwaged. To book contact PAN-UK, who host the Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture every year in honour of the great work achieved by Rachel Carson. You're receiving this because you are a trustee of planet Earth. Edit your subscription | Unsubscribe instantly

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Kirstie Wielandt | Freelance Eco Events & Comms Manager
Ph: 07876573295 | Skype: findkirstie | Twitter: clerkenwellgirl

Join the exciting new campaign to make Ecocide a criminal offence:
www.eradicatingecocide.com