Putting pressure on China & US

[90% by 2030]

What is the most effective way to put pressure on the US, China, India etc to reduce their emissions?

Should I buy less goods manufactured in China, boycott Beijing Olympics, stop buying US products, refuse to deal with companies that operate Inidian call centres?

...or just try and put pressure on Tony "I'm not giving up my long-haul holidays" Blair to put pressure on them?

Any suggestions welcome....

[matthewtrigg]

Make sure you add Australia to that list as we have the world's highest per-capita greenhouse emissions.

Tourism and public opion is a great place to start. Write to the embassy and tell them you will not be visiting their country, you have lost respect for their country and that you will no longer buy their countrie products.

Public opinion is far stronger then anything the government will do.

[90% by 2030]

..and Australia is having a terrible time with the droughts from what I see on the news.

Here in the UK, our winter has been wetter, windier and warmer - as predicted - and not at all pleasant. Climate change is here, but must still prevent it from getting worse.

[matthewtrigg]

The CSIRO, Australia's principle scientific research body, is now predicting an increase in average summer temperature in and around Sydney of at least 7 degrees above current. Apply this to a climate that can easily reach above 40 degrees between December and February, we have a problem.


As for the drought... near my home town there were two massive inland lakes, both averaging a diameter equivalent to the distance between Greenwich and Notting Hill. Due to volcanic activity one was salt water and the other fresh. There were times when I was young that we would drive past and see the water from one lake overflowing into another through a narrow canal. Today, all that remains are two large black dust bowls that with the slightest breeze cover the countryside in an ash-like haze and destroying crops and suffocating livestock.


And the government still isn't sure if climate change is occurring.

[fabian]

Good point there Matthew!

On the pressure bit:

Well I think the biggest impact we can make is by our personal consumption and networks just like this one.

To exchange information, engage in discussion and then draw the consequences to limit your own impact is the way forward in my opinion!

I always say, the people who are steering us into this mess will die someday (harsh I know) but we need to make sure that our generation and more importantly the next generation grows up knowing what they need to do to change our world for the better.

Fabian

[90% by 2030]

fp

I'm just a bit concerned that waiting for the next generation to do the right thing might be too late?! I want to know how to put pressure on China/US now to take the massive political actions they need to take.
I'm happy to take my own actions, speak about this all day, and try and inspire others to act - but I think there is a need to go up a gear. The march to the labour party conference mentioned on another thread is a good one, and I will make sure I take part in that.

[matthewtrigg]

Every problem has a simple solution.

In every country one of the biggest areas of resistance is politics.

The simple solution to this, replace the politicans. If need be with yourself.