Dublin parade presses for climate change law

Stop Climate Chaos is holding a Parade for the Planet today in Dublin to press the Government to give its climate change policies the force of law. The parade, from Wood Quay to the Custom House, comes as Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, leaves for Bali where ministers are gathering to begin negotiations on a new treaty to tackle global warming. Today is an international day of action on climate change with similar public events happening around the world. Churches around Ireland will ring their bells at 2pm as part of the call to action. In Dublin, the bells of Christ Church Cathedral will signal the start of the parade.

Speaking ahead of this afternoon's events, Oisin Coghlan, Director of Friends of the Earth, said

"Only a law will make sure Ireland does its fair share to prevent climate chaos. The Government says it wants all-party agreement on climate change. There could be no better way to do that than with an agreed Act of the Oireachtas."

Campaigns Coordinator of Trocaire, Ciara Gaynor, said

"The impacts of climate change are already hitting the poor in developing countries hardest. For these people, the changing weather patterns mean successive crop failures brought on by more frequent droughts or floods. In addition to reducing our carbon emissions, Ireland must also support the poor in developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change."

USI President, Hamidreza Khodabakhshi, said:

"The time for gradualism is past. These times demand urgency, and urgency is what students are demanding together with our partners in the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition. Ministers' duty extends not just for an election cycle, but for our lifetimes and the lifetimes of our children."

77 TDs from across all parties have already signed the Stop Climate Chaos Call to Action, including support for a law. These signed Call to Actions were presented to the Taoiseach on Thursday along with the signatures of 22,847 members of the public, by Eco-Santa who will be leading today's parade.

In Dublin people will bein gathering at 1pm in the amphitheatre of the Civic Offices on Wood Quay. The speakers before the parade starts at 2pm include Senator Ivana Bacik, whose Climate Protection Bill will be debated in the Seanad again before Christmas. At 2 o'clock the crowd will "sound the alarm" with help from the church bells and samba bands. The family friendly parade will then head into Parliament Street, down Dame Street and over O'Connell Bridge to the Custom House. At 2.45 the Minister for Energy, Eamon Ryan TD, will address the crowd in the grounds of the Custom House. The final speaker will be Oisin Coghlan of Friends of the Earth.

ENDS