stop climate chaos

Yesterday, I joined 249 other people from green businesses, development charities, trades associations, green groups and the Women's Institute outside the Treasury. We'd come to tell the government that the green economy is working.

Only a few days remain before the Copenhagen climate jamboree begins. Delegates, lobbyists, activists and observers are already congregating in the Danish capital to well and truly chew the fat and I'm heading off myself tomorrow afternoon. Keep an eye on this blog for ongoing updates - it's going to be interesting to say the least.

But that does mean I'll miss the sight of thousands of people sweeping through the streets of London this Saturday 5 December when they take part in the Wave. Part of an ongoing series of actions and protests around the world, it will demonstrate how many people want to see our government play its part in delivering a safe climate future for us all.

Do you feel the media sometimes misses the point? Wish it was getting the urgency of climate change?

As you may know, Greenpeace is a member of Stop Climate Chaos (SCC), the umbrella group of organisations working together to limit the worst effects of climate change. If, like us, you think the media could use some 'recharging' on the climate debate, join in to create a big debate in the media this December. Get the letters pages, opinion columns and airwaves buzzing with your views on climate change and the UK's energy choices.

Get your voice heard. Inspire others. Help shape the public agenda.

At the end of 2006 Greenpeace joined other environmental and campaigning groups to push for government action on climate change - under the name of the I Count campaign. At the time, the reality of global warming was only just being accepted by mainstream politicians, but through Stop Climate Chaos' I Count campaign thousands of us lobbied our MPs and helped to persuade many of them that the situation was serious and that genuine action was needed. Last month the positive results of all that effort were seen when a much beefed-up Climate Bill was passed by Parliament.

All of us who took part in I Count can be proud of our contribution to three major victories in the climate change debate, which have now been incorporated into the Bill.

Stop Climate Chaos activists were at Kingsnorth in Kent this morning to urge the Prime Minister to abandon plans for a new generation of coal-fired power plants. They planted flags outside the existing power station as a symbol of opposition to Kingsnorth 2, a new development which, if it gets the go-ahead, will be the first new coal plant to be built in the UK for 30 years.

Developer E.ON UK plans to demolish the existing plant and replace it with a new coal-fired unit that is 20 per cent cleaner. But coal is the dirtiest, most carbon-intensive fuel known to mankind, and despite the industry's efforts to talk up 'clean coal' technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS), such developments are in their infancy and would not be available for at least a decade, even if they can be made to work.

A huge number of festival goers signalled their commitment to action on climate change at this year's Glastonbury. Besides listening to their favourite bands and battling with the traditional wet and muddy weather, over 70,000 new supporters signed up to the UK's I Count campaign to stop climate chaos.