Crowds flock to climate meeting
HUNDREDS gathered in Doncaster for a climate change procession through the town centre and a face-to-face meeting with the Climate Minister.
The Climate Justice – Creation Care event saw campaigners from schools, churches, community and environmental groups march to St George's Minster where they had the chance to quiz Doncaster North MP Ed Miliband, who is also Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
The event was organised by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development and members of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition.
CAFOD Hallam's manager and event organiser Angela Powell said: "It was an absolutely fabulous day, with about 500 people on the streets marching in a wonderful atmosphere and getting lots of support from the people of Doncaster, who were cheering us as we passed through the town.
"Ed Miliband joined us for a very interesting meeting in the Minster and he made the point that he was going to negotiate hard for a reduction in carbon emissions and more sustainable development at the next G8 summit and the UN summit.
"He also made the point that the Government needs the public to get behind them on this issue.
"We were delighted with the turnout and it was lovely to hear people cheering us on the march. The people of Doncaster seemed genuinely interested in backing us."
CAFOD works with people in some of the poorest countries in the world and it is these families and communities that are already being hit the hardest by increasing droughts, floods and extreme weather caused by climate change.
Angela added: "Many families in Doncaster have had first hand experience of local flooding and they are all too aware that people in poor countries are struggling because they have no insurance or alternative ways to earn money and survive when such extreme weather events happen in these already desperately poor areas."
CAFOD launched its Climate Justice campaign in March and is calling for the Government to take a lead among European Union countries to push for a just and equitable deal at this meeting.
They want richer countries, whose industries have prospered through carbon emissions, to take responsibility for cutting their emissions and provide poorer countries with the money and technology to adapt to climate change.
The Bishop of Doncaster, Cyril Ashton, backed the procession: "It is important that the Government knows how much we care about these issues. Christians believe that we stand alongside the natural world as part of creation.
"We need to understand and work with nature to secure its extraordinary harmonies and balance and we must do this in such a way that does not further deprive the world's poorest."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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