“In the last few weeks, we have had two suppressed reports on the dangers of global warming, the first from the Pentagon and now this from Sir David King.
Hans Blix has now added his concerns that climate change is a serious risk and potentially of greater magnitude than the threat posed by international terrorism.”
“As Mayor of London, the threat of global warming and action to be taken would be a major priority.
We must do all we can to reduce the impact of increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
That is why I have called for a slashing of the road building programme, greater investment in public transport, the imposition of solar measures on all new buildings and a top level conference to ascertain the risks of global warming on London in particular.”
The Green Party has consistently warned of the necessity to take global warming seriously.
It has put forward a solution based on contraction and convergence, whereby contraction identifies how much CO2 could be emitted globally each year up to safe atmospheric conditions and convergence sets each country’s CO2 emission fairly by dividing global annual emissions on a per capita basis.
Darren Johnson concluded, “Tackling climate change is potentially the most serious environmental challenge facing humankind. Yet the political and corporate response to this problem has been grossly inadequate. For short term gain, politicians are jeopardising the welfare, indeed the survival of a large part of humanity.”
The Green Party is holding its annual Spring Conference this week in Brighton and Hove at Hove Town Hall from Thursday 11th March to Sunday 14th March and will be debating the effects of climate change on Thursday 11th March.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Climate Change debates Thursday 11th March
12noon-1pm Addressing C02 emissions – managing traffic demand – Green Party Councillors and guest speakers from Transport 2000
1.30-2.30pm Growth, business and climate change Green Party economics speaker and guest speaker Tony Juniper, Director FOE
16.30pm Housing and combating C02 emissions Green Party speakers and award winning architect Bill Dunster
17.30pm Fringe Meeting – Climate Change – Where do we go from here?
Darren Johnson is 37 and was selected as the Green Party’s candidate for Mayor of London in May 2003. He was elected to the London Assembly in May 2000 where he is Leader of the Green Party Group. He was also elected to Lewisham Council in May 2002.
The Mayoral election will be held on June 10th at the same time as the elections for the London Assembly and the European Parliament. At the last Assembly elections the Greens scored one of their best ever results in the Party’s history, securing 11.1% of the vote across London and winning three seats on the 25-member Assembly.
Darren Johnson’s vision for a sustainable Green London can be found on his website www.johnsonformayor.org.uk
Further information and interviews contact Penny Kemp 07711 760692
ENDS