Dec 8 Media Advisory

MEDIA ADIVSORY

Thursday, Dec 8, 2011
Contact: Jamie Henn, jamie@350.org, +27 0 76 312 8940

African and Island Youth Deliver Letters at U.S. and European Union Press Conferences: “Don’t sign our death sentence in Durban.” 

DURBAN – A dozen youth from Africa and the Pacific Islands will march directly to the United States and European Union press conferences at the UN Climate Talks in Durban today to deliver letters asking the super-powers to “not sign our death sentence in Durban.” 

The letter to the United States urges the nation to either lead or get out of the way of progress: 

“If the United States is not going to lead the world in solving the climate crisis, please stand out of the way. Delaying a climate deal until 2020 would slam the door on avoiding catastrophic climate change.” 

The letter to the European Union urges the EU to join African and Island nations in delivering a success in Durban, “The European Union must make a choice here at COP17: do you stand with Africa or do you stand against us? In order to save our future here in Durban, nations must save the Kyoto Protocol and then urgently push for more ambition.” 

In the last 48 hours, the global campaigning organizations Avaaz and 350.org have collected over 500,000 signatures on a petition to European leaders and sent tens of thousands of messages to the White House pushing the governments to not sign Africa’s death sentence in Durban. 

The US led proposal to kill the Kyoto protocol and replace it with a new climate treaty in 2020 has caused widespread outrage at COP17. Climate scientists are in wide agreement that emissions must peak by 2015 if the world expects to limit warming to 2°C and leave open a window for reaching the stronger targets of 1.5°C and 350 parts per million. 

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Copy of the US Letter: 

Dec 8, 2011 

The Honorable Todd Stern
Special Envoy for Climate Change
U.S. Department of State 

Dear Mr. Stern:  

We are writing as youth from across the African continent, the Pacific Islands, and around the world to ask you not to sign our death sentence here in Durban. If the United States is not going to lead the world in solving the climate crisis, please stand out of the way. 

Delaying a climate deal until 2020 would slam the door on avoiding catastrophic climate change. In order to save our future here in Durban, nations must save the Kyoto Protocol, provide financing for adaptation and mitigation, and then urgently push for more ambition. 

President Obama said, “The need to drastically change our energy policy is no longer a debatable proposition. It is not a question of whether, but how; not a question of if, but when. For the sake of our security, our economy, our jobs and our planet, the age of oil must end in our time.”

For our future as youth here in Africa and around the world, the clean energy future must begin now, here in Durban. We do not make this request alone: in the last 48 hours, over XXXX people have sent messages to the White House calling on the US not to sign Africa's death sentence. 

Please do not stand in the way of progress here in Durban. Our future depends on your action. 

Sincerely, 

Youth from Around the World