ban incandescent bulbs

The Irish have just banned incandescent lightbulbs, and the ban will come into effect by 2009.

In this country, they have introduced a voluntary scheme to come into effect by 2011, which is pathetic and will have no effect, as a number of major retailers have no intention of complying.

You can send a letter (via the Greenpeace website) to the Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asking for a proper ban.

climate change petition

From Avaaz.org:

24 hours to go, and crisis at the Bali climate talks. In the last day alone, over 150,000 of us have surged to the global rescue -- calling on the world not to give in to wrecking tactics by the governments of the US, Canada and Japan. We're putting a full-page ad in the Jakarta Post?s summit edition where all the negotiators will see it, warning them to avert Titanic-like disaster -- and we're coming together with other NGOs to deliver millions of signatures for climate action to governments.

If the world can muster well over 200,000 crisis signatures in the last 24 hours for our actions tomorrow, we can show negotiators how urgently we care about setting a course for decisive climate action.

Last week, things in Bali looked good: near-consensus on a delicate framework of 2020 targets for rich countries, in return for which China and the developing world would do their part over time. IPCC scientists have said such targets are needed to prevent catastrophe. But Japan, the US and Canada are banding together to wreck the deal. The rest of the world is starting to waver, so we must do all we can - please sign the petition.

renewable energy

Greenpeace have just produced a new video, called The Convenient Solution showing why nuclear power is not the answer to the climate change problem. I was already pretty convinced that it wasn't the answer, but Greenpeace have done the maths and worked out how renewable energy sources could be implemented faster than a new generation of nuclear power stations - and of course the renewables would be much safer and cleaner and more local.

Everyone who cares about the environment should watch this video and then spread the word, write to your MP, etc.

stop climate chaos

Sign the petition to the G8+5 summit - apparently when Avaaz.org put a big box of more than quarter of a million signatures on the table, world leaders started to take notice that people want them to do something about climate change. So please sign the petition and add your voice to those who have already signed.