Carbon dinosaur stalks London1 June 2004
On 11th June in London's Trafalgar Square, tourists and passersby met - Digby - our enormous, 10 metre high carbon dinosaur.
Digby and the National Gallery
Digby was visiting the UK as part of a European campaign to warn about the dangers of not tackling climate change.
Digby's mission is simple: To remind us of the urgent need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
Polluting industries need to realise it is time to adapt or face extinction. The Government and EU must put the long term interests of our planet ahead of those with a vested interest in the status quo. They would be fossil fools not to.
Bryony Worthington,
Climate Campaigner, Friends of the Earth
Digby the carbon dinosaur's namesake
Digby Jones, the Director General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) received an honorary award as the voice of the UK's most polluting industries.
The CBI has been lobbying against strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from industry.
Digby the biggest carbon dinosaur in the world?
As concerns mount about the dangers of climate change, the UK's emissions of the main greenhouse gas - Carbon dioxide (CO2) - actually rose last year.
This is despite Government promises to cut emissions and Tony Blair's description of climate change as the biggest environment threat the planet faces.
Friends of the Earth is calling for the Government and European Union to take tough action to tackle climate change:
- Tight limits on emissions from industry.
- Reduce the amount of energy used by one per cent each year.
- Tough regulations to make sure new appliances and buildings are energy efficient.
- Ensure a quarter of our energy comes from renewable sources by 2020.
Grand European tour
The carbon dinosaur will now continue its tour on the streets of Europe, pointing the finger at those who are blocking effective action to fight climate change.
Keep an eye out for him!
Press for change
- Take the climate challenge
Pledge to make a change in your life and you'll be making a real difference. - Sign our petition. 10 demands to get rid of Europe's carbon dinosaurs. Download your copy (PDF†) of the petition and send it into us by 31st October 04.
†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.
© Balthazar Serreau/Friends of the Earth
