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Mexican stand-off
14 December 2010

On 4 december Stop Climate Chaos organised a Day of Actions to mark the climate negotiations in Cancún, Mexico.

The day began with an ecumenical church service in St. George's parish church on High Street, Belfast. At lunchtime activists in sombreros and ponchos held a Mexican stand-off, calling on the negotiators in Cancún to produce a binding agreement to tackle climate change.

The day concluded with an all ages concert in the Oh Yeah Centre featuring north coast rappers Team Fresh and ska band Pocket Billiards.

All the events were well attended and the Stop Climate Chaos 'Get in the Game' campaign received a positive boost. The coalition is campaigning for a Northern Ireland Climate Change law to plug the gaps in the UK Climate Change Act.

The climate talks in Cancún didn't end quite so positively.

Commenting on the outcome of the talks, Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Declan Allison said:

"The world needed strong and determined action to tackle climate change in Cancún - the outcome is a weak and ineffective agreement but at least it gives us a small and fragile lifeline.

"Russia, Japan and the US, backed by powerful vested interests, have pursued a selfish agenda which has opened the door to a hazardous system where emissions targets would be decided on the whim of politicians, rather than by science.

"The emissions cuts on the table could still lead to a global temperature increase of up to five degrees which would be catastrophic for hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people."

image of Mexican stand-off

© Stop Climate Chaos

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