200 young people ask everyone to join the global movement against climate change

Today more than 200 young people from all over Lebanon did a symbolic action on Ramlet El Bayda Beach in Beirut calling upon individuals, institutions, and governments to join the global effort to combat climate change.

The 200 activists from Merci Corps, within a scheme of local initiatives though local municipalities and the League of Independent Activists – IndyACT, drew with their bodies “20:12” on the Lebanese flag.

This is a preparatory step to launch IndyACT’s new regional campaign “20:12” that will take place on the 10th of October on the Global Day for Action against Climate Change. This campaign, which will be held in 10 Arab countries, relies mainly on the efforts of institutions and individuals to take simple steps in reducing carbon dioxide emissions – the primary reason for climate change – and to call upon their governments to accelerate their efforts in adopting similar and serious plans to support these efforts.

Because of that, IndyACT will launch an extensive publicity campaign coupled with actions and activities to shed light on environmentally friendly practices that these individuals can do with the support of their governments to directly contribute to saving the planet.

“The action that will be held today is included in the priorities and goals of the organization especially that it involves young people in a global issue whose results will affect everyone and in all parts of the world.

This action falls within a series of programs that Mercy Corps is conducting in 7 different countries of the world and is working to disseminate in others.

Mercy Corps hopes that young people will be a powerful force in their communities and will participate in making decisions that will affect them and their communities, and will be able to have opportunities to contribute to the development of their countries,” said Director of Mercy Corps Lebanon Stephen Healy.

Climate change is considered the biggest threat to mankind on the planet. According to UN reports, climate change threatens to kill and displace over a billion people by 2050.

The only solution to climate change is the reduction of burning of oil and coal which are the primary source of carbon dioxide, and relying on renewable and safe energy such as wind and solar energy.

After over two years of trying, world governments are still negotiating to reach a global agreement that will save us from climate change. Negotiations were expected to end in Copenhagen end of last year.

But despite progress, states could not agree and therefore extended the negotiations another year ending in Mexico at the end of this year.

“Although there is no substitute for the need to reach a strong global agreement on climate change, we cannot wait until that happens; we have to start acting now as individuals, institutions, and governments to reduce our addiction to oil and coal as a source of energy” said Wael Hmaidan begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting Executive Director of IndyACT.

“We call upon everyone to join this campaign before its launch in October so that it will be a coming from all and does not belong to any individual and institution,” added Hmaidan.



For more information, please contact:
Ali Fakhri Communication officer, tel. – fax: +961-1-447192, mobile: +961-71-421593, e-mail: comms@indyact.org

Pictures of this event will be published on:
IndyACT blog: http://indyact.blogspot.com/