Campaign against Climate Change

Ewa Barker writes today:
REPORT OF MEETING ON THURSDAY 20TH OCT. AT MANCHESTER TOWN HALL.
Present:- Ewa Barker, Jess Braithwaite, Brian Candeland, Emily Duckworth,Steven
Durrant,Anne Saxon, Michael Saxon & cllr Neil Swannick.
The meeting was small because of the short notice and because of a clash with
another important meeting, however I did receive 9 apologies, so we should have a viable group by next meeting.

NEXT MEETING of the planning group will also take place at Manchester town hall on THURSDAY OCTOBER 27th.

1. We decided to hold a large public meeting to rally support for the demonstration in London on December 3rd, as part of the International Day of Climate Protest. This will take place on tuesday 15th November in the Banqueting Hall of Manchester Town Hall. (venue still to be confirmed (update: now confirmed 26th Oct 05)).

We discussed speakers for the rally and shall approach the following:
John Hanley
Kevin Patterson
Hilary Wainwright
Ali Abbas
John Whiteleg
Vanessa Hall
Phil Thornhill
Lem Sissay (for a poem on climate change)
Chris Davies
Neil Swannick. (has agreed to speak, he's the councillor responsible for Manchester's environmental affairs)
A Trade Unionist
A student

We worried a bit about the lack of gender balance in this list. I have had two more women speakers suggested to me and will try to contact them. (Suzanne Jeffreys & Elaine Graham-Liegh)
We have already approached Michael Meacher, George Monbiot, Jonathan Neale, but
they are booked up. If possible speakers who have agreed to come, should be sorted out by next meeting so
we can pulish their names on leaflets etc.

We weill also approach Manchester Comunity choir to sing.

2. We decided to approach local trade union branches to help us with the finance for leaflets and other costs. The secretary of the Trades Council (Geoff Brown) has supplied us with a list. Each of us will aproach a couple of union branches with a request to speak (for 5 minutes) asking for sponsorship.

3. Publicity. Campaigncc.org has published a leaflet for the december demonstration which we can download & produce in large numbers for the rally. There will also have to be a leaflet publicising the rally itself. Michael Saxon to design and bring to next meeting. We will also get supplies of suitable postcard material produced by various sections of the campaign.

4. Press links. Ewa to seek help from Friends of the Earth who may have experience of this.

5. Lobying MPs. Michel Meacher has published an early day motion (ERM 178) in the house of commons. This argues for an undertaking for the governmnet to adopt a 3% reduction every year in greenhouse gas emmissions and for regular monitoring of progress. The motion has been signed by 275 MPs already. Of the Manchester MPs John Leech and Tony Lloyd have signed. We will approach Graham Stringer,Sir Gerald Kaufman and Paul Goggins, urging them to add their support & sign.

6. Manchester Council support fo the Campaign. - The next meeting of the Council is not until after the december demonstration, but we will try to get them to consider supporting the campaign then.

7. Transport to London for the demo. We discussed the ethical problem of hiring coaches, adding to greenhouse gas polution, while protesting against it. The view that the need to have a mass demonstration over-rides this drawback was also expressed.

We will investigate the availability of an affordable deal with the train companies and also approach coach companies asking whether their coaches can run on bio-fuel, which we could help supply. If we succeesded in such a move, Neill Swannick pointed out that it would make the kind of story the press might like, thus getting valuable publicity for us (& the coach company too).

I think that is all. Forgive me if I have left anything important out.

ewa.silverlode@ntlworld.com