Oceania

A major new campaign has been launched this week in New Zealand aiming to get tens of thousands of New Zealanders active in tackling climate change.

Spearheaded by Greenpeace, Oxfam and Forest & Bird, Be The Change will provide advice and encouragement to community groups and individuals from Bluff to Kaitaia, and from the cowshed to the boardroom, on reducing their personal impact on the climate.

Fifty Australian marine scientists have issued a consensus statement warning of the impact of climate change on coral reefs and calling for immediate and substantive reduction targets in human produced greenhouse emissions. The unprecedented call for action is the outcome of a National Forum on Coral Reef Futures, held at the Australian Academy of Science, in Canberra. The scientists have already warned that ocean acidification due to increased atmospheric CO2 is accelerating.

Ocean acidity is increasing at a much faster pace according to marine scientists meeting in Canberra at the Coral Reef Futures 07 Forum, October 18-19, 2007. "It appears this acidification is now taking place over decades, rather than centuries as originally predicted. It is happening even faster in the cooler waters of the Southern Ocean than in the tropics. It is starting to look like a very serious issue." said Professor Malcolm McCulloch of the Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) and the Australian National University.

While thousands of people protested in the streets of Sydney about the war in Iraq, climate change, and civil liberties, the 21 APEC leaders made a fashion statement on the steps of the Opera House, before meeting inside and signing the Sydney Declaration - a statement on climate change, that is being widely criticised by environmentalists and climate activists.

Greenpeace volunteers from APEC member countries today called on Australia Prime Minister Mr John Howard not to use the APEC summit in Sydney next week to derail the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. In Manila, Greenpeace delivered a letter to the Australian Embassy, while in Thailand, volunteers dressed in Koala costumes unfurled a banner reading "Kyoto- Just Do It" at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.

25 June 07 - For immediate Release - Melbourne, Australia - http://beyondzeroemissions.org/

Sea levels will rise by several metres by the end of the century due to rapidly increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, according to research by a group of esteemed international scientists. Led by James Hansen from NASA's Goddard Institute, the group warns that the Earth is 'perilously' close to entering a new era of dangerous runaway climate change.

TOUR OF EEEEVIL IN WHANGANUI-A-TARA, NEW ZEALAND - ACTION REPORT

The number of protesters had been few, the attention by our friends in blue astonishingly intense - 2 cop cars and one paddy-wagon were following the small group closely.

the Tour of EEEEEvil started in Midland Park with a phat boom-box hailing out loud. first they cycled towards the US embassy. crayons were used to beautify the pavement, being under heavy scrutiny by security guards and police.

End of the line for coal: Protestors blockade coal trains

Press release: Save happy Valley Christchurch
Sunday 29th April 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Save Happy Valley members have locked onto the train tracks near Christchurch to call for an end to new coal mines in New Zealand. Other members have hung a twenty-two metre banner – 'Solid Energy: Govt Sponsored Climate Chaos – along two of the coal wagons. They are on Kirk Road, Templeton.