Ban Ki-moon's Arctic stand

In 2012 the Kyoto Protocol to prevent climate changes and global warming runs out. The UNFCCC says on its website:

To keep the process on the line there is an urgent need for a new climate protocol. At the conference in Copenhagen 2009 the parties of the UNFCCC meet for the last time on government level before the climate agreement needs to be renewed.

Therefore the Climate Conference in Copenhagen is essential for the world’s climate and the Danish government and UNFCCC is putting hard effort in making the meeting in Copenhagen a success ending up with a Copenhagen Protocol to prevent global warming and climate changes.

Government representatives from 170 countries are expected there, accompanied by other governmental representatives, non-government organisations, journalists and others, making a total of 8,000.

Some people have already got the message clearer than others. For instance, a UK coalition of scientists, companies, celebrities and organisations spanning the cultural and political spectrum - described by David Adam, in the London Guardian Weekly (September 4-11), as “unprecedented” - was launched last week as the 10:10 Campaign, (September 1, 2009). It aims to bolster grassroots support for tough action against global warming in the lead-up to Copenhagen and asks supporters to seek to reduce their own carbon footprints by 10 per cent during the year 2010. The campaign is backed by climate change expert Lord Stern.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions and Australian Conservation Foundation launched a program on August 31 when 3,000 Union Climate Connecters agreed to take action in their workplaces, homes and communities to build awareness and understanding about climate change.

They plan to encourage climate friendly behaviour in workplaces and homes by setting weekly tasks and targets, and will place stickers on lights and taps to encourage people to switch off for climate change as well as an audit of energy use within the office or immediate work space.

They also plan to lobby politicians for strong policies to create up to one million new clean energy jobs and to urge Australian leadership at the Copenhagen talks in December. The program is part of the broader Connector program run by The Climate Project - Australia, to mobilise a groundswell of people in the Asia Pacific region.

At his Arctic stand, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Norway's Environment Minister Erik Solheim held up a “Seal the Deal” banner on the Polar Ice Rim. Standing on rapidly melting polar ice, Mr Ban appealed to the world for urgent measures to be taken to combat climate change to protect the planet for future generations.

“I feel the power of nature, and at the same time, a sense of vulnerability,” he said. “This is a common resource for human beings, and we must do all we can to preserve this Arctic ice.”

Witnessing the impacts of climate change on icebergs and glaciers first-hand, he said scientists had told him that global warming was altering the Arctic faster than any other area, with glaciers melting at a rate of 150 cubic kms a year.

“We must stop this from further happening,” the Secretary-General said. “Unless we fight climate change, unless we stop this trend, we’ll have devastating consequences for humanity.”

At Copenhagen the world will be talking about negotiations on an ultimate scale - over the future existence of people on Earth. That means you, me, our families and friends, our colleagues. The planet will survive; it’s us that we have to worry about.

As Mr Ban said: “I'm sending [a message] from the Arctic to all world citizens, particularly world leaders, to draw urgent attention to take action immediately, to preserve Planet Earth, to preserve all that we can do to help our succeeding generations to be able to live in a hospitable environment in a sustainable way.”