Imagine the sea rising around you as your country literally disappears beneath your feet, where the food you grow and the water you drink is being destroyed by salt, and your last chance is to seek refuge in other lands where climate refugees have no official status. This is not a dream, it's the fearful reality for millions of people who live on islands around the world, from the Maldives to Papua New Guinea.
For the first time in human history, the North Pole can be circumnavigated -- the Arctic ice is melting more quickly than almost anyone anticipated. Now, small island nations -- where homes are, at most, mere meters above sea level -- are preparing evacuation plans to guarantee the survival of their populations. They are on the frontline, experiencing the first wave of devastating impacts from climate change which soon will threaten us all.
President Remengesau of Palau, a small island in the Pacific, recently said:
Palau has lost at least one third of its coral reefs due to climate change related weather patterns. We also lost most of our agricultural production due to drought and extreme high tides. These are not theoretical, scientific losses -- they are the losses of our resources and our livelihoods.... For island states, time is not running out. It has run out. And our path may very well be the window to your own future and the future of our planet".
Beyond the islands, countries like Bangladesh -- population, 150 million -- face losing large parts of their landmass. The experience of our planet's most vulnerable communities serves as a warning sign of the future world we can all expect: extreme weather growing in intensity, conflict over water and food supplies, coasts disappearing and hundreds of millions made refugees.
The more signatures we raise to be delivered to the UN next week, the more urgently this call will ring out to protect our common future. Sign now:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/sos_small_islands
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Thursday, 14 August 2008
What I'd love to get my grubby mits on...
Sony DSR PD170P Professional Camcorder
When video capture quality, format continuity, and equipment reliability is critical to your production, Sony's DSR-PD170 is probably on your list of considerations. The PD170 offers high quality video capture in excess of 500 lines of resolution, balanced audio inputs that are line/mic level switchable, a professional format that integrates SMPTE compatible time code, and excellent low-light shooting capability. The camcorder weighs about 5 pounds with tape and battery. A plethora of accessories and options makes this Sony 3-chip camcorder easy to work with in virtually any shooting scenario. This model records in the European standard PAL format.
Red Card for Mugabe...
I just sent a red card to Mugabe and joined with thousands of marchers who will be asking Southern African leaders to take action now to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe. If Southern African leaders, who meet this weekend, reject Mugabe’s attempt to hold onto power, and stand by the will of the people of Zimbabwe – a political solution is possible. Click here to send your red card:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
Hopes are slipping away for a deal to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis. Yesterday, Robert Mugabe announced plans to ignore the ongoing negotiations with the opposition MDC party, form a sham "Government of National Unity" with a breakaway opposition faction, and open parliament next week.
This weekend, when Southern Africa's 15 leaders meet at a major summit in Johannesburg, they will look out upon a sea of red. Thousands of Southern African trade unionists and other citizens will march to the summit waving red cards -- the football penalty symbol for expulsion -- and call for Mugabe to go. The organisers have appealed to Avaaz for international support, and will carry signs at the march representing the "virtual red cards" sent by Avaaz members.
The SADC leaders know that if the region's trade unions take action (by, for example, refusing to handle goods coming to or from Zimbabwe), Mugabe's government cannot survive. A bold march this weekend backed by 100,000 supporters from around the world will be a powerful signal to them that the time has come to act -- to announce that the Mbeki-led negotiations have failed, and to launch a new and fairer process immediately. Click below to send a virtual red card, and pass this message along to friends and family!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
Four and a half months have passed since the people of Zimbabwe voted for Morgan Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change on 29 March. Hyperinflation has exploded to an unimaginable 40,000,000%, and millions now face starvation. The EU, US, and UK have pledged a $1.9bn financial aid package to stabilise Zimbabwe's economy, feed the hungry and combat hyperinflation -- but only if Mugabe is removed.
Meanwhile, distribution of food aid by local and international humanitarian agencies has been prohibited by Mugabe's government. Torture camps remain in operation, political violence continues in some rural provinces, and 12 opposition MPs languish in jail on trumped-up charges. The Mbeki-led talks are collapsing, as Mugabe and his military high command insist on retaining control.
Tsvangirai, and the people of Zimbabwe, need strong allies willing to take bold action. Already, more than 300,000 Avaaz members -- including tens of thousands in Africa -- have signed petitions, donated funds, and written to their leaders in global campaigns for democracy and justice. After Avaaz flew a 280-square-metre banner over an Mbeki-chaired United Nations meeting, South Africa finally called for the release of elections results. In April, trade unions and civil society groups including Avaaz led a successful campaign to block a Chinese arms shipment to Zimbabwe. Now, as the crisis accelerates, our voices matter more than ever -- we can send an electronic wave of red cards to Johannesburg and bolster the efforts of on-the-ground advocates pressing for change.
Join the global outcry now, and then pass this message along!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
Hopes are slipping away for a deal to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis. Yesterday, Robert Mugabe announced plans to ignore the ongoing negotiations with the opposition MDC party, form a sham "Government of National Unity" with a breakaway opposition faction, and open parliament next week.
This weekend, when Southern Africa's 15 leaders meet at a major summit in Johannesburg, they will look out upon a sea of red. Thousands of Southern African trade unionists and other citizens will march to the summit waving red cards -- the football penalty symbol for expulsion -- and call for Mugabe to go. The organisers have appealed to Avaaz for international support, and will carry signs at the march representing the "virtual red cards" sent by Avaaz members.
The SADC leaders know that if the region's trade unions take action (by, for example, refusing to handle goods coming to or from Zimbabwe), Mugabe's government cannot survive. A bold march this weekend backed by 100,000 supporters from around the world will be a powerful signal to them that the time has come to act -- to announce that the Mbeki-led negotiations have failed, and to launch a new and fairer process immediately. Click below to send a virtual red card, and pass this message along to friends and family!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
Four and a half months have passed since the people of Zimbabwe voted for Morgan Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change on 29 March. Hyperinflation has exploded to an unimaginable 40,000,000%, and millions now face starvation. The EU, US, and UK have pledged a $1.9bn financial aid package to stabilise Zimbabwe's economy, feed the hungry and combat hyperinflation -- but only if Mugabe is removed.
Meanwhile, distribution of food aid by local and international humanitarian agencies has been prohibited by Mugabe's government. Torture camps remain in operation, political violence continues in some rural provinces, and 12 opposition MPs languish in jail on trumped-up charges. The Mbeki-led talks are collapsing, as Mugabe and his military high command insist on retaining control.
Tsvangirai, and the people of Zimbabwe, need strong allies willing to take bold action. Already, more than 300,000 Avaaz members -- including tens of thousands in Africa -- have signed petitions, donated funds, and written to their leaders in global campaigns for democracy and justice. After Avaaz flew a 280-square-metre banner over an Mbeki-chaired United Nations meeting, South Africa finally called for the release of elections results. In April, trade unions and civil society groups including Avaaz led a successful campaign to block a Chinese arms shipment to Zimbabwe. Now, as the crisis accelerates, our voices matter more than ever -- we can send an electronic wave of red cards to Johannesburg and bolster the efforts of on-the-ground advocates pressing for change.
Join the global outcry now, and then pass this message along!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
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