{"id":18250,"date":"2025-12-08T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T09:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/?p=18250"},"modified":"2025-12-05T11:06:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T11:06:15","slug":"global-climate-change-march-2007","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/?p=18250","title":{"rendered":"Global Climate Change March &#8211; 2007"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Global Climate Change March<\/strong>: On Saturday 8th December 2007 around 6,000 people came to march through London in an attempt to shake the government out of its complacency and get the real change in direction needed to avoid catastrophe. It was by then totally clear that our world was heading to disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0269.jpg\" alt=\"Global Climate Change March - 2007\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A mermaid at the front of the march points out the danger of rising sea levels<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Eighteen years later we are still on course for human extinction, and for taking many other species with us. Although most governments have by now taken some measures to curb emissions together these have only resulted in a slight reduction of our rate of self-destruction. Tinkering at the margins is not going to save us and there will be no magic scientific solution, we need a dramatic system change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0026.jpg\" alt=\"Global Climate Change March - 2007\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Cyclists arrive to support picket at a Tesco Metro<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The main driver of our impending disaster can be stated in one word: <strong>GROWTH<\/strong>. The incessant demand for more, more, more &#8211; when what we really should be valuing is better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0108.jpg\" alt=\"Global Climate Change March - 2007\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The cyclists rode around central London in the rain<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We have a government that is committed to growth &#8211; and introducing climate killing policies such as Heathrow expansion. Protests such this in 2007 and many others managed to stop the third runway then but now it and other disastrous projects are back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0143.jpg\" alt=\"Global Climate Change March - 2007\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>People come to Parliament Square to start the march to the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course it isn&#8217;t just our current government, but the whole political and economic system which calls for growth &#8211; and is dominated by the rich and powerful people and corporations who control the laws, the media and more. They aren&#8217;t our laws and our media but their laws and their media &#8211; and they lead to the obscenity of billionaires and to poverty in rich countries and across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0171.jpg\" alt=\"Global Climate Change March - 2007\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Polar bears support Friends of the Earth&#8217;s &#8216;The Big Ask&#8217;.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is my fairly lengthy account of the march in 2007 from My London Diary, where there are many more pictures of the event than the few here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0187.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8216;Can&#8217;t you stop climate change&#8217;<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Global Climate Change March &#8211; Parliament &#8211; Grosvenor Square<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0214.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The global climate change march on Saturday 8 December was intended to send a message to government that they need to produce an effective Climate Change bill and put themselves wholeheartedly behind saving the planet rather than backing projects such as the Heathrow expansion that will further increase the chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0232.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The march went to the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, because America is still refusing to ratify the Kyoto treaty and still sabotaging any progress on getting effective measures to cut carbon and energy use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0521.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Cyclists were also out in force on a tour of central London before the march, visiting a picket at Tesco Metro in Lower Regent Street, where leaflets were handed to customers asking them to shop elsewhere so long as Tesco continues to promote bio-fuels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0272.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a lousy day, with strong winds and intermittent heavy showers, but that didn&#8217;t stop more than 6000 marchers turning out for the event, many in fancy dress as santas, polar bears, reindeer, elves, penguins and more to highlight the problem of melting polar icecaps. At the front of the march was the &#8216;Statue of Taking Liberties&#8217; with the Kyoto treaty, followed by the Earth in its greenhouse as in the Campaign against Climate Change logo. And Lucy, our favourite mermaid was there to remind us of the perils of rising sea levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0587.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was hardly surprising to see such a great number of protesters and placards opposed to the expansion of Heathrow and the building of a third runway across the villages of Sipson and Harmondsworth. There also appeared to be an increasing realisation that to combat climate chaos we need to put into place changes in lifestyle and politics, with some protesters calling for an end to livestock farming &#8211; one of the main contributors to carbon emissions &#8211; and others for a revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0364.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I tried hard to represent all the different groups on the march, but doubtless I will have missed some. One of the santas carried two placards, the more appropriate of which said &#8220;<em>Santa says stop Global Warming. Its getting too wet and windy for Rudolph<\/em>&#8220;; it was certainly too wet and windy for marchers and photographers, but we stuck it out<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/08\/20071208-d0480.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Many more pictures at <a href=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\/2007\/12\/dec.htm#climate\">Global Climate Change March<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" id=\"block-21592268-6698-4884-b8d2-0c04276c63b5\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" id=\"block-1347990f-e0e8-4f40-a8b0-aa6582de51ac\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/69163004@N00\/albums\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Flickr<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/peter.marshall.712\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/mylondondiary.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">My London Diary<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hullphotos.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hull Photos<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/river-lea.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lea Valley<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/peter-marshall.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Paris<\/a><br><a href=\"http:\/\/www.petermarshallphotos.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">London&#8217;s Industrial Heritage<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.buildingsoflondon.co.uk\/\">London Photos<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" id=\"block-8dc66be1-c5ae-47e2-b405-4b303d7ef4e1\">All photographs on this page are copyright \u00a9 Peter Marshall. <br>Contact me to buy prints or licence to reproduce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" id=\"block-1ffbd6e4-34ed-4464-9d11-8ce09bf8d01e\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Global Climate Change March: On Saturday 8th December 2007 around 6,000 people came to march through London in an attempt to shake the government out of its complacency and get the real change in direction needed to avoid catastrophe. It was by then totally clear that our world was heading to disaster. Eighteen years later &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/?p=18250\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Global Climate Change March &#8211; 2007<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[1898,6180,6283,127,661,1274,994,1020,10513,7236,15932,1817,534,22703,22702,22704,3605,17,244,6221,12571,4430,22706,83,4048,14935,3184,524,16446,22667,337,22705,2686],"class_list":["post-18250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-my-own-work","category-political-issues","tag-1898","tag-campaign-against-climate-cahange","tag-climate-activists","tag-climate-change","tag-climate-chaos","tag-co2","tag-cyclists","tag-disaster","tag-elves","tag-friends-of-the-earth","tag-governments","tag-green-party","tag-greenhouse-gases","tag-growth","tag-hewathrow","tag-human-extinction","tag-kyoto","tag-london","tag-march","tag-mermaid","tag-no-new-runway","tag-no-third-runway","tag-penguins","tag-peter-marshall","tag-polar-bears","tag-reindeer","tag-santas","tag-species-extinction","tag-species-loss","tag-statue-of-taking-liberties","tag-system-change","tag-tesco-metro","tag-us-embassy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18250"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18252,"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18250\/revisions\/18252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/re-photo.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}