Australians hold global twitterstorm encouraging leaders to support Kyoto2

Ahead of COP18, Oxfam climate campaigners are working hard to ensure Australia keeps its promises and signs up for a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. One of their tactics? Ensuring politicians at all levels of government understand why it’s important. Here’s a short blog from Oxfam Australia’s Tim Norton explaining how you can be part of their ‘Kyoto2 Twitterstorm’:

From the food crisis in West Africa to drought in the US, from receding Arctic ice to a dying Great Barrier Reef, a changing climate has never felt more real.

Over the next two weeks the Australian Government has an important choice to make.

We’re rallying our supporters on Twitter to help make sure it makes the right choice. And we’d like you and your friends to join us.

International climate negotiations have reached a critical stage and Australia is in the spotlight. The hope is that it will commit to a second phase of the Kyoto Protocol and help lay the path to a comprehensive global climate treaty.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians have called for stronger action on climate change. In August this year, almost 1,500 Oxfam supporters wrote to Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change, reminding him that Australians want to be part of a global solution to the climate crisis.

Over the next two weeks the Government will debate Australia’s continuing commitment under the Kyoto Protocol.

Twitter is used by many Australian politicians so it’s a great way to have a direct interaction with the key people who decide whether Australia should remain part of the global solution to climate change.

Starting from 8am on Wednesday 24th October – together with our partners WWF, Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace, CANA, CARE, The Climate Institute, The Oaktree Foundation, GetUp, the AYCC, World Vision Australia and TEAR – we start our Twitter storm. It’s easy! All you need to do is tweet your message on why you want Australia to sign up to Kyoto2, mentioning our Prime Minister (@JuliaGillard), Deputy Prime Minister (@SwannyDPM) or the Minister for Foreign Affairs (@bobjcarr), using the hashtags #Kyoto2 and #climate.

Here are some sample tweets to get you started:

• Dear PM @JuliaGillard – #climate change is a global challenge that needs a global fix. Please sign #Kyoto2
• .@SwannyDPM – Aust has the policy foundations to cut carbon pollution. We should stand by them internationally by supporting #Kyoto2
• .@bobjcarr – Without a global solution, #climate change may wipe out decades of hard-won development gains. Australia must sign #Kyoto2
• Signing #Kyoto2 will help us continue cutting carbon pollution, doing our bit to tackle climate change-@JuliaGillard pls sign Kyoto #auspol
• Hi @SwannyDPM – Did you knw signing #Kyoto2 has widespread support? Survey shows 58 percent Aus voters think we should get on board
• Attn @SwannyDPM – Kyoto has the support of most Aussies http://ow.ly/exotU Time to sign on to the next phase #Kyoto2 #climate
• .@bobjcarr If the Federal Government truly supports a global framework for tackling #climate change, it should sign #Kyoto2

Not on Twitter? You can also write to your local MP asking them to support Kyoto2.