Voice of the people crucial in fight against climate change

“Climate change may be bigger than each of us but it is not bigger than all of us.” The citizens of the UN climate summit host city turned off their lights for an hour in a special Earth Hour which recalled the global event in March of this year in which hundreds of millions of people from 88 countries and 4000 cities and towns Voted Earth for decisive action on climate change.

WWF Director General James Leape and 10-year-old Anne-Katrine Bisgaard Håkansson from Denmark handed to Vijay Nambiar a shimmering globe, The People’s Orb, which contains a 350-gigabyte mosaic of the hopes, dreams and experiences of people from every continent of the world to create a global mandate for action on climate change. The People’s Orb is a symbol of the collective effort of all the major climate campaigns, including Seal the Deal, tcktcktck, Raise your Voice, 350.org, Hopenhagen and Vote Earth. Unveiled in Sydney, the Orb travelled to Copenhagen via The Climate Express and was delivered to the host city by honorary custodian, UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner.

Vijay Nambiar said the international gathering of families, politicians, media and mayors in Copenhagen City Hall Square has given him hope. “The size of the challenge has not daunted your commitment,” he said. “With this Orb – with the voices you have raised – you are urging your leaders to protect people and the planet. Together, let’s make Copenhagen the place where the world came together to usher in a new era of hope.”

Mr Leape said the time to act is now. “Action on climate change has been debated for far too long. It is imperative that on March 27, 2010 – Earth Hour 2010 – the people of the world feel confident that we are heading in a positive direction to protect our planet and make it a safer, cleaner, healthier future for all.”