Open Letter
December 15, 2009
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Dear Prime Minister,
On November 6, I, alongside a number of other Australians and fellow global citizens, began Climate Justice Fast!, a hunger strike for responsible, science-based action on climate change. Today, as you arrive in Copenhagen, I remain on strike, having consumed only water for forty days.
I apologize for the confronting nature of this action, and I wish to make it clear that I have never imagined that my personal health would, or should, influence your decision-making on climate change.
What I do ask, though, is that you deeply reflect on the moral implications of those decisions, and to follow the path that you know is right.
I am no climate scientist. But nevertheless, I know that the emissions reductions targets you have proposed are a death sentence for our nation. Based on recent research from the UK Met office, even if we adopted your maximum cut of 25% and the whole world accepted similar commitments, the world will still very likely warm by an average of 4 degrees by the end of this century. This, it is predicted, would leave Australia a catastrophic 6 degrees warmer.
Mr Rudd, we cannot allow that to be our legacy. We cannot be the generation of Australians that refused to play their part in protecting the safety and well-being of all who followed. Me must not.
Last weekend, 100,000 concerned Australians took to the streets to say as much. Many of them, including myself, voted for you in the faith that you would act responsibly on climate change. After all, It was you who termed the issue ‘the great moral challenge of our generation’.
Mr Rudd, in this you were right. Please do not let us fail.
Sincerely,
Paul Connor
Founder and Participant, Climate Justice Fast!
