Today in the House, leaders of political parties spoke to John Key’s motion on the Typhoon in the Philippines. Russel Norman read out a statement that was spoken by
Philippines climate negotiator Naderev “Yeb” Saño told the delegation at the 19th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP19) Monday …
There is a report on the Saño speech in an article on Common dreams (as linked above).
Norman’s speech, that was heckled from the government benches for daring to make a “political” statement to such a motion: he was heckled for daring to read a speech calling for urgent action on climate change.
From the Common Dreams article on Saño’s speech:
Saño, the Philippine Climate Change Commissioner, delivered his address during the opening session of the 12-day climate talks in Warsaw, Poland three days after Typhoon Haiyan made landfall, wreaking havoc across his island nation.
“What my country is going through as a result of this extreme climate event is madness. The climate crisis is madness,” Saño told the assembly, describing the massive devastation and thousands feared dead following Typhoon Haiyan, the “strongest in modern recorded history.”
“We can stop this madness. Right here in Warsaw,” he added, appealing to the representatives of nearly 200 countries who assembled in a bid to reach a new agreement to replace the Kyoto protocol that expired last year. Many anticipate the talks will only amount to a 2015 agreement for new limits on greenhouse gas emissions.
“Typhoons such as Haiyan and its impacts represent a sobering reminder to the international community that we cannot afford to delay climate action,” Saño continued.
[…]
To climate change deniers, or those countries who are less impacted by the effects of global warming and therefore are less motivated to enact meaningful change, Saño challenged them before the Warsaw assembly, saying, “I dare them, I dare them to get off their ivory towers and away from the comfort of their armchairs.”
But the shameless government hecklers, rather than ponder the seriousness of the situation, just heckled from the comfort of their seats in the House.
Norman called for Saño’s words to be honoured by taking urgent action in response to climate change.
As reported on Common Dreams:
Saño concluded his speech by acknowledging the personal toll of the storm, saying that his family hails from the devastated town of Tacloban where Haiyan made landfall on Friday.
Further impressing the severity of his commitment and the urgency of a climate agreement, Saño pledged to go on hunger strike until “clear progress is made,” saying, “In solidarity with my countrymen who are struggling to find food back home and with my brother who has not had food for the last three days… I will now commence a voluntary fasting.”
The full Saño is included at the above link.
As fender commented:
Not surprising, Key probably informed the Nats that Colin Craig is the new authority on climate change..
[update] Yeb Saño to Russel Norman
I salute you Russel Norman. http://adoptanegotiator.org/2013/11/12/and-they-laughed/ …
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