Unite Against Climate Change
IndyACT is Calling on the New Cabinet to put Climate Change on its Agenda
Beirut; 8 July 2008 - The League of Independent activists - IndyACT - has organized an environmental event at Ramlet El Bayda in Beirut at 6:00p.m. as part of its campaign to urge Arab countries, especially Lebanon to seriously work against climate change.
IndyACT gather more than 75 activists in addition to a number of local civil society associations on the beach to form a human line in the face of rising sea levels, one of the impacts of climate change. The conferees also lifted a banner reading "Unite against Climate Change" calling decision-makers in Lebanon to stop fighting among each other and unite in the fight against climate change which threatens Lebanon, the Arab region and the entire world.
In a statement to the media, Wael Hmaidan, Executive Director of the League said "Climate change threatens our security and our economy more than any political problem we have at home or abroad, but unfortunately it is not considered as a priority by any of the political parties in Lebanon." He added "the absence of climate change on the priorities of all major political parties in Lebanon demonstrates either the inability of these parties to manage the country or their indifference to the threats facing its the people."
The whole world has started to endure the effects of climate change. Agriculture degradation, loss of food resources and impacting human health are but a few of its effects. In addition, and as a consequence of climate change, heat waves and drought, in the world in general and the Middle East in particular, have increased which threatens the scarce water and green areas in the region.
Therefore, IndyACT calls upon the new government to include climate change into its ministerial statement. The organization also offered to help President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora to develop an action plan to combat this serious problem to ensure the interests of Lebanon in particular and the Arab States and the world in general.
For more information please contact:
Wael Hmeidan, Executive Director, Mobile: 03506313, E-mail: whmaidan@indyact.org, www.indyact.org