Rob Quantock, Melbourne comedian and fervent supporter of the climate action movement, entertains the crowd.

In Canberra on Saturday, protestors from Climate Change Canberra and numerous other environmental groups along with local residents held an emergency rally in front of Parliament House, writes Geoff Lazarus.

Local residents, entertainers and speakers from various organisations expressed deep concern over the Copenhagen negotiations in which developed nations like Australia and the US are holding to a position of 450ppml that is far below what climate scientists are calling for.

NASA’s chief research scientist James Hansen is calling for global targets of less than
350 to achieve a safe climate, yet Rudd’s CPRS has set 450 ppml as its target. And many
other developed nations including the US have similar positions to Australia.

145 developing nations are calling for emission target reductions of 40% or more, yet
Australia and the US are refusing to come at anything like this target.

The afternoon of free entertainment around 350 Day of Global Action featured Melbourne’s funnyman Rod Quantock, in a play, Gamble with the Climate which highlighted the urgent need to reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere from the unsafe level of 390 parts per million to under 350ppml. Rod and audience members also highlighted the complete failure of Mr Rudd and Mr Turnbull to release policies that match what the world’s leading scientists are calling for. The event was graced by other speakers including Ed Cooper from GETUP and Anne O’Brien from Climate Action Canberra.

Musicians joined local residents in singing a chorus for change.

Prizes were awarded to the best dressed up polar animal, politician and big polluter.

ANU Professor Andrew Glikson spoke prior to the play on why 350 parts per million of CO2
in the atmosphere constitutes a safe climate, and 450 is a very unsafe climate for the
globe. Andrew informed us on what the latest and best research is now telling us on the
severe risk of not acting to immediately reduce carbon emissions and levels.