Press Release

Date: Saturday11 June 2005

(if possible, send on Friday 3 or Monday 6 June 2005, as lots of local papers have a Tues deadline for Friday publication. Telephone the news desk and ask if they plan to cover the story.)

(BARNSLEY)’S BIG ASK

On Saturday 11June 2005, campaigners from (Barnsley) Friends of the Earthwill be in the town centre (with a giant microphone),polling local residents on whether the Government should do more to tackle climate change and asking them to join Friends of the Earth’s new national campaign, ‘The Big Ask’, which was launched on Wednesday 25 May 2005.

(If your local MP is joining you for a photocall on the day or you can set this up for the picture desk of the local paper on Friday 10 June, then mention this as well)

‘The Big Ask’ calls on the Government to bring in a new law which will tackle climate change by setting legally binding targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions every year. The campaign will feature adverts, which will run in cinemas across the UK during the summer.

(Barnsley) Friends of the Earth’s climate co-ordinator (name) said:

“Climate change is the biggest threat facing the planet. There’s one easy thing that everyone in (Barnsley) can do – and that is to join ‘The Big Ask’.”

For more information(if your MP is supportive, add ‘ or to arrange a photocall of xxx MP taking part in the Big Ask) please call (name) local group co-ordinator, (Barnsley) Friends of the Earth (this person must have a mobile phone or be contactable during office hours)

- - Still photos of the cinema adverts are available from Kath Stipala, Media Officer, Tel 020 7566 1649 or

- – join ‘The Big Ask’

- Regional poll results will be published on Monday 13 June 2005

Notes to editors:

  • The poll asked ‘Is the Government doing enoughabout climate change?’
  • ‘The Big Ask’, calls on the government to set legally binding targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by three per cent every year
  • (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE WORDING OF THIS TEXT) An NOP survey,published by Friends of the Earth on 25 May 2005, found that 73 per cent do not think that the Government is doing enough to tackle climate change;55 per cent think that the Government should be taking the lead on climate change – 26 per cent said individuals; 13 per cent plumped for business. The NOP survey interviewed 1000 people across Britain between 6-8 May 2005. Weighting was applied to the data to bring it in line with national profiles.
  • Levels of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, have actually risen in recent years. If the Government doesn’t start making annual cuts now, it will become more difficult and expensive to make bigger cuts a few years down the line.

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