On November 12th, 2008 at 5.15 pm. six climate activists dressed in period costumes as suffragettes complete with big hats, marched into a municipal city council meeting in Gothenburg, the second largest city of Sweden.
The politicians were debating a new six-lane motorway, called the Marieholm tunnel, planned to be built under the river that runs through the city. The six women, activists from the climate network Klimax, stormed in to the meeting blowing whistles. A banner was unfolded with the text: “No more tunnel vision – climate smart politics now!” The activists voiced two demands:
Stop Marieholm tunnel, no more motorways.
Local politics in accordance with the latest climate science.
From the stand other activists and members of the public cheered. Leaflets explaining the action were handed out. The action commemorated the 100 years anniversary of the Suffragettes bursting into the British Parliament to demand women’s suffrage.
The official climate goal of Gothenburg is to stabilize the emissions caused by the city to a globally sustainable and fair level by 2050. Still the politicians (conservatives, liberals and social democrats) are cooking up plans for a new six-lane motorway under the river, even though they know that new roads lead to more traffic. To build a new motorway is insanity. Its the absolut last thing we need in these times of climate change!
As did the Suffragettes 100 years ago, we are facing an urgent problem of huge injustice. It is women all over the world who will suffer the worst consequences of climate change, even though it isn’t women who are responsible for the largest sources of emissions. With this action we celebrate the strong women before us who fought for a better world. We have picked up the torch the suffragettes carried and we will pass it on!
greengoteborg at yahoo.se
http://www.klimatet.org