NZ stock exchange disrupted following failure at Copenhagen

Media release - 21 December, 2009, Wellington
For immediate release:

NZ stock exchange disrupted following failure at Copenhagen.

This morning, participants of Aotearoa’s first ever Camp for Climate
Action have taken aim at the root causes of climate change by disrupting
business at the New Zealand stock exchange.

Following five days of democratic and sustainable living in the Hutt
Valley people from across New Zealand have converged on the capital to
confront the profiteers of climate change and let them know that our
climate is not their business.

“After the inevitable failure of yet another UN climate summit, we cannot
afford to wait another fifteen years for governments to do nothing while
big business takes us over the brink.

“Asking politicians and corporate polluters to put people before profit is
like asking a monkey to mind a banana. It should now be clearer than ever,
that the only people we can count on to stop runaway climate change are
ourselves” said Claire Dann, Camp for Climate Action Aotearoa participant.

“Just like the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, the UN climate talks
are part of the problem, not the solution. Both put profit before people,
both are infested with polluter friendly loopholes put there by the
profiteers of climate change itself and as a result, neither are capable
of achieving climate justice. Privatising the world's remaining
rainforests and the atmosphere itself won’t stop climate change.” said
Gary Cranston, Climate Camp participant.

“We think that people who are serious about confronting climate change
need to get together to implement the real solutions, and that's what
we're here to do at Climate Camp. Ordinary people have the power to stop
the government and big business from throwing away our future for
continued profit. We invite everybody in Aotearoa to come join the global
movement for climate justice that will keep fossil fuels in the ground and
address the climate crisis” said Gary Cranston.

ENDS

Notes for editors:

The NZX is involved in a carbon trading market called Markit Environmental
Registry. Initally called TZ1 Registry and owned by the NZX, it was sold
in July 2009. The NZX received shares in Markit and is to receive 50% of
profits over the next 2 years. When sold the TZ1 Registry had more than 38
million tonnes of 'registered voluntary emission reductions' - i.e.
pollution credits. In comparison, in 2007 New Zealand's CO2e emissions
were 75.6 million tonnes.

For more information about climate camp see: www.climatecamp.org.nz
http://www.flickr.com/photos/climatecampnz

For further info/comment:
Email: climatecampnz@riseup.net
Media Mobile: 022 648 8342