Press Release

Date: (13or 14) June 2005

BARNSLEY (& LOCAL MP?) JOIN ‘THE BIG ASK’

The results of a poll of (Barnsley) residents, published today, shows that (number) per cent of local people. (Barnsley) Friends of the Earth conducted the informal poll of (how many?) people in the town on Saturday 28 May 2005, asking ‘Is the Government doing enough about climate change?’

(How many signed up?) people joined ‘The Big Ask’ campaign over (the day / morning).

(name of local MP), MP for (constituency), (joined / was unable to join) campaigners in the town on Saturday (and / but) will be supporting the proposed new climate law.

(Quote from MP) said: “(ask the MP to provide a quote)”

OR

Members of (Barnsley) Friends of the Earth will be passing signatures on to (name of local MP), MP for (constituency) and asking (him / her) to support the proposed new climate law.

The poll is part of Friends of the Earth’s new national campaign, ‘The Big Ask’, which was launched on Wednesday 25 May 2005. ‘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. 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:

“We asked people in (Barnsley) the biggest question of all ‘’Is the Government doing enough about climate change?’ And they’ve answered loud and clear – its time for the government to take action and bring in a new law to tackle climate change.”

For more information 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)

- (if you have pictures of your MP signing up, then add ‘Pictures of xxx available from contact person in xxx format’)

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

- – join ‘The Big Ask’

- All regional poll results will be published on Monday 6 June 2005

Notes to editors:

  • The poll asked ‘Is the Government doing enough about 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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