Mark Oaten MP in 'Trick or Treat' climate protest

12.00.00pm GMT Mon 2nd Nov 2009

Friends of the Earth Winchester donned witches capes and other ghoulish dress when they "trick or treated" Mark Oaten MP to demand strong action on climate change.

The Halloween visit is part of Friends of the Earth's Demand Climate Change campaign for a strong and fair agreement to tackle global warming at UN talks this December. The campaign is calling on Ministers to stop promoting carbon offsetting - a con which substitutes ineffective action abroad for real action at home to cut greenhouse gas emissions and create new green jobs and industries.

Friends of the Earth is asking everyone in the Winchester area to sign its international petition to world leaders at http://www.demandclimatechange.org.

Friends of the Earth Winchester local group member Hazel Agombar, said:

"The threat of runaway global warming is much more than a Halloween nightmare - so it's vital that world leaders reach a strong and fair agreement at UN climate change talks in Copenhagen this December.

Mark Oaten can play his part by demanding the Government ditch carbon offsetting, one of the greatest con tricks in history, and instead work to secure an agreement which protects the world's poorest and brings about real cuts in greenhouse gas emissions."

Mark Oaten MP said:

"We can't carry on as we are. Every individual, family, business, charity and government office needs to take responsibility for the CO2 it produces. It's not enough to buy carbon offsetting in another country. We actually need to cut our carbon production here."

Climate campaigners from Winchester will be flooding to London on Saturday, December 5 to take part in The Wave - a huge public demonstration that will encircle the houses of Parliament with thousands of people dressed in blue.