Our oceans are dying, our air changing, and our forests and grasslands turning to deserts. From fish and plants to wildlife to human beings, we are killing the planet that sustains us, and fast. There is one single greatest cause of this destruction of the natural world -- climate change, and in the next 48 hours, we have a chance to stop it.

The UN treaty on climate change -- our best hope for action -- expires next year. But a greedy US-led coalition of oil-captured countries is trying to kill it forever. It's staggeringly difficult to believe: they are trading short term profits for the survival of our natural world.

The EU, Brazil and China are all on the fence -- they are not slaves to oil companies the way the US is, but they need to hear a massive call to action from people before they really lead financially and politically to save the UN treaty. The world is gathered at the climate summit for the next 48 hours to make the big decision. Let's send our leaders a massive call to stand up to big oil and save the planet -- an Avaaz team at the summit will deliver our call directly.

You can sign the petition here.

Things are becoming desperate -- all over our planet extreme weather continues to smash records, leaving millions homeless and without food or shelter. We’re rapidly reaching our point of no return to stop runaway climate change -- we only have until 2015 to start making drastic reductions to our carbon pollution.

Yet despite this very real urgency, the world has failed to mobilise against the fossil fuel captured democracy of the US. Not only content with wrecking the Copenhagen talks and the Kyoto protocol, they are now building a coalition of climate treaty killers to put the final nail in the coffin of international negotiations in Africa.

Our only hope to turn things around lies with Europe, Brazil and China -- they can make a deal happen, but they need to do it together, and that’s where we come in. Europe is tired, it’s fought long and hard on climate and needs a public boost. China has already agreed to binding commitments, is sensitive to its international reputation, and could lead further if we give it an encouraging push. And Brazil is hosting next year's earth summit -- making them eager to set the world up for climate success. Let’s build a giant global call to bring our champions together and build a green dream team.

The crazy focus on short term profits that motivates countries to stall and scuttle action on a climate crisis that literally threatens the survival of all of us cannot be tolerated. Fortunately, our movement has the power to intervene in this process and demand change. Let’s stand together and inspire others to stand with us for a safer, more humane world.

More information:
Sydney Morning Herald "Salvaging Kyoto Protocol a tall order: UN":
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/salvaging-kyoto-protocol-a-tall-order-un-20111128-1o1sd.html

Bloomberg "Global Warming Fight Threatened by Debt Crisis as Kyoto Fades":
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-05/global-warming-fight-threatened-by-debt-crisis-as-kyoto-fades.html

BBC "Durban: the early skirmishes":
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15944559

AFP "Climate talks bust-up feared despite dire warnings"
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ilQ2AAkCv-s-T9ADnXqjblPluR9A?docId=CNG.451abb628334395938a1d87bf5b33d68.1e1

CTV "Canada to pull out of Kyoto Protocol next month":
http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111127/durban-south-africa-slimate-conference-setup-111127/20111127/?hub=CalgaryHome