This year's walk is more important than ever, as the world's big, immensely wealthy greenhouse companies and their legion of lobbyists run campaigns around the globe to soften the impact of domestic laws on climate change.

In Australia 120 companies, with significant greenhouse emissions, use about 80 lobbying firms as well as their own in-house PR people. There are more than 2,800 climate lobbyists in the US

"Most lobbyists contacted by the Herald were reluctant to talk but some agreed that the government was lending a willing ear to their arguments. The lobbyists had helped to secure unpublicised meetings with government and opposition MPs generally with the aim of extracting concessions. "It's fair to say that most of the big companies would be very happy with the contact they've had with Ministers", said one lobbyists working for one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters"

In the face of this pressure from powerful vested interests, and the climate change denial of the newly elected Liberal Party leader, it is vital that we Australian citizens join together in a massive show of solidarity to demand action for a safe climate future from our political leaders.

For more information go to the Walk Against Warming website.

Regards from the Citizens Climate Campaign Committee