11,000 dance for the climate

More than 11,000 people gathered last on 29 August on the beach at Ostend to take part in the filming of a video clip by Flemish TV personality Nic Balthazar calling for action on climate change. The action, a repeat of last year’s The Big Ask campaign, was timed to take place exactly 100 days before the climate summit in Copenhagen. The crowds danced Bollywood-style to the music of U2, who had waived the rights to the song “Magnificent” for the occasion.

“In December the world leaders will have to take the most important decisions of this century: they have to agree a follow- up to the Kyoto protocol,” Balthazar said. “Will this solve all the problems? Of course not. But staying silent is pointless. We have shown that many people are concerned about global warming.”

(September 1, 2024)