Copenhagen has been reverberating with the voices of island leaders pleading for serious climate action from developed and developing countries alike. They rightly point out that what rich countries like Australia have on offer is a suicide pact for them and they will not sign it.

But Kevin Rudd has responded to this heartfelt plea from the world's most vulnerable people by trying to bully them into submission. He picked up the phone and started to call Pacific leaders, berating them for what he called their "unproductive stance". You can read about it in Christine Milne's blog from Copenhagen here.

Island leaders need our support now!

These island leaders will be coming under immense pressure from the world's largest and richest countries in the next few days. Those who want a political outcome more than they want a meaningful safe climate outcome are pressuring the islands to pull back and accept a weak deal.

All Australians who support the brave stand taken by island leaders should get behind them now.

We need to tell them not to listen to Mr Rudd, and reassure them that many Australians stand with the islands in their call for survival. We support their call for the global effort to be aimed at 350 ppm or below, not the 450 ppm that threatens their future, and certainly not the 750 ppm that would be the inevitable result of the woefully weak targets currently on the table. We support their call for developed nations to take an ambitious lead for the large developing nations like China to follow. That is the only path to a successful safe climate outcome.

Step 1 - email the leaders

Please take a few minutes to email these leaders to give them your support:

• Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Mr Apisai Ielemia, can be reached via his personal secretary at ksaloa@gov.tv
• Prime Minister of Grenada, Mr Tillman Thomas, can be reached via pmoffice@gov.gd
• President Nasheed of the Maldives can be reached via info@presidencymaldives.gov.mv
• President Anote Tong of Kiribati can be reached via eni@parliament.gov.ki
• Premier of Niue, Toke Talagi, can be reached via Secretaty to Government Richarde Hipa at sog.hipa@mail.gov.nu

step 2 - spread the word

Christine Milne tells us from Copenhagen that the Rudd Government is feeling the heat over its negative performance at the negotiations. A flurry of letters to the editor in Australian papers will make Mr Rudd think twice about continuing to bully island leaders and push for a weak deal.

After you send your message of support to the island leaders, please also consider taking another minute or two to send a letter to the editor of Australia's major newspapers, telling them that you stand with the islands in calling for a meaningful climate treaty that will ensure survival, not just the political survival of governments like Mr Rudd's.

If you send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, please remember to keep it short and to the point - if it's less than 150 words, it's far more likely to be published! Also include your full name and contact details so that the editors can confirm its legitimacy.

• Adelaide Advertiser: submit letters at www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/news/opinion/sendletter
• The Age: email letters to letters@theage.com.au
• The Australian: email letters to letters@theaustralian.com.au
• Australian Financial Review: email letters to edletters@afr.com.au
• Canberra Times: email letters to letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au
• The Courier Mail: submit letters at www.news.com.au/couriermail/editorial/letter
• The Daily Telegraph: email letters to letters@dailytelegraph.com.au
• The Herald Sun: submit letters at www.news.com.au/heraldsun/editorial/letter
• Hobart Mercury: email letters to mercuryedletter@dbl.newsltd.com.au
• Sydney Morning Herald: email letters to letters@smh.com.au
• The West Australian: email letters to letters@wanews.com.au

More info:

Read Christine's blog posts from Copenhagen here and media releases here.

Watch Christine's video blogs here, see her photos here and listen to podcasts here.

Follow Christine tweets from Copenhagen: www.twitter.com/senatormilne.