UPDATE NOVEMBER 2019
Public Meeting on Climate Change and Environmental Issues
November 10th 2019
St Peter’s Church Hall
Weston Favell, Northampton
A REPORT SUMMARISING THE EVENT AND POINTS OF DISCUSSION
Fifty people attended the meeting including non-residents of Weston Favell Village and of a range of ages. The main demographic was of people aged 50 who were interested in the issue of climate change and were well-informed.
Three young women attended who have been involved in the organisation of the school strikes and marches in March and September and gave impassioned speeches about their concerns for their generation’s future
The organiser’s presentation and activities were well-received and the technology worked!
Grouped participants were asked to discuss a particular theme in relation to reducing carbon-dioxide. Themes included the role of the government, food, waste management and packaging, transport and energy consumption. Examples of discussion points were: how might changing the way we get about/ purchase food/use energy in the home reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.
The responses in general addressed local solutions but there was also commentary on the importance of local and national government and electorate interaction – that councillors and MPs needed to listen and work with citizens to move forward with this huge issue of climate change and environmental protection. An emphasis on raising public awareness through education was made.
Contacts have been made with people outside the residents’ association who are interested in moving forward from this initial meeting
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES
GOVERNMENT – ELECTORATE INTERACTIONS
The government is able to create conditions for change but needs instruction from the electorate. Policy change has to be for the long term. In terms of climate change there are many levels of action needed: local to global. Action begins with the local but needs to be co-ordinated to influence national actions. National actions will impact and influence international reaction.
The government could incentivise change (financial /health and well-being). Regulation is needed with longer term more binding agreements (national and international)
Local action can influence government I.e. the workings of democracy if the government listens. A question is how do you convert the will of the people to become the reality of government. XR protests raise awareness but pressure needs to be exerted to make changes at local government level. Minority influence does work if local small-scale action spreads with consistency and commitment. Awareness of the climate and environmental issues exist. The public concern will have to be taken up by the new government. Community leaders will be crucial in supporting change.
WASTE MANAGEMENT, PLASTIC AND LITTER
Research is needed into the carbon cost in the production of different types of plastics. Packaging and plastics need recycling/reuse/sustainability labelling. More information is needed for the public about the possibilities of creating products from waste plastic.
There is compostable starch based plastic as an alternative but it is currently more expensive with unknown energy costs.
Why are we still using non-recyclable plastic? Investment and research is needed into alternatives that are not oil dependant and upcycling of plastic waste.
Garden waste is an example of recycling and reuse for compost done locally.
Awareness of end-products of waste and why we are asked to recycle. Education into creating no waste could also be a way forward.
Investment needed into management of different types of waste. There should be real emphasis on product development from waste materials to reduce waste going to landfill.
Veolia Northampton’s waste management company invites visitors to its Bletchley site and provides educational resources.
PACKAGING
Clear labelling needed to enable choice of purchases relating to sustainable packaging. Regulation could be introduced to dictate how all goods should be packaged for sale.
TRANSPORT
Acknowledgment that society needs to be less dependent on the oil industry is vital. Investment in public transport essential to get people out of their cars.
Continue with the 20mph speed limit campaign and reduce speed generally to save fuel.
Car-sharing should be considered. A point was made that in Singapore cars cannot drive in the city with less than four passengers.
Congestion is a real problem generally and will not be solved until public transport is better provided.
FOOD
Comments included that people understand the need to reduce meat eating and purchase of imported food; that there should be a focus on locally produced foods; plastic packaging needs to be controlled; there needs to be a conduit for plastic bottles/packaging to recycling to reuse in some form; encourage collective allotments. Local shops could be reinstated with incentives (reducing business rates/rent). Consider seasonal produce locally produced.
Allotments could provide a real opportunity for local food production and enterprise.
ENERGY
Grants or interest free loans for solar panels/insulation need to be reinstated or available.
Heating homes and public buildings and space e.g malls needs to be more efficient.
Being prepared to pay more for greener energy is likely but there are community and cooperative schemes available.
Greater awareness needed of the possibilities of using alternative energy companies and the cooperative energy schemes.
Conclusions
The task to reduce carbon dioxide emisions is huge and involves all populations and governments.
Locally residents with their community leaders have an important role to play in terms of individual and community behavioural change in reducing carbon-dioxide emissions and also in mutual encouragement to continue that change.
Local electorates can influence local council authorities and from there national governments. Evidence for this comes from climate change activism such as Extinction Rebellion. The next stage is to formulate a plan of action from January 2020 to 2030. Local residents can become involved with the council’s climate emergency group led by Councillors Mike Hallam and Paul Joyce. The next date is January.
Continued awareness raising is of prime importance and monitoring of the science.
Many councils and local groups around the country are thinking and acting critically while engaging their residents. Universities, business, councils, churches, schools and community groups need to work together.
It really is a mission but we need to do this together.
The possible next stage:
Engaging with the Woodland Trust’s
BIG CLIMATE FIGHT BACK
The WT want a million trees planted from November 30.
They are inviting pledges from members of the public to plant trees in gardens, public land, allotments, at street verges.
There is a huge range of different trees including collections of small hedgrow trees such as guelder rose, dogwoods, hawthorn, black thorn as well as the large standards like our oaks and beeches. There are trees for all situations.
The website is
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/press-centre/2019/09/big-climate-fightback/
CLARE ROBERTSON-MARRIOTT
IF INTERESTED IN TAKING THIS FORWARD PLEASE CONTACT ME
OPEN PUBLIC MEETING ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal (I.P.C.C.). With more than 95% certainty, we can attribute this warming to human activity. The rate of warming has been accelerating since the millennium.
Greta Thunberg born in 2003 has sparked a global movement because as she says herself “we must panic about this and act”
Community groups, around the world, no matter how small, are working together to make plans to act urgently. To that end there is to be an open public meeting in Weston Favell Village as follows:
SUNDAY AFTERNOON 10TH NOVEMBER
3.00PM
ST. PETER’S CHURCH HALL
HIGH STREET
WESTON FAVELL VILLAGE
NORTHAMPTON
Please note we all have a voice and ideas to contribute.
Permission to use the Church Hall has been kindly granted by
Reverend David Kirby