This is a proposal that I've circulated to our Parish Council, (Merton, near Bicester)
as a first step to establishing a local Climate Change Forum, in
case it's of interest to anyone else setting up similar
schemes.
What Can
We Do About Climate Change?
Over the past couple of years, climate
change has been moving steadily up the political agenda and has
gained ever more prominence in the news media. In the main, the
issue has been presented in terms of 'what
should the Government do about it?'. As for the rest of
us, we're told not to put more water than we
need in our kettles, and avoid leaving the TV on standby
& small and seemingly insignificant acts in the
face of such a huge global challenge.
But is there anything more that we can do?
And in any case, is there really a problem in the first place?
There are still articles and TV programmes telling us that
human-induced global warming is just a myth; a
great con-trick perpetrated by a bunch of anti-capitalist
environmentalists in an unholy alliance with climate scientists who
are trying to scare governments into funding their research.
Most of us need some help to pick our way
through this minefield of conflicting information and advice. Help
with both the scientific and the practical issues; is it real, and if so,
what, if anything, can I do about it?
To address those questions, Oxford
University's Environmental Change Institute has
set up an outreach programme called ClimateXChange (http://www.climatex.org/). Its aim is to help local
groups and communities set up their own programmes of action,
ranging from information on the issues (talks, presentations,
quizzes, films) though to advice on what individuals, households
and communities can do.
It's an issue that
I've long been interested in. Having worked for
many years in the ski industry, I've seen at
first hand the rapid and dramatic changes that are taking place in
the mountains. These changes are not just affecting skiers, but
stand to have a major impact on many of Europe's
river systems and water supplies, as glaciers shrink and their
associated summer meltwaters diminish.
Even here in Oxfordshire, effects can be
seen. The timings of bird migrations are changing, as are those of
the budding and flowering of many plants and the patterns of
hibernation for mammals such as hedgehogs. Wetter winters and drier
summers are causing problems of flooding and drought, as well as
altering local ecologies. On our own doorstep, the
RSPB's Otmoor reserve is seeing changes in the
range, numbers and breeding success of species coming to the area.
Over the next half-century, the predicted reduction in soil
moisture during the summer and early autumn is likely to cause
increasing problems for many of the reserve's
species.
But saving the planet
isn't to everyone's taste. It'll see me out, so why
should I worry? is a not altogether uncommon
response. Well, apart from the moral arguments about our
obligations to future generations, how about saving ourselves
money? Though they've dropped back a bit
recently, the last couple of years have seen a major hike in fuel
prices, a trend that's
likely to continue as oil output begins to peak and emerging
economies like China and India add to the global demand.
You don't have to follow
David Cameron's lead and stick a windmill on
your roof. In fact there are good arguments for saying
that's one of the last things you
should do. Sticking an extra six inches of insulation
under your roof can be a much better place to start. Not
to mention draught-proofing your house, and not leaving any of your
appliances on standby. And most people can more than offset recent
rises in the price of petrol by making minor adjustments to the way
they drive.
So to help people get to grips with the
problem and what we can all do about it, the aim is to set up a
local forum, supported by ClimateXChange. Its detailed objectives
are still to be established, indeed,
that's one of the first topics for discussion.
But possible activities include talks from guest speakers, film
shows, information on grants for domestic energy saving, and a
discussion group for anyone with an ongoing interest in the
subject.
As a first step, I'm
seeking the Parish Council's support for the
initiative. My aim is to give a short presentation at the next
Parish Council meeting, to gauge reactions, obtain feedback on what
topics might be of interest, and to find out if any of the current
councillors would like to get involved.
I hope that you will support this
proposal.
