Thursday 1 August 2019

EDDC declares climate emergency

Last week, East Devon District Council declared a climate emergency. Following an amendment from the youngest member of the council, EDDC will aim to be carbon neutral by 2040 and "will commit to bringing the date forward whenever new circumstances arise."



But whatever the target – 2030, 2040 or 2050 – there is now "a growing consensus that the next 18 months will be critical in dealing with the global heating crisis."


Prince Charles, speaking at a reception for Commonwealth foreign ministers, said:
Prince Charles has been an advocate on environmental matters for decades. On climate change:
Speaking to the European Parliament on 14 February 2008, he called for European Union leadership in the war against climate change. During the standing ovation that followed, Nigel Farage, the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), remained seated and went on to describe Charles's advisers as "naive and foolish at best."
Now the impacts of our climate emergency are becoming all too apparent. Experts warn of the potential for 40C in the UK, where:
every extra degree is potentially the difference between life and death to vulnerable people
Around the world, cities that are currently in temperate or cold zones in the northern hemisphere will resemble cities more than 600 miles (1,000km) closer to the equator, with damaging effects on health and infrastructure.
Among the most concerning findings is that the residents of about a fifth of cities globally – including Jakarta, Singapore, Yangon and Kuala Lumpur – will experience conditions currently not seen in any major cities in the world.
Prof Tom Crowther warns:
We are absolutely not prepared for this. Planning for climate change needs to start yesterday. The sooner it starts, the less the impact will be.
...research shows nonviolent civil disobedience can bring rapid and sweeping changes... we’ve never seen an example fail once 3.5% of the population becomes actively involved.

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