There’s a devastating heatwave across southern Europe, with forest fires forcing tourists to flee from Rhodes. Hundreds of wildfires across Canada. Record temperatures, which meteorologists recognise as the effects of climate change.
At present temperatures are 1.2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Even if we pull everything out and manage to kerb the rise to 1.5 degrees, this mean things will get worse. If we do less than that we’ll have a 2.5 - 2.7 degrees rise, with swathes of the earth unliveable for humans and useless for growing drops.
Our government is trying to open up a new coal mine in Cumbria and oil and gas wells in the North sea - at a time when the UN and International Energy Agency say we cannot open up more fossil fuel extraction, as it increases CO2 emissions.
The government’s own Climate Change Committee says it is failing on all its targets around climate.
Ordinary frightened people are taking action to sound the alarm with groups like Just Stop Oil, refusing to ignore the connection between these facts, and demanding faster action.
It’s no good complaining that the fire alarm is making the wrong sound, and carrying on as usual like king Cnut. It’s time to join the dots and wake up and smell the climate change!
Bill Roberts
Nailsworth
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