Climate Change Action
The consequences of global heating are ever more apparent; deadly heatwaves, fires, floods and so on are a staple of the news. It is still not too late to first slow and eventually reverse global heating but it requires bold and rapid action by governments, business, local councils and, whenever possible, the public.
Dorset Council (DC) recently published its Climate Action Plan, available on the DC website. Sadly the Plan is too tentative in its timetable and too weak in many areas. Our four Green Party councillors on DC will seek every opportunity to upgrade its ambition and win over other Party’s councillors to the necessity of doing so. Bridport DC councillor Kelvin Clayton says “While better than nothing the Plan falls far short of what could and should be done. Measures are needed to ensure any new build housing, offices factories etc have excellent insulation and generate as much energy from solar panels, heat pumps etc as they consume. This would make them ‘carbon neutral’. And not in 20 years, we need this now.”
Opposition to wind farms on land or at sea, and to large solar farms, needs to be faced down. Global heating is by definition a global issue and what we do (or fail to do) here in Dorset has consequences for the poorest people in countries most vulnerable to drought, floods and rising sea levels. The very countries least responsible for climate change.
