Climate Emergency In Dorset! It Must Be Worse Than We Thought

By Paul Homewood

h/t Barbara Ellsmore

Barbara is lucky enough to live amongst the barm pots from Dorset Council:

During a lively public questions session, there were statements read and questions asked about the new council’s approach to environmental matters and specifically climate change, including questions from climate change group Extinction Rebellion and Friends of the Earth.

In response to this, Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Highways, Travel and Environment said:

“We have an opportunity and an obligation to demonstrate leadership – thinking globally about the implications of climate change and acting locally to help address it in our communities.

“The crucial need to tackle climate change is something that we can all agree on. It is an issue which transcends party politics and after discussions with the other group leaders we have agreed on the need to create a cross-party Panel on Climate Change to develop a policy for Dorset Council.”

Further to this, a motion was proposed by Cllr Nick Ireland, leader of the Liberal Democrats which asked for the council to recognise that climate change is happening and that the council agrees to declare a climate emergency.

69 councillors voted to pass this motion, two voted against and 6 abstained meaning Dorset has officially declared a climate emergency..

https://news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/2019/05/16/dorset-council-ushers-in-new-era-by-declaring-climate-emergency/comment-page-1/#comments

Dorset are not the first, and certainly won’t be the last. But I have sent them this official FOI request:

Your council website reports that Dorset has officially declared a climate emergency.

Please advise under FOI:

What Dorset’s emissions of GHGs amount to

What proportion of global emissions this represents

What evidence you have that Dorset’s climate is in any way “disastrous” or “dangerous” or changing in any way that merits an “emergency

I’ve no doubt that they will send the standard reply, mentioning extreme weather, rising sea levels, polar bears and the need to “show leadership”.

Nevertheless it will keep the blighters on their toes and let them know we are watching them.

I would suggest others send a similar request if their local council does the same.

via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

http://bit.ly/312rj1s

June 2, 2019 at 01:41PM