Wake up and smell the carbon

The Observer Letters to the Editor 25 September 2013

Sir

So in the face of what Lord Stern has stated is 95% of scientific evidence informing us that “human activities are driving climate change,” a recent survey shows that the number of people who do not believe this has now risen from 5% in 2005 to 19% to date. ("Scientists give their starkest warning yet on climate change", front page, last week).

Unfortunately what these Climate Change sceptics, deniers & liars are expecting is that someone will soon come up with ‘the technological fix’ which will solve what is a multi-facetted problem. What is not being realised or accepted is that the technology already exists – in the form of renewable energies – and that what is missing is the global social & political will and framework to employ them. So, in truth, what is really being hoped for is divine intervention.

Nevertheless the maxim which has oft been quoted tells us that ‘God helps those who help themselves’. Therefore we had all better wake up and smell the carbon and accept that we are, in the face of irrefutable evidence, in great part, responsible for the drastic changes in our climate and required to invest in the necessary measures to change our fossil fuelled behaviour pattern to a truly sustainable lifestyle. Either that or we will all just simply have to pray harder.

Yours sincerely

Ashley Gunstock
Leading Spokesperson
Green Party - Redbridge

Greens march against Climate Change

Members of Waltham Forest and Redbridge Green Party marched through the centre of London to Trafalgar Square to protest against climate change and to urge the Government to act. The rally saw speeches by speakers including Green MEP Caroline Lucas and the writer George Monbiot. The event was organised by the Campaign Against Climate Change and ICount and was supported by the Green Party, it was attended by over 25,000 of people.

Climate Change threatens the very future of human civilisation as we know it and failure to act to will cost thousands if not millions of lives. The last ten years have seen a dramatic increase in the world's temperature and scientists working in the field of climate change believe this is due to the effects of human activity. In fact, scientists are now predicting that the temperature rise will be far more than previously thought. The effects in the UK will be devastating with more flooding and an increase in extreme weather conditions. The effects globally will be even worse as countries are flooded and there is increased starvation due to less land being suitable for agriculture.