Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation. Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.
Minutes:
Dr Richard Harries, attended the meeting, and addressed Committee in respect of the recent Climate Change motion, passed at Council on 4 November 2019.
Dr Harries introduced himself to the Committee and made the following statement: -
“I was encouraged by some of the remarks from councillors at the recent council meeting although it is disappointing that the council has not yet declared a climate emergency. There are three points on which I should like to comment.
Firstly, it seems to me that the majority of council members do not understand the gravity of our situation. Let me summarise:
Rising global temperatures, melting polar ice and glaciers, rising sea levels;
Extreme weather, flooding, drought, unprecedented wildfires;
Disappearing rainforests, diminishing fresh water globally, degradation of topsoil, catastrophic ocean pollution;
Extinction rates beyond anything ever recorded, failing crops, more than 800 million starving.
A global financial system every bit as vulnerable as it was in 2007, political unrest, war.
Individually each of these situations is frightening enough, but imagine two or three happening simultaneously, which is quite possible.
How is that not a world in crisis?
Secondly, the truth of our situation needs to be communicated to the residents of West Lindsey. Without that knowledge any efforts to make the difficult changes which must be made, and soon, will be met with resistance and resentment.
Finally, we need to start talking, not just about mitigating against the challenges I’ve just mentioned, but also about adaptation. Change is coming whether we like it or not, and we need to understand what we need to change, in our individual lives but also in our communities and more generally across the world, in order to cope with the challenges ahead.
None of us truly knows how the future will unfold but many learned voices are warning that our civilisation is at risk, that society as we know it may collapse, even within the next decade. To take the position that “we don’t know” and therefore that we don’t need to prepare for the possibility of societal collapse would be irresponsible and failing in our duty to protect the residents of West Lindsey.
We have failed for over 30 years to heed the warnings and we have failed our children and grandchildren. Let us not fail them again.”
Dr Harries had also submitted a written report to Committee, setting out some of the ways he considered the Council could go about reducing carbon footprint, including key areas he considered this Council should be looking at to ensure all aspects were being covered. Each Committee Member was provided with the information.
The Chairman thanked Dr Harries for his Statement and for his interesting report, which Members would certainly take into consideration in preparing their Strategy as referred to in the Motion. The Chairman requested that the submitted report be circulated to all Members of the Council.
The Chairman also made reference to the pending establishment of the Environment and Sustainability Working Group and possible engagement opportunities for residents.
Dr Harries thanked the Chairman and left the meeting.