The report paints a grim picture of the future if action isn’t taken now by governments to address the rise in greenhouse gas emissions which are warming the planet and which are pushing the world to the brink of irreversible damage.

Since the first Green Party councillor was elected to Durham County Council in 2021, the Council’s attitude to climate change has changed for the better. It has declared an Ecological Emergency and is far more responsive to taking action around road traffic, air pollution and housing.

County Durham Green Councillor Jonathan Elmer says that as a result of the IPCC Report he is going to urge the council to increase the pace of change towards creating a Net Zero Carbon county.

“The IPCC paints a grim picture of the future if action to tackle the climate emergency isn’t taken immediately”, he says. “The IPCC point to a small window of opportunity that governments still have to secure a liveable, sustainable future for all and limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

“This report should be a loud alarm bell for the UK government, but it seems they’re just not listening. The Spring budget shows the Tories are asleep at the wheel when it comes to the climate crisis. Instead of investment in public transport and active travel, we got a fuel duty freeze; rather than meaningful investment in abundant and affordable renewables such as onshore and offshore wind, tidal and solar, we got the promise of expensive nuclear which will take over a decade to come on stream. And still no end in sight to the granting of licences for further fossil fuel exploitation or a carbon tax to make polluters pay for the damage they cause to our environment.

“The IPCC calls for action on climate change that also provides wider benefits. Greens have long argued that actions such as insulating homes, putting in place infrastructure to boost walking and cycling and a move towards a more plant based diet can all have positive impacts on health and address the cost of living crisis.

“I recognise that Durham is only a small part of the planet, but that does not mean we have to throw our hands up in the air and do nothing. If every council in the country did its bit to address our climate change challenge then we can make a difference. Inaction is not an option.”

Related post:

Council moves forward on Greens-inspired ecology emergency plans

The post Urgent action needed on climate change appeared first on County Durham.

A question to full Council by Green Party county councillor Jonathan Elmer to declare an ecological emergency in County Durham has resulted in an action plan to protect habitats and improve biodiversity.

Durham County Council’s Cabinet has approved a report outlining the Council’s response to the declaration of an ecological emergency in April 2022.

Commenting on the Cabinet decision, Jonathan says:

“This is a really positive move by Durham County Council and puts habitat protection and improving biodiversity at the heart of Council decision-making.

“The Cabinet’s signing off of the strategy and action plan is a major step forward in the global struggle to protect wildlife habitats and biodiversity in the face of unrelenting global pressure on these vital issues.

“The report to Cabinet emphasised that despite efforts to date by the Council and its partners, the trend in the County is one of biodiversity and habitat decline.

“As a result of approving this ecological emergency action plan, the Council has committed itself to doing everything within its current resources to reverse that decline.

“County Durham Green Party can be proud of the role it has played in making habitat protection and improving biodiversity a policy priority for the County Council.”

Why is Biodiversity important?

Thanks to the California Academy of Sciences for this video from their Biodiversity Course.

The post Council moves forward on Greens-inspired ecology emergency plans appeared first on County Durham.

Commenting on Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove’s decision (7 December) to approve the mine, County Durham Green Party co-ordinator Fiona Shenton said;

“It’s a disgrace that this decision has been cynically delayed until just after we have ceased to hold the COP Presidency. This government really is the pits.

“England and Wales have huge natural advantages and the economic strength to harness renewable wind, wave and solar power. The government should be leading the world toward renewable forms of energy not encouraging it to move backwards.

“The government’s environmental credentials are in tatters. Around the world, countries are striving to tackle the climate crisis by closing coal mines, yet here the government is opening one.

“This latest decision follows the green light for new North Sea oil and gas licences.

“Global leadership must begin at home and we need to see a clear commitment from this government to keep fossil fuels in the ground. This means no new fossil fuel mining and a clear pathway to move rapidly away from oil, coal and gas in favour of renewables and a nationwide programme of home insulation to cut both emissions and energy bills.

“The mine will not be ‘carbon neutral’ as previously claimed and its coking coal is not essential to the future of steel production. At most, only 13 per cent of the coal from this mine is destined for the UK market [1]. The rest will be exported.

“There is no doubt West Cumbria needs jobs but over-promising in order to open a new coal mine is not the answer. There needs to be investment in the green technologies that will create the sustainable jobs of the future.”

Notes

[1]  https://theecologist.org/2022/dec/01/cumbrian-coal-mine-decision-imminent

The post Cumbria coal mine decision ‘a disgrace’ appeared first on County Durham.

Martin Bacon of Teesdale Conservation Volunteers says he has complained to the water company and the Environment Agency on several occasions about the pollution and has always been disappointed by their response.

“Every time it rains the beck fills with sewage. The astonishing thing is, Northumbrian Water isn’t breaking the law,” he says. “They are allowed to do this so they have no incentive to fix the pollution problem at Startforth Pumping Station.

“I work near where Deepdale Beck meets the River Tees and it is disheartening to see it so frequently polluted.”

Green Party national Nature Spokesman and County Durham councillor Jonathan Elmer said: “It is appalling to hear Northumbrian Water have failed to repair this damaged sewage pumping station, and instead allow untreated sewage to destroy the beck.

“Unfortunately, Northumbrian Water is not motivated to tackle pollution, but instead to provide dividends to its shareholders. It really is about time water companies were brought back into public ownership”

Media contact
Richard Simpson
County Durham Green Party
07821 537106

The post Raw sewage pollutes Durham beck appeared first on County Durham.