Column by Bromsgrove Extinction Rebellion (XR)
THE UK HAS broken long-standing records for the hottest day and the hottest night in May by more than two clear degrees. That is national news.
What they don’t tell you is the reason behind it: a ‘heat dome’, a blocking extreme-weather pattern holding hot air from the Azores above a swathe of Europe for a period of weeks.
Heat domes are a feature of the climate emergency, what we are doing to the planet and these events are due to get more severe and frequent.
The associated problem is drought, with more than 15,000 homes in Kent left without water on May 28.
The Environment Agency has predicted we will be short of 5billion litres of water per day by 2055.
What do we do about all this? Clearly it is not a simple matter of putting your socks in the fridge overnight! Opening the windows, drawing the curtains and planting trees for shade will not be enough.
The government’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) has just produced a report drawing attention to the seriousness of the situation.
Britain was “built for a climate that no longer exists” and needs urgent changes to survive global heating, the report indicated. We must think like a hot country.
Heatwaves are expected to exceed 40C in all parts of the UK by 2050. Periods of hot weather will be longer, which could lead to an additional 10,000 heat-related deaths every year.
Around nine in 10 UK homes are likely to overheat.
Without restoring our ecosystems, building resilience and making climate adaptation a priority across all of government, we are playing with the future of our communities.
Preparing is far cheaper than reacting.
The CCC estimates every £1 spent on adaptation returns around £5 in avoided harm while the cost of inaction – already £60bn per year – is on course to reach £260bn within two decades.
Our current short-term, reactive approach diverts more of our budget away from vital services and undermines our ability to keep the cost of living lower for millions of households.
The government should implement the CCC’s recommendations in full.
Most people are blithely unaware of all this, however.
What we really need, as a top priority, is a public information campaign similar to the one broadcast during the Covid pandemic.
There is currently a People’s Emergency Briefing film being screened at around 1,000 locations across the country.
Bromsgrove has its own, first screening on June 9. Email: [email protected] for details.
The documentary provides an opportunity for everyone to understand the situation and to discuss the effects on our local community and how we should react.
Visit xrworcs.org.uk/2021/04/24/bromsgrove-bee-action/ or email: [email protected] for more about Bromsgrove XR.
