LETTER: Make this the “Climate election”

IT was so refreshing to see three excellent letters in the Advertiser about our need to tackle climate change.

I also want to reply to Bill Hurley’s letter too. He is absolutely right to link the issue of overseas aid with climate justice. The over consumption of resources in the western world have had a devastating effect on developing countries, that means that we have a moral duty to support those countries long term.

Those who often want to reduce UK foreign aid are usually the same who tend to complain about immigration and asylum issues. If people’s homes in developing countries are ravaged by war, famine and rising sea levels, we shouldn’t be surprised that people would want to start a new life in the more affluent west. Surely it’s in our interests too to stabilise those countries and support renewable projects in those countries. Mr Hurley also rightly says: “We are the last generation that can tackle the global climate crisis.” As important as Brexit maybe, it ceases to matter at all if we don’t have a habitable planet to live on. That’s why this election must be the “Climate Election” and it is why the Green Party is going further than any other party in setting the year 2030 as the year that Britain must become "”carbon neutral”.

After reading Rev Cannon Nicholas P A Jowett’s letter, it is so encouraging that people and local communities across Rother Valley are already recognising the enormous challenges we face as a society, and are already beginning to take the actions neccessary to tackle those challenges. What we need though is a government that also recognises the enormity of the challenges that we face, and is prepared to work with people and communities such as the good folk at St Leonard’s Church in Dinnington to help these local communities to make the changes to the way we live, in the most easy and inexpensive way as possible.

Emily West, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate, Rother Valley