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Climate Action Littleham and Landcross

What is a climate emergency?

Annual average temperatures for the planet from 1850-2018 using data from UK Met Office ( source )

The 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on Climate Change states that we have already caused a 1°C rise in global temperature. The difference between the impacts of global warming of 2˚C and 1.5˚C is much greater than previously thought and we are currently heading for a catastrophic 3˚C rise. We are running out of time and we need to get to Zero Net Carbon emissions by 2030. On 9th August,2021 the IPCC released a further report suggesting that many changes due to past and future greenhouse gas emissions are irreversible but keeping to 1.5°C is not yet impossible. They warn that we require rapid and large-scale reductions in emissions and that each tonne of carbon increases the impact and risks of extreme heat, floods and droughts. The UK Government have accepted this report and the Climate Change Committee have produced a stark assessment of climate risk.

Growing numbers of parish, town and county councils are declaring a Climate Emergency and a related Ecological Emergency. This is a genuine commitment to work towards a specific measurable target. It might seem that a Parish Council can’t really do much, but climate change is relevant to many of the Parish Council’s activities:

The Climate Action group ( CALL) is an initiative in response to the climate emergency and the inaugural meeting of the group was held on 17th January, 2020. It was attended by Parish Council members and residents of Littleham and Landcross . The starting point was that working together as a community is the key to tackling the challenges and the main questions addressed were how to reduce our carbon footprint, how to increase carbon sequestration and how to increase biodiversity in the parish.  Due to the restrictions of Covid19, no further CALL meetings were held until August 2021 when a brief meeting was held to agree to work on a Climate Action Plan for the parish.

 The Parish Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency in August 2021 by a majority vote . The draft Climate Action Plan was considered by the Parish Council at their meeting on 2nd September 2021 and comments are welcome.

What can you do?

Carbon footprint

A good starting point is to work out your carbon footprint and then try and reduce it.

Average CO2 emissions in the UK is around 5 tonnes per person per year on average and this is how we compare to other countries:

Carbon emissions per capita (person) per year: source

USA = 16.14 tonnes per person, China =7.95 tonnes. Australia = 16.7 tonnes,  UK= 5.59 tonnes,  India =1.94 tonnes

Carbon footprint calculators – there are lots of different ones around, some more complex than others e.g.

WWF 
Carbon Footprint

How to reduce your carbon footprint – there are lots of sites giving advice e.g.

More detailed information is available on your:

Biodiversity 

The North Devon Biosphere Reserve have launched a new project, Pledge for Nature,  aimed at increasing biodiversity and making North Devon a better place for nature 

Devon Wildlife Trust are leading the way in responding to the climate emergency and suggest a range of easy to do things in your own garden and community

What's already happening in Littleham and Landcross?

Renewable energy

A Google Earth survey  ( which needs ground-truthing) shows that we already produce around 150kW of electricity from Solar PV panels in the parish. There are no wind turbines in the parish and little solar thermal. A survey to find out about all heating sources used in the parish, including  other renewable installations e.g. heat pumps is planned.

What is Devon County Council doing?

In February 2019 Devon County Council agreed to declare a climate emergency and following this,  a range of public, private and voluntary organisations from across Devon came together in May 2019 to form the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group, to declare a climate and ecological emergency and to endorse the principles of the Devon Climate Declaration.  This recognises awareness of the significant implications of climate change for Devon’s communities and  the Net-Zero Task Force are developing a Devon Carbon Plan .  Additionally, it recognises an  understanding of the current and future risks of climate change for Devon and that communities will have to adapt to a warmer world. This work is being taken forward by the Climate Impacts Group. 

A view from a scientist:

How I stave off despair as a climate scientist https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07765-4