What can we do about climate change

Vicki Elcoate from Dorset Climate Action Network talked to Andrew Carey

Some people are tired of hearing about the “climate and ecological emergency”. Where do you stand? It’s frighteningly real, its impact is accelerating faster than many scientists predicted, and we all need to do our bit. You may be aware of it through the heat dome in North America, floods in Europe, melting glaciers in Greenland, and fires in California … or through the loss of swallows, cuckoos, skylarks, frogs, butterflies and hedgehogs …or through the plastic rubbish on the beach, the state of the river, air pollution in Chideock, the antibiotic crisis and Covid. What can ordinary people do? Locally, a lot’s happening already. In Bridport, there are concerted moves to grow and sell more food locally. Around Beaminster, over 1,500 trees have been planted in the last two years. In the Marshwood Vale the Lifelines Project is mapping and extending chemical-free corridors across the countryside. The River Char Community Project is working to improve the quality of the water in the river. Lyme Regis is set to get an electric car sharing scheme and has been “plastic-free” since 2018. In Charmouth there are big efforts with green roofs, litter and wildflower meadows. Beavers have been reintroduced in West Dorset. These efforts, and others, are being driven by local people determined to take action. That’s where DorsetCAN comes in. What is DorsetCAN? Late last year Dorset Climate Action Network (Dorset CAN) was set up to co-ordinate these efforts. Already we have offered detailed responses to Dorset Council on its Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy and its Dorset Local Plan, which aims to build nearly 40,000 new homes that encroach on the Green Belt and AONB. We’re campaigning for a county-wide retrofit programme for energy-inefficient houses and for the idea of the Great Dorset Hedge. We will campaign for a network of safe cycling routes and we’re committed to campaigns to reduce levels of waste and to recycle more.

These moves are bringing together Dorset farmers and gardeners, scientists, schools, families, businesses, parish councils and others to take action locally and to demand that Dorset Council act with more urgency to tackle the climate and nature crisis. What can we do to help? The more members DorsetCAN has, the louder our voice. Please join us. Membership is free and there are teams you can help if you have time, as well as guidance on what families can do to cut their carbon footprint, recycle more or encourage wildlife back into their gardens. Read more about our dream for Dorset, and join us, at www.dreamfordorset.org.

Vicki Elcoate is a Lyme Regis resident and former Director of the Sumatran Orangutan Society, the UK Environmental Law Association and the Council for National Parks.