BBC Radio Gloucestershire interviews our Education lead
Kate Clark on her Sunday Brunch BBC Radio Gloucestershire programme on Sunday 15th January was in conversation with guest Dr Richard Erskine, Education lead for Nailsworth Climate Action Network [1]. It was a wide ranging and engaging chat.
Kate first asked Richard to talk about Climate Corner, which is held at Nailsworth Library between 10.30 and 12.30 on the first Friday of every month. He explained that it aims to provide a welcoming, non judgmental space for anyone wanting to explore questions related to climate change and sustainability. Nailsworth Library were shortlisted for the David Vaisey Prize for Climate Corner in 2022 [2].
There are a wide range of questions raised by visitors to Climate Corner, including questions on insulation, tree-planting, heat pumps and much more. A girl from a visiting school group asked how she can talk to her parents about climate change, and whether it is possible for them to see the climate changing by simply looking out of the window.
This led to a discussion about the difference between weather and climate. Weather is what you see out of the window, at a specific time and place, whereas climate is traditionally defined as the weather in a region averaged over 30 years. Increasing chances of extreme weather events driven by man-made global warming are now muddying the boundary between weather and climate, because the world is warming at an unprecedented rate.
In answering the girl’s question, Richard used the story of Wytham Woods, which had been given to Oxford University in 1947 [3]. A study of Great Tits has shown they are now hatching 3 weeks earlier in the 75 years to 2022. This is one indicator of global warming in addition to many thousands of other examples in the natural and physical worlds. The girl’s parents cannot see this by looking out of their window, but if they kept records, then like the ecologists they would see the change over time. However, we do see extreme weather events, which are already more likely to occur and will become more likely and intense as we continue our carbon emissions.
Both Kate and Richard were keen to move the discussion on to solutions. Many of the things that can help are in our own hands, starting with simple actions such as reducing waste, repairing and repurposing, and buying second hand when we can.
The first thing that an individual can do about climate change is simply to talk about it - with family, friends and work colleagues. People are sometimes worried about heated arguments, but disagreements are often the result of different political values - such as the level of Government involvement in our lives - not really about facts and figures. On the things we care deeply about, such as living in a healthy environment, the future for our children and grandchildren, and protecting nature, we are often in agreement, whatever our political views! So why not work together on ways to have the sustainable future we want? This is the positive message we can all take into our conversations about climate change.
Those with pensions can find ways to avoid their money being invested in fossil fuels, and this may be the single biggest action they can take. People can make a difference in many other ways, whenever there is a life event (such as a new kitchen), or a purchase, or anything they do at home or work. In all cases, consider what options there are, and how to make positive choices for one’s family and the planet. Richard told a story of how he wished he’d insulated the back wall of his kitchen before a new kitchen was fitted 25 years ago. A little bit of research, know-how and advice can help in making good choices.
In talking to the next generation, we need to tell stories that will engage children in positive ways that give them a sense of empowerment; facts and figures won’t achieve this. As one example, Richard recommended the award winning novel ‘The Last Bear’ by Hannah Gold (available at Nailsworth and other Gloucestershire Libraries) that is a great example of powerful story telling [4].
We need scientists and engineers to help create a sustainable future, but we also need artists, poets, writers and everyone in society to be part of the conversation, and finding ways to talk about it, to create the future we want.
Can the UK be powered by renewables? Kate asked. Richard shared findings from the UK’s Committee on Climate Change that shows the UK could get 80% of its energy from renewables by 2050 [5]. A recent report from Oxford University shows that the world would save trillions of dollars if it followed this path, because of the falling costs of renewables [6].
In addition, the UK would need some energy storage to even out the peaks and troughs in supply, and some connectors to countries such as Norway and France (we already have these). Surveys show that the UK population is overwhelmingly in favour of renewable energy, but that is not a reason for not having proper consultation on projects in one’s neighbourhood. The CEO of Octopus Energy has even suggested that lowering energy bills for those near to installations might help. But in the end, we need to accept that there will always be a ‘balance of harms’. People complained about electricity pylons in the 1930s and 40s and now they are almost invisible, we are so used to them.
There has been much talk about solar farms being a threat to prime farmland, but global warming is a much greater threat to farmland, as Professor Richard Betts from the MetOffice has said. The current solar farms in the UK are less than half the area of golf courses, and even with the 2050 estimates for the land area, we’d need less than 1% of the land area of the UK for solar. The area of roofs in the UK could be enough to meet this requirement. Perhaps new buildings need planning permission not to have solar panels!
In closing the session, Richard and Kate talked about practical advice on home energy; simple things to lower bills, including draught excluders and loft insulation. The importance of reducing the ‘flow temperature’ for a combi boiler from a typical 75C to say 60C was stressed as something that can reduce bills (detailed advice is available on The Heating Hub [7]). You can still heat a room to 21C with the radiators lowered to 60C, it just might take a little bit longer. Kate used the analogy of a car. Instead of flooring the accelerator, one can gently pull away and still reach the speed limit.
It was an informal and wide-ranging conversation, and we really hope this was helpful to listeners. Richard pointed out that those coming to Climate Corner can now get a cup of tea or coffee, as Nailsworth Library is a warm space. He is looking forward to more interesting questions and chats.
The next Climate Corner is on Friday 3rd February, 1030-1230, Nailsworth Library.
Notes
Several items were mentioned by Richard during the conversation. Here are links to the conversation and to the items mentioned.
[1] Kate Clark, BBC Radio Gloucestershire, 15th January 2023 - Conversation with Dr Richard Erskine, catch-up (between 2.13’ - 2.56’) at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0dstn0c available until 13th February 2023.
[2] David Vaisey Prize, 2022 Shortlisted Libraries, https://davidvaiseyprize.co.uk/2022-short-list/
[3] 75 years of the influential Great Tit study at Wytham Woods, Oxford University News and Events, 27th April 2022, https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-04-27-75-years-influential-great-tit-study-wytham-woods
[4] ‘The Last Bear’ by Hannah Gold. This will be followed by a sequel, ‘Finding Bear’. Both suitable for pre-teens and above. For teenagers, Bella Lack’s book ‘The Children of the Anthropocene’ is an uplifting collection of stories about children and young adults who have overcome adversity by taking positive action on climate change.
[5] ‘The Sixth Carbon Budget’, Committe on Climate Change, 9th December 2020, https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/sixth-carbon-budget/
[6] ‘Decarbonising the energy system by 2050 could save trillions - Oxford study’, Oxford University News and Events, 14th September 2022, https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-09-14-decarbonising-energy-system-2050-could-save-trillions-oxford-study
[7] ‘Keeping homes warm for less’, The Heating Hub, https://www.theheatinghub.co.uk/mission