Last Thursday, PeCAN's showing of the People's Emergency Briefing saw a packed Studio at The Petersfield School (TPS).
The film is being screened all over the country and aims to create bottom-up pressure on all our MPs to sign a new Early Day Motion (EDM 93) that asks for our Government to treat the climate and nature crisis as an immediate emergency. The EDM calls on Government to deliver regular Emergency Alerts from experts and public health adviser, directed to the general public.
PeCAN trustee Melanie Oxley shares her account of the proceedings
Presented by Chris Packham, the People's Emergency Briefing summarised and shockingly illustrated the findings of an original event that took place last November, The National Emergency Briefing (NEB), a high-level, non-partisan event that was delivered in central London. 850 guests from politics, business, finance, culture, faith, and the media were invited. Eight world-leading experts gave an unfiltered and concise assessment of the latest science - where we are, where we are heading, and what we can do, in a single authoritative account. The original event was designed by brothers Simon and Nick Aldridge.
Chris Packham introduced each of eight sections of the film, from severe weather events and tipping points to nature loss, as well as the impact on food security, public health and the cost of living. Our panel was ably chaired by Sian Maceod, with her background in the diplomatic service and comprised Petersfield's MP, Damian Hinds, Aimee Felus, CE of the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, and Paul Turner, Education Lead for the Ministry of Eco Education.
The film, which included comment throughout from Deborah Meaden, Jennifer Saunders and, for want of a better phrase, 'ordinary people', was followed by a panel discussion and a lively Q&A which resulted in excellent debate on how to raise the importance of this issue, particularly to the less-informed, what language to use without creating fear. Damian Hinds said we must "go with the grain of people's lives" while talking about the "salience" of this issue. Paul noted that a recent poll had shown 85% of the UK population would like the Government to do more about the Climate and Nature Crisis, so why does the Government not respond to this? He pointed to the latest Climate Change Committee Report, A Well-Adapted UK (20.05.26), which sets out a package of solutions to address the impacts of climate change on every aspect of our current lives.
Aimee Felus said she felt the best way to get the subject up the media and Government agendas was to focus more on ecosystem services, to show the value and necessity to us of restoring nature. She noted a new Water White Paper named A New Vision for Water.
There was concern from the audience about the current backlash in Government towards Net Zero, aided and abetted by the Trump Administration in the US and other populist leaders in our country. This was followed by a discussion about the role of schools to inform children and through them, their parents. PeCAN's schools programme was congratulated and Paul noted a new curriculum was on the way.
Strangely, no-one asked Damian Hinds MP if he would sign EDM 93, but he did say that the obstacles to doing more, and doing it faster, include bureaucracy ("red tape") and the high cost of electricity. He said he will support the Government in de-linking the gas price from electricity to bring the cost down. Paul summed up by saying this is an actual emergency and the changes needed must be delivered much more quickly.