MP JOINS COLLEGE STUDENTS IN GREEN PLEDGES

Stafford’s MP says the students wanted to know how they could make a difference in the worldwide efforts to tackle climate change:

“The students were eager to know about what is being done by all governments and all citizens right around the world to safeguard their generation and future generations from catastrophic climate change. They know about higher temperatures, melting ice caps and rising sea levels. They see more frequent, more severe and unpredictable weather incidents. They want to know what today’s politicians are doing about these dangers.

“I described positive steps like the Kyoto agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the election of Barack Obama as U.S. President, this year’s intended Copenhagen Conference, the EU targets for reducing energy use, cutting carbon emissions and getting more of our energy from renewable sources like bio-mass, solar, tidal and wind. I explained the UK’s new Climate Change Act which sets a legally binding limit on our carbon emissions.

“But the students wanted to know also what they could do to help as individuals. So I also spoke of the powerful effect of billions of people all reducing their carbon footprints. I explained that we can use less energy in our homes, our workplaces, places of study and in our travel plans – try to walk, cycle and use public transport more, for example.

“After answering questions from students, I wrote out and displayed my pledge to insulate my loft at home to a deeper thicker depth. They thronged forward and wrote out their pledges of individual action. It was very impressive. I do congratulate the officers of the Students Union for arranging a full week of events to raise awareness of environmental, social and economic issues that all affect the sustainability of our lives on planet Earth.”

 08 March 2009