Climate change, so what?...

Confused about climate change? Not sure how it will affect you and Cornwall? Now there is a fun and positive way you can find out more. A local partnership is offering pub quizzes, talks, lectures and outside events at festivals across Cornwall.

Why they are doing things to help the climate....

Funded by Defra’s Climate Challenge Fund, the same fund that has enabled Cornwall Friends of the Earth to run Climate Radio. This project is a partnership between three organisations:

Community Energy Plus, based in Camborne, are dedicated to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. They run a wide range of projects all over Cornwall to help individuals, businesses and the community groups to reduce their carbon emissions, these projects also help to keep people warm and well, and save money on fuel bills.
J & M Sustainable Developers are committed to helping people to work towards a more sustainable future. They recognise that climate change is one of our biggest challenges and it’s an issue that we will have to tackle
St Austell Brewery who are hosting quizzes in many of their pubs. They recognise that climate change is an issue that will affect us all. They are helping to organise the quizzes in their pubs, which offer communities a relaxed venue to gain a better insight into climate change.

What they are doing....

Climate Change So What? is a series of pub quizzes and talks being held at a variety of venues across Cornwall including village halls and cafes, culminating in a ‘Big Debate’ with nationally recognised speakers at the end of 2007.

The aim is about starting the conversation surrounding climate change, it’s not about where you are starting from or what you do or don’t know, but an opportunity in a fun and relaxed atmosphere to get better informed. The project is for everybody, from the cynic, to the curious, to the converted. You can find out what you know, fact from fiction, hear what others have to say and question the experts. You can also request a pub quiz or talk in your local area by contacting the team.

Why it’s important…..

Climate change is happening but together we have the power to do something about it. One of the easiest things you could do now is to find out more about climate change and talk to your friends and family about it – the more people that understand what climate change is and how it will affect us all, the quicker we can work together to tackle it. To find out more about climate change now, visit the understanding climate change section our website.

Not convinced about climate change? Here’s a few facts you should be aware of:

In just 200 years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – the major gas that causes climate change – has increased by 30 per cent.
Concentrations of greenhouse gases are now higher than at any point in the past 800,000 years.
Over the past century, average near-surface global temperatures have risen by 0.7°C
The ten warmest years on record have all been since 1990. Six of the ten warmest years on record in the UK were between 1995 and 2004
In Europe, the August 2003 heatwave was probably the hottest for at least 500 years
During August 2003, the hottest temperature ever recorded in the UK was taken in Brogdale in Kent. It was 38.5°C.
Between 4 and 13 August 2003, over 2,000 people in the UK died as a result of the heat
The autumn and winter floods in 2000 in the UK were the worst for 270 years in some areas. Flooding on farmland cost the farming industry nearly £500 million.

Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas which causes climate change, every tonne emitted into the atmosphere commits the world to more warming. It is released whenever we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) – in our cars, when we use electricity at home or at work, when we heat our homes and offices. We can do something about it – every tonne of emissions avoided reduces the threat of further climate change.

It’s not too late to tackle climate change and lots of people in Cornwall are already doing things – see what people in your area are already doing.

Together this generation will tackle climate change.

Further information....

Find out more about the climate change so what? from their website. You can see the dates of future pub quizzes and talks. If you would like to host a pub quiz or talk contact Mandi Milano at mandy@jandmsustainabledevelopers.org.uk.

If you want to find out more about climate change now visit the understanding climate change part of website. You can:

For more information on Community Energy Plus visit their website

For more information on j and m sustainable developers visit their website

For more information on St Austell Brewery visit their website

The project is funded by the Climate Communications Fund, for more information on the projects that are running nationally visit their website

Photo 1: Launch on CCSW, courtesy of CEP

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