'Palace and Penge WI Meeting' have 1 comment

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   28th July 2022 @ 7:54 am Chris Churchman

   Firstly please forgive the unsolicited approach. Like most of us, and particularly following the recent record breaking temperatures, I am concerned by the prospect of even more severe outcomes related to climate change. Although I have a general interest in where climate change will take us I have a particular focus on the part that will be played by our wider landscapes, the part that gets little focus, our farms, fields, forests and of course our gardens. I firmly believe that the impacts arising from our climate crisis are widely misunderstood, even by supposed experts and by those making policy decisions, who have little idea and no plan. During 2021 I gave presentations remotely to two branches of the Women’s Institute and I believe these were well received. I have included extracts from their letters of thanks. So far in 2022 i have presented to a further 5 branches of the Institute plus a group from University of the Third Age. My talks give an introduction to the key facts about the climate crisis, they address topics like what is net zero? why is limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degree so important? can we still eat meat and, the question asked most each time I speak, what can I do personally to help?

   I do not charge for the talks although I have a JustGiving page with donations going to Save The Children.

   I do this for my sons and my granddaughter.

   If this is of interest please let me know. I do realise programmes are booked well in advance and I am happy to take appointments for 2023 and 2024, sadly I doubt climate change wilk have been resolved by then. I can also step in at late notice if you have cancellations.

   Chris Churchman
   07802 470313
   cc@cquester.co.uk

   REFERENCES FROM PREVIOUS TALKS

   BERKSHIRE WI

   Dear Chris,

   Thank you very much for the best talk we have had this year. It was very thought provoking and almost foreboding.

   I have never had the story explained so clearly of how carbon became the monster it is. I loved the familial references; the graphics were clear and easy to read, and the last slide truly mind blowing. As individuals we can only chip away at the edges in our own homes but joining and running big campaigns is the way forward.

   I have already received several emails saying how much they enjoyed your talk.

   Notes to other Wi’s will go out later today. The information you have needs a much wider airing.

   Thank you once again and good luck with spreading the word.

   OCKBROOK REDHILL WI

   GUEST SPEAKER – CHRISTOPHER CHURCHMAN – Chris is a landscape architect, working on such projects as the Maritime Museum and one of the HS2 stations. He first began to appreciate the landscape at the age of 5 when moving to Ockbrook, enjoying the views from the top of Green Lane. When he got into his teens, he began to go walking in north Derbyshire around the Kinder Scout area. His Mother suggested a career in landscape architecture after listening to a talk on Woman’s Hour and thought this was something that he would be interested in and enjoy doing. His talk was on how climate change would change the landscape of this country. Because of higher temperatures and the polar ice packs melting, raising sea levels would cause land to disappear beneath the sea in such countries as Pakistan and Bangladesh. In this country, this would also happen, especially on the east coast. In the worst case scenario, Cambridge could be on the coast. Since the beginning of time, man has always emitted carbon but initially small amounts which was absorbed by such things as trees. However, as we have developed, emissions have grown at a greater rate than absorption, especially after the industrial revolution and into the 20 and 21stcenturies. Fossil fuels are the main source but can come from other things such as methane which is produced when trees are cleared, agriculture (from the production of meat, ploughing the soil and fertilisers) and cement. The Government has pledged to reach its climate change targets by 2050. However, it has also pledged to build more houses at a rate of 300,000 per annum. To balance this out 30,000 hectares of trees would have to be planted per annum. A hectare is the size of 2 football pitches. Eventually half of England would have to be covered by trees to combat climate change. Plants should also be planted to put microbes back in the soil, grass is especially good. Hence his statement that climate change would change the landscape of this country for ever. 49% of carbon emissions come from buildings. As well as heating and lighting, they also come from the building materials used. As a result of Britain’s new agriculture policy following our exit from the EU, farmers will be given subsidies to plant with the environment in mind as opposed to volumes produced. However, the majority of Europe will obviously carry on in the old way and improvements can only be made when everyone changes their methods. Chris then put forward some of his views as to what should be happening:-
   • Houses should be built higher and closer together in order to use less land.
   • Brown field sites should be used instead of green field sites which would stop the disturbance of more soil.
   • More trees should be planted.
   • A vegetarian diet would help.
   • Everyone must support climate change as it is something that will affect all our futures and our descendents.
   There then followed a general discussion. The vote of thanks was given by Thelma Robinson. It certainly gave us a lot to think about and that we must accept that our ways of doing things must change. We would certainly encourage other groups to invite Chris to speak at one of their meetings.

   University of The Third Age
   Thank you very much for taking the time and putting in the effort to come and talk to our u3a, especially with your damaged foot. All who attended have said how much they enjoyed the talk and we are very appreciative of the time you gave us. As promised I’ll pass your details onto other u3a Chairs. I believe there was some confusion over the taxi, which I did order and should have called you when they were outside Oxford House.

   East End WI

   Dear Chris,

   Thank you for your timely and motivating talk on The Climate Crisis. The topic attracted a gratifying number of members, and we certainly left with some powerful Facts to help inform our discussions, plus hope, and some ideas on our next actions. However small, you showed how these could make a difference given that there are also higher order decisions about planning, building, agriculture and funding that need action on governmental and global levels. We can contribute by lobbying. I did appreciate how you unpacked what might look like ‘simple’ equations, as well as ‘simple’ answers such as – just plant more trees!

   I am looking again at ‘Jerusalem’, to remind myself not to take a ‘green and pleasant land’ for granted.

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