Climate Change needs action NOW!
On Saturday 19 September SPARK Social Justice gave a presentation of the People’s Emergency Briefing at the Leeds Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Hinsley Hall. Over 30 people came along to watch this powerful and engaging documentary about the Climate Emergency. The People’s Emergency Briefing film features Chris Packham and includes leading experts in climate science. The film clearly sets out what the climate and nature crisis means for everyday life in the UK; our informative discussions afterwards focused on local solutions and how we can all work together.
The event was hosted by a long-standing SPARK member, Lucy. Our team of expert facilitators included three SPARK members (Conor, Iesha and Lucy), Andy Challinor (Professor of Climate Impacts at the University of Leeds), Climate Action Leeds and the J&P Commission Chair, John Battle. Stand out speakers included representatives from Beeston’s Green Futures youth group who pointed out that community responses have a big part to play in turning around the climate and nature crisis we are in. They spoke directly to MP Alex Sobel and local councillors attending “Today, you are all sitting here as decision makers with the power to create a difference. Go greener, go further.” They were so taken with the event that they went away seeking to arrange a screening in their local area so that more young people could find out about the most important points.
The key point that the film gets across is that it an emergency that is going on now – not something that we need to worry about in a few years. Like the Covid 19 emergency, they are asking for regular updates from Government about where risks are actually turning into issues for people (e.g. this Summer’s heatwaves), what the Government is doing about them and what more we can do. A key ask is that the Government should arrange to have the Briefing shown on all major TV channels. A large majority of people want to see more done about our Climate Emergency – but the urgency of the situation is not translating into individual and community action fast enough.
The film was careful to balance out the bad things that are already happening because of climate change and the things that Government can do and what, as individuals, we can do. However, it was the small group discussions afterwards that inspired most people: understanding that by coming together as a group we can achieve much more than we can as individuals.
The event ended with a short poem written by Iesha, a longstanding member of the SPARK community. The poem was written especially for this event and is reproduced below.
The Reckoning Sound of a Songbird- by Iesha Heads
Swim to the depths amongst the whales,
But be careful what you might find.
Not just the still and beautiful bed of the ocean,
But the litter we’ve lined along it’s stomach:
Nets, plastics, silence where songs used to be.
Breaking through the surface,
Where the water ripples outward.
One arc of a tail,
One breath into the sky,
The whole sea trembles into consequence.
We are the creators, bringing life or destruction.
A thundercloud that brings the rain,
Awakening change.
A spark in a fire, warming a gathering
Or burning a house down.
Be a reckoning songbird,
With a sound for change.
Let your voice be Stevie Nicks on a storm lit stage:
Raw, electric, unafraid.
Calling the elements and the animals
To witness what we’ve done,
And what we might undo.
A wind carrying the salt and sorrow,
Be the change of tomorrow.
