FREEDOM FROM FEAR OF CLIMATE CHANGE - 'NEW JOBS CAN COME FROM ENERGY EFFICIENCY'

Dr Hazel Dawe is urging East Kent residents to overcome their fear of climate change. Extreme weather events of recent days are best resisted by creating employment in sectors which help fight climate change. She notes:

"If local councils and businesses emphasised energy conservation, installation of new energy technologies for homes and improved energy efficiency, this would create useful jobs throughout East Kent. Events like those at Boscastle, and the landslides caused by extreme weather at Glen Ogle in Scotland, are frightening people. Our experience of the Kent Hurricane in 1987 shattered the idea that Kent is immune to extreme weather events caused by climate change. But fear or helplessness are not the only options. The transformation of both our energy and transport sectors over the next few years could generate many useful jobs. Climate change will hit the South East more than any other region of the country (1), and the European Environment Agency has also just indicated that we can expect a lot more extreme weather events in the UK in the future, as a result of climate change (2). This means people in Kent have to take action to compensate for weak Government responses to these challenges.

"The Green Party has developed comprehensive policies for local authorities on energy efficiency, renewable energy, traffic and waste, which will create jobs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions (3). Many studies show the employment and environmental advantages of the rational use of energy (4)."

FURTHER INFORMATION: Dr Hazel Dawe, Campaigns Officer, East Kent Green Party, on 01233 645167 or 07960 956272. Contact address: 10 Hillbrow Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4QH.