In September 1898, the Skibbereen Eagle ran what was to become one of the world’s most famous ever newspaper headlines. Concerned about the international machinations of the new(ish) Russian Tsar, the small but plucky West Cork paper declared that: “The Eagle will keep its eye on the Emperor of Russia and all such despotic enemies, whether at home or abroad.”
Historians still debate exactly how large a part this thundering Irish editorial played in the fall of the Romanoff dynasty two decades later.
Moorlands Climate Action was founded, of course, to campaign for effective action on climate change, not regime change. And we are resolutely committed to engagement as a means of pursuing our aims, not armed struggle. But against a background of disappointing action at a local level and chaos and confusion at Westminster, we continue to pursue our strategy of relentlessly pressing for action, not words.
Three issues grabbed the headlines as last summer turned into autumn: the energy crisis; the proposed resumption of fracking for shale gas and the perceived assault on protection for Nature.
Energy use lies, of course, at the heart of the climate crisis. The immediate response is rightly to focus on measures which alleviate hardship and avoid families having to make the decision whether to heat or eat. We welcome the recent full council decision of SMDC to allocate reserved funds to measures aimed at leveraging community-based help and increasing the reach of national support.
While not formally linked to the national fuel poverty campaigns, we take part in regular strategy meetings of the two major actors in this area and have been vigorous in ensuring that the particular issues of rural off-gas-grid communities get a hearing in these ultra-professional but city-based groups.
We have attempted to disseminate the best-of-grade analysis and information gleaned from here into the local public space, and by every means available to us, not only to highlight the urgent need for action, but to improve the quality of public debate.
We have also tried to do our small bit in getting practical advice out to residents, with factsheets on energy saving and financial support on our market stalls and by taking part in Biddulph Town Hall’s pioneering Energy Day (held on a weekend, meaning SMDC’s trusted partners were not available!).
At the ground level, as it were, our Sustainable Consumer group will this month be showing participants in their Clothes Swap/Swish Swash event how to make draught excluders that are as cheap as chips. (Well chips aren’t cheap anymore but you know what we mean.)
But we are determined not to let the powers-that-be continue to ignore the fact that until something is done about the appallingly poor state of the UK’s – and the district’s – housing stock we are merely applying sticking plaster over an open window.
Heat pumps, domestic battery storage and even solar may be out of reach for most but insulation must be the first step and that is a message that we continue to press at all levels.
This is where the struggle against climate change and that for social equity most clearly coincide; just one reason why UK 100, the group of ‘leading authorities’ of which SMDC is one, are telling national government and their members: Don’t Wait. Insulate!
Compared to that battle, the struggle against fracking was short, sharp and in retrospect one-sided (see elsewhere in newsletter for more details).
The campaign to defend Nature against a raft of new threats continues, however, and it is one in which MCA is intimately involved. The broad outlines are clear: vague ‘investment zones’ (Staffordshire has put itself on the block) in which planning and other rules may be loosened; a wobbling over the Environmental Land Management Scheme (an integral part of the Nature Recovery Networks); and the needless trashing of existing EU environmental laws on the UK statute book.
National organisations such as the RSPB, the National Trust and the Wildlife Trusts have been unusually vocal in their opposition, running national campaigns. We are working closely with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust in their county-wide campaign, which includes sending postcards to local MP’s.
This may not be rural West Cork at the end of the 19th century; Downing Street is no Petersburg Winter Palace and we remain resolutely committed to our policy of constructive engagement with Moorlands House.
But we were founded as a campaigning organisation and, while proud of our track record of practical community projects, that has not come at the expense of our voice.