About Coastal Climate Action

Coastal Climate Action was formed as a result of a public meeting held at St. Sabinus' Church in Woolacombe at the end of January.

About 100 people heard a talk by Met. Office scientist Jeff Ridley about the science of climate change, a presentation by children from Woolacombe School (who had written their own poems), and a talk by Cathy King of Bovey Climate Action about what their group has done in little more than a year in Bovey Tracey.

In the discussion time at the end of the meeting, it became clear that we had the basis of an ongoing group, and at a further meeting on February 21st we started to get things moving.

All are welcome at CCA meetings! We do not want CCA to become a closed shop or a clique - rather, a forum (via website, meetings and events) for all to bring their ideas and suggestions - and then go off and do their own thing (with others). At present, the organisational side has been kept to a minimum - the feeling is that we need to be fluid and flexible.

In the pipeline:

Plans to produce and sell our own shopping bag, with the Coastal Climate Action logo (currently being designed).

The question of how to encourage local shops to ditch plastic bags needs further thought - especially given the pressure on them from the imminent hordes of summer visitors .. Any ideas?

Possibility of a big summer fair - perhaps on the field - raise awareness and offer ways forward. Or participation in one of the existing events .. Working group to come up with suggestions.

Recycle

Did you know that every plastic bag buried in landfill takes 500 years to decay? And we use over 150 million plastic bags each week!

In Devon we throw away over 300,000 tonnes of rubbish every year. That's enough to cover a football pitch with rubbish more than 400 metres high. We've got to face up to the fact that we can't just keep burying our rubbish and hoping it will go away. It won't.