We had an amazing turnout last night – 90 people came to Westhall Village Hall to see the People’s Emergency Briefing – full to capacity. It was hot, but isn’t that the point? This is climate change, and according to PEB, this was our easy time and our climate would get hotter and more unsettled in the future.
Feedback from the film is below, and our conversations easily continued in the pub afterwards. How interesting to hear from an ecologist who in his past worked with Al Gore to market and promote ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, and drew an analogy with one important difference: An Inconvenient Truth was based around the hard facts, whereas PEB, along with facts presented by experts, also contains an emotional response from the community: ‘We cannot even get our shit sorted!’ Our emotional response is an important element: it is frightening, alarming, daunting, scary, uncertain etc.
However, a day later a local farmer considered there was not enough facts in the film – he wanted more. And so the conversations continue with plans in the air for hosting screenings in Wenhaston, Lowestoft and Woodbridge. Halesworth will show it in September, when the church will be come our cinema, DATE
Halesworth ASH is focused on the climate emergency. With the advantage of Halesworths foundation of a carbon baseline report and an Energy Champion, Halesworth ASH has recently been chosen to receive support for initiating two if not more community energy projects. It will be in a good position to support local community energy initiatives with its access to practical support and guidance through the preliminary stages. With it’s advantage of a strong community base, a community owned pub, could Westhall be the first local community to generate it’s own energy?
The film-makers have requested that we include a link to the Bath University Survey, so that they can capture “before and after” data about actions and reactions to the climate emergency; this QR code will enable you to complete and survey and find out more info about how to host a screening in your area, as well as plenty more info about the PEB project and how to support it https://www.nebriefing.org/peb
More information on Halesworth Energy advice and Champion here
Westall Community Feedback from the film
“Important to recognise initiatives already in place, for example right here there is solar on the roof of the Village Hall as well as the pub next door – free electricity contributes to the financial sustainability of both places; can we do more of this on our public buildings?”
“The loud voice of the fossil fuel industry”
“Impressed with the film, a good balance, from a cynic, tell your friends, get them to see it”
“Loved the Jennifer Saunders quote – we need to sort our shit out“
“Get this out to schools”
“The national security angle from the military man, powerful!”
“Fear for our kids”
“What more can we do – spread the word?”
“We need to have difficult conversations with our friends”
“Shock, anger and vulnerability”
“Good to hear some positives, that we can make a difference – we don’t hear this often enough”
“Food security is key – we need to be lobbying our MPs otherwise those with the most money and influence get to dictate”
“This is desperate – we need to explore community-based sharing of resources and look at doing things collectively, clean power is an obvious starting point”
“Need to find “real” solutions, not those that suit vested interests, eg carbon capture and storage”
“This is a global issue, what difference can we make, there are too many people”
“Relief that the film is being shown – now everyone can know how serious this is”
“Subsidies for solar panels please”