Ilkley residents voice strong concern over climate change

More than 140 people stopped to discuss climate change last Saturday when three local Climate Action groups, Ilkley, Menston and Silsden, took their 'Let’s Talk Climate' project onto the streets of Ilkley.

In less than three hours, people of all ages answered nine questions using coloured stickers and shared their views. The results showed strong concern about the local impacts of climate change, including increasing wildfire risk, drought and extreme rainfall affecting farmers, and rising temperatures threatening future generations.

Residents also appeared more concerned about climate change than the national average. While 78% of people nationally say they are very or fairly concerned, the Ilkley responses indicated an even higher level of concern. Very few local participants agreed that the media exaggerates the impacts of climate change, compared with 33% nationally in a government survey last year.

One lady who stopped to share her feelings said: “I am so glad you are doing this - I felt like I was going mad; all this happening and no one talking about it”.

Most participants also expected climate change to increase the cost of food, water and insurance, supported greater UK energy generation rather than reliance on imports, and felt the government is not doing enough to protect health and security from climate risks.

Steve Peel of Climate Action Ilkley said: ‘We were a little nervous about setting up in the street but we were overwhelmed by the number of people who were keen to talk and share their feelings. It seems very likely that this summer’s repeated heatwaves and wildfires following last winter’s rainfall has really made people think harder about our future.

"We pointed people towards the many local free screenings of the 50 minute film the ‘People’s Emergency Briefing’. In it scientists and experts in health and national security explain what is happening to our climate and nature. And importantly they explain that we have the solutions to reducing the risks’.

To find and register for a local screening, search “National Emergency Briefing Screening Map” or visit the screening map.