Floods: Wellies to Westminster demo
Friday, 29 January 2016
Greenpeace campaigners, including representatives from Hebden Bridge, yesterday laid 500 muddy wellies outside the Palace of Westminster to highlight the impacts of climate change on the flood hit communities recently affected.
Photo: Steve Morgan
Heather Morgan from Hebden Bridge represented our flood hit community and said in her letter to David Cameron, delivered along with a petition signed by nearly 100,000 people to No.10 said, "My fear is that communities like Hebden Bridge of which I am proud to be a member may struggle to survive should these devastating flood events continue to occur. We need funding and action on flood prevention."
Photo: Steve Morgan
Each wellie had a personal message from a flood affected person. Heather added, "I too had a personal message for the Prime Minister. I wrote that on Boxing day the town I live in resembled a war zone. Streets filled with sludge, windows smashed, shops and homes wrecked and piles and piles of sodden possessions, people hopes and dreams left out to dry."
One minute video
Photo: Steve Morgan
Greenpeace says, "For far too long, ministers have disregarded scientists' warnings that climate change will drive up flood risk across the country. Now we want them to listen to the people who have paid a huge price for this complacency.
"Our survey shows nearly two-thirds of the UK public (61%) think the government handled the flood response badly. An even stronger majority (74%) say ministers should do more to prevent future floods in areas at risk, and 61% say the government is spending too little on flood defences. And it's not just Labour voters who are unhappy with the government response. A clear majority of Conservative supporters also believe the government should ramp up flood prevention (62%) and invest more in flood defences (51%).
"Scientists have long predicted that climate change would bring warmer and wetter winters to the Uk, thus increasing the risk of flood. The Committee on Climate Change and the MET Office have both highlighted the likelihood of more frequent and severe flooding across the UK, as climate change continues."
See also:
HebWeb Feature: BOXING DAY FLOODS 2015
HebWeb News: Floods aftermath
HebWeb News: The Boxing Day Floods
Facebook Group: Calder Valley Flood Support
HebWeb Forum: Floods
HebWeb News: The June 2012 Floods
HebWeb News: The July 2012 Floods