Chichester residents join climate change rally

The group joined hundreds of others from across the country last week to take part in the National Day of Action on Climate Change rally, organised by groups including groups including Friends of the Earth, 38 Degrees, Christian Aid, Greenpeace, Oxfam, One World UK, Unicef and the World Wildlife Foundation UK.

The aim of the event was to press the UK government to take action for the climate.

Resident Valerie Briginshaw said: “A group of Chichester constituents had each written to our MP, Andrew Tyrie, well in advance of the event to book an appointment to see him. None of us received a reply.

“We subsequently have asked to meet him in Chichester to express our concerns about climate change and ask him a list of questions about what he will pledge to do. As yet we have not received a reply.

“Having made the journey to London especially to speak to our MP on such a pressing issue as climate change it was disappointing, to say the least, not to be able to do so, when we were surrounded by many others from all over the country having conversations with their MPs.”

The group included Chichester High School for Girls (CHSG) student Roxanna Wilsher, 12, from East Wittering, who attended the rally with her father, Toby Wilsher.

Mr Wilsher said: “I am resident in East Wittering. Whilst not on the sea front, if global warming continues, I may well be there in 20 years.

“My daughter Roxanna was ‘Green Ambassador’ to the wildlife fund when she was at West Wittering Parochial school, and since moving on to CHSG she’s kept up her interest in all things green.

“It was her decision to attend the lobby, hoping to meet Andrew Tyrie and sound him out on green issues of concern to her - she feels public transport needs to be subsidised to allow more people to have access to it, to cut car use. I feel cannot wait for the big polluters such as China and USA to tow the line, we need to start the ball rolling, stick our necks out and do the right thing for our grandchildren.”

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