Climate concern campaign wins support

Lewes Climate Concern has been set up by local resident and former flood victim, Sue Atkins.

She wants as many people as possible to see the Al Gore environmental film An Inconvenient Truth, which spells out the effects of climate change.

The campaign is being supported by the Sussex Express and editor Paul Watson appealed for volunteer households throughout the town to take part in a year-long experiment geared to reducing their own use of energy and resources.

Lewes Town and District Councils, East Sussex County Council and MP Norman Baker were united in their support for the campaign.

Town mayor, Cllr Merlin Milner, who chaired the meeting , said they had to turn concern into action and Lewes District Council chairman Marina Pepper announced, to applause: 'The revolution is on! The revolution starts here!'

Cllr Pepper listed her council's achievements so far, particularly its award-winning recycling and waste reduction schemes.

Cllr Ruth O'Keefe, representing the county council, stressed the importance of the changes they could make in many small ways- '“ buying Fair Trade goods, saying no to plastic bags, for example.

Cllr John Webber told the meeting about Transition Town Lewes which launches its own long-term action plan on April 24.

Only by all working together could they make a difference, he said.

The need to adapt to what was inevitable was now 'desperate' but he sensed a 'real energy building up in the town' as people became more aware of what was happening.