Still dates available to view film about climatic breakdown in Chichester area

In  villages towns and cities across Sussex and the country a little known film show, “The People's Emergency Briefing,” is giving people the truth about the climatic breakdown we're experiencing. As the film says it is not about beliefs or political opinion, it's about physics which respects neither and it explains the cause of the breakdown and what we need to do to stop it getting a lot worse in the future.

But pitted against attempts to inform us  we have politics as usual at the top where some politicians perceive an advantage if they badmouth net zero. They are banking on not many people understanding what it means and if they don't then they can say let's get rid of it and we can all have a bit more money to spend.  In fact "net zero" is simply a target, one scientific way of saying let's stop things getting a lot worse in the future. And stepping away from it without coming up with another scientific target, is simply saying "let matters slide and we'll put up with wild fires etc.

The film is introduced by Chris Packham and Mike Berners-Lee. It's based on presentations by scientists and and risk advisers on the consequences of climatic breakdown which was given to MPs last November.  Media personalities and others gave their reactions to what the scientists and expert advisers were saying. There were some humorous responses but clearly the film had a big impact. Those that put on local screenings locally found that in discussions following the film there were similar reactions. The audience were mostly shocked and angered that the information isn't being widely circulated, they wanted the public to be fully informed of the risks and there was a feeling that we all must do more.

The sponsors of the film had a clear aim - they wanted the information to reach a wide audience and in particular to get the government to issue a public broadcast on prime time television on the problems of the climate to our economy, our environment and nature, our food supply and our risks from wildfires, flooding, and wind damage. Not a huge ask you would think but in fact it is. Apparently many politicians seem to believe that the short term problems we face such as potholes and migrants in boats crossing the channel are much more important than the extra deaths we will face due to hotter summers, the flooding problems we face in the winter and the huge problems that farmers and growers face trying to feed us. And even if you tell them that a lot of migration is caused by climate breakdown as is the weather damage to our roads they prefer to ignore it.

So from a village hall in South Harting to Graffham, Midhurst, Chichester(several venues),  Westbourne, Emmsworth,  Feltham,  Yapton and Arundel many  of us have been to the screenings and more of us are wised up.

Transition Town Chichester is just one of the many organisations in the Chichester area that is trying to pass on the key messages from the film. It s not a miserable and gloomy one - it's about being positive and facing up to the challenges. We all need to act a bit differently and as a community in order to solve the problems in our locality and all this can be enjoyable. The film quotes opinion surveys showing that about 75% of the population are concerned about climate change but strangely they feel part of a minority. This seems to be due to the lack of focus and priority given to the subject by politicians and the media and some of the disinformation circulating on social media.

There are still dates available to view the film so look at the Peoples Emergency Briefing website and book yourself a space. In the Chichester area there is a screening at the Basil Shippham Centre on the 27th August at 6pm and there are 2 more in October at different venues.

Following the film an on-line petition was set up and this has now exceeded 100,000 signatures. So now it will go before parliament for MPs to debate. If your idea of democracy is turning out to vote once every 4 years or so and not bothering in between this film may change your mind. All of us have the power to write to our MP, read up about the situation and maybe even attend a meeting or two. Email your MP and ask him or her whether they will be attending the discussion in the House of Commons on this National Emergency and ask that they vote to give the public the facts not the hogwash. The future is up to you!