WWF-UK: WWF Northern Ireland seeks climate witnesses
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WWF Northern Ireland seeks climate witnesses
WWF Northern Ireland is launching its 'Climate Witnesses' initiative, to raise awareness about how people across the Province and elsewhere have been affected by severe weather events.
The initiative is launched as world leaders gather in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the 10th Conference of the Parties (CoP 10) to the Convention on Climate Change.(1)
It is predicted that extreme weather events such as the flooding in Derry during the summer and the consequent insurance rises will become more frequent if climate change goes unchecked. Already the world is warming faster than at any time in the last 10,000 years. The top ten warmest years ever measured worldwide (over the last 120 years) all occurred after 1981.
"We want to demonstrate to our Administration that climate change is a reality and is affecting the lives of people in Northern Ireland. To do this we need to hear local people's stories so that we can create an accurate picture of how extreme weather events are affecting people and the environment," said Malachy Campbell, policy officer at WWF Northern Ireland.
WWF Northern Ireland is appealing for local people to tell their own extreme weather story or that of their friends and family. This could include some of the following experiences:
- Flooding of homes or businesses due to a sudden downpour which caused a river to flood or drains to overflow
- Increasingly expensive insurance premiums because of unpredictable weather
- Farmland decimated by unpredictable weather or coastal erosion
Or these stories might be about more subtle, but equally important, changes such as:
- Noticeable differences in wildlife in your area
- Changes to seasonal patterns
"The climate changes happening here and across the world are of real concern for the people of Northern Ireland. One risk is the switching-off of the Gulf Stream which is responsible for our mild climate. This shut down would leave us to deal with Canadian-style winters. We hope to use people's stories to influence Government policy, reduce energy consumption and switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources," said Campbell.
Share your story online or contact WWF Northern Ireland on 028 9335 5166 for a leaflet.
(1) The 10th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 6 to 17 December 2004.
It is predicted that extreme weather events such as the flooding in Derry during the summer and the consequent insurance rises will become more frequent if climate change goes unchecked. Already the world is warming faster than at any time in the last 10,000 years. The top ten warmest years ever measured worldwide (over the last 120 years) all occurred after 1981.
"We want to demonstrate to our Administration that climate change is a reality and is affecting the lives of people in Northern Ireland. To do this we need to hear local people's stories so that we can create an accurate picture of how extreme weather events are affecting people and the environment," said Malachy Campbell, policy officer at WWF Northern Ireland.
WWF Northern Ireland is appealing for local people to tell their own extreme weather story or that of their friends and family. This could include some of the following experiences:
- Flooding of homes or businesses due to a sudden downpour which caused a river to flood or drains to overflow
- Increasingly expensive insurance premiums because of unpredictable weather
- Farmland decimated by unpredictable weather or coastal erosion
Or these stories might be about more subtle, but equally important, changes such as:
- Noticeable differences in wildlife in your area
- Changes to seasonal patterns
"The climate changes happening here and across the world are of real concern for the people of Northern Ireland. One risk is the switching-off of the Gulf Stream which is responsible for our mild climate. This shut down would leave us to deal with Canadian-style winters. We hope to use people's stories to influence Government policy, reduce energy consumption and switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources," said Campbell.
Share your story online or contact WWF Northern Ireland on 028 9335 5166 for a leaflet.
(1) The 10th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 6 to 17 December 2004.
