You can help create change in Manchester.  Next Wednesday, Professor Kevin Anderson will be speaking to the full Council Meeting  of Manchester City Council (10am, Great Hall, Manchester Town Hall).  This hasn’t happened before, and may not happen again.  Councillors are very very busy people, and many of them probably know less about climate change than you do.  This meeting could be a really big eye-opener for them.  The councillors need support and encouragement to “get” climate change and its impacts on Manchester.  That’s where YOU come in.  It’s not glamorous, it’s not an adrenaline rush. But it is essential.*

you can a) attend the event – it’s free, open to the public. There’s a facebook “event” here

b) whether you attend or not, you can help make this event more influential.  How?

1)) tell your friends and family about it. Send them this blog post, talk to them.  Make sure that you and they-

b) lobby your local councillors.

If you don’t live in Manchester City Council area, then ask your council why IT isn’t having a climate scientist along to address full council. It’s a really good idea (from, it pains us to admit, Sir Richard Leese) and every other Greater Manchester council should do it as soon as possible.

If you DO live in Manchester City Council area, then contact one or more (you have three!) of your councillors.   You can find who they are and how you can contact them via this page of the Manchester City Council website (just enter your postcode in the yellow search box at the top right)

Here’s a suggested letter (but make up your own!) The crucial thing is to start a relationship, a dialogue with them about this.

Dear [x]

next week at Full Council Professor Kevin Anderson of the University of Manchester is going to be giving a talk about climate change.  I hope that you will be at full council, and  that if you have any questions for him, you ask them.

I appreciate that you are very busy, but climate change is one of those issues we will regret not having taken more action on.  It is already hitting the more vulnerable people in Manchester. As food prices and energy prices go up and up, it will hurt your most vulnerable constituents more.  The good news is that there are some good plans for making Manchester more resilient and resourceful. Those plans need a bit of a “push” to make them into reality.

I hope to get along to one of your surgeries soon to talk with you in person about this.  I will want to ask you if you are willing to take the following pledge –

1) I pledge to learn more about climate change and its impacts on Manchester and the greater world

2) I pledge to take a greater role in turning the Manchester Climate Change Action Plan (2009) into reality

3) I pledge to raise the issue in the Scrutiny Committee(s) that I sit on, and make sure the committee(s) examine Manchester’s response and vulnerabilities, especially as they affect the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

4) I pledge to investigate what can be done in my own ward to ensure that the most vulnerable people and habitats are protected against the impacts of climate change, and to make public the findings of my investigations.

Thanks in advance…

[your name]

c) Help Manchester Climate Monthly report this event.  If you go, take notes, tweet it, take photos.  Send us suggestions on how to spread the word further.

Marc Hudson
mcmonthly@gmail.com

Footnotes

(1)  We here at MCFly know everyone is busy.  We know that climate change is a confusing and scary topic.  We rarely deploy emotional blackmail.  This occasion is too important, has too much potential for us not to.  Consider yourselves emotionally blackmailed into doing this! Thank you.