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Eighty people gather in Glastonbury Town Hall for public screening and discussion on climate and nature crisis

The screening formed part of a wider UK programme of events designed to help communities engage with the climate and nature crisis, and supported by naturalist Chris Packham, who has said that “I’d encourage people everywhere to attend a screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing. This new film creates exactly the kind of honest local conversation we now urgently need, both about the threat from climate and nature breakdown, but also about what we can do, together with our politicians, to build a better future.”

Discussion afterwards moved beyond a few differences in opinions about causes and solutions. The important common threads that brought people together were a genuine love for nature, concerns about river pollution, the possibility of energy and food shortages, and inadequate government responses. Participants were invited to join some of the many wonderful local projects working on nature restoration, community energy, repair, reuse, and food growing.

Melissa Taylor, who helped organise the event and is Glastonbury Town Council’s Climate Emergency & Resilience Officer, said:

“What stood out was how quickly the discussion moved from a range of very real concerns into practical questions about what people here may be able to do together next.”

Organisers say there was strong interest in continued local engagement, including discussion of how community support might be built around encouraging Sarah Dyke to back the Parliamentary Call for a televised emergency briefing on the climate and nature crisis.

Glastonbury & Somerton’s MP Sarah Dyke was disappointed to be unable to attend, and sent a message of support:

“I want to take this opportunity to pass on my support and solidarity to everybody attending. It fills me with hope to know that passionate people are coming together, across Somerset and the wider UK, to discuss solutions to the climate and nature crisis – which sadly only continues to grow more severe.

Here in Somerset, we don’t need a National Briefing to highlight this existential threat; we see it every day. We are on the front line of climate change, with extreme weather events increasing in frequency and severity – causing unpredictable crop yields for farmers in summer, and devastating flooding in winter.

I will continue to bring environmental, ecological and climate-related issues to the table in Parliament. Most recently, I have advocated for the installation of Sustainable Drainage Systems in all new housing developments; highlighted the need to establish neighbourhood tree cover targets and other nature-based solutions to boost biodiversity and flood resilience; and called on the Government to provide crucial funding to support local authorities like Somerset Council with their net zero transitions.”

Attendees were encouraged to follow up conversations by joining the next meeting of the council’s Climate & Ecological Emergency Advisory Committee (CEEAC) at the end of April. For those who missed this screening in Glastonbury, there are other local screenings planned for May 8^th and 27^th in Wells, May 9^th in Street, May 13^th in Wedmore, May 22^nd in Wookey, May 29^th in Somerton, June 17^th in Shepton Mallet, and many more further afield. Details of screenings across the UK can be found on the People’s Emergency Briefing screening map https://www.nebriefing.org/screening-map

For more information, please contact Melissa Taylor [email protected]