On the 20th March, the 6th assessment from the International Panel for Climate Change was released. It gives a clear warning that we must act now if we are to keep below a 1.5 degrees warming. We have already reached 1.1 degrees and, unless we change now – and fast – will exceed 1.5 degrees by 2035.

This has been identified as the tipping point for many global systems, triggering feedback loops that will make it even harder if not impossible to get back to a liveable climate.

 At TTW, we don’t talk all that much about the science behind climate change, the catastrophic effects already being felt across the world, and the collapse in our natural ecosystems. We like to stay positive and focus on what we can do to help in whatever way we can.

 However, the fact that we aren’t all talking about it and acting on it all the time, shows that perhaps many of us don’t understand how it will affect us, here in Wellington.

 Starting with the ecological emergency, one of the major worries is the collapse in insect numbers. We’ve lost about 75% in 25 years, which is truly alarming. No pollinators means a huge reduction in the food we can eat, a lack of the ability for many plants to reproduce and a corresponding fall in the wildlife that eat insects such as birds, hedgehogs etc.

 Trees and plants all produce oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide, but while we hear about the rise in CO2 levels, we rarely hear about the fall in oxygen levels. Plants are literally our life support, creating healthy water cycles and the air we breathe.

 In 2014, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN predicted there were only 60 harvests left on our degraded agricultural soils, due to our overuse of agrochemicals and loss of topsoil.

A rise in global temperature means our ice caps are melting, and the proposed map of sea level rise shows Bridgwater will be by the sea! “We’re ok here,” you might think, but where are those displaced people going to live? Will we see many more houses pop up on the last of our agricultural land?

 Ice caps melting also means the slowing down of our ocean currents and the potential collapse of the Gulf Stream. It’s already showing signs of slowing. Without the warmth it provides us, our seasons will be even more extreme and out of their usual rhythm. 

People often think of climate change or extreme weather events as happening elsewhere in the world, but droughts and floods in our region are increasingly serious threats to our food security, our houses and infrastructure.

 So when you combine pressure for land, extreme weather, floods or droughts, lack of food, and the collapse of ecosystems, the outlook can look very bleak indeed. It is hard to think about, so many of us prefer to carry on living our lives as though someone else will do something. The Transition concept, however, is to focus on hope, on what we can do together in our local area, and joining forces with others.

 Changing our farming practices to regenerate our soils, protecting our wild places, plus restoring areas which are desertifying, gives the best hope for saving us just in time. Every week we see new evidence and inspirational stories of how this is working in practice. The newly signed international ocean treaty to protect 30% of our oceans is a huge step in the right direction. And we must of course reduce our use on fossil fuels: all the things outlined in last years ‘Cutting our carbon footprint’ series. (See https://ttw.org.uk/sustainable-living-tips)

 TTW are trying to help our town transition from a society dependant on fossil fuels, to one that, simply put, isn’t. We do this by running a repair cafe to fix our items; raising awareness of what we can do as individuals; helping improve our natural habitats and planting medicinal and food-bearing plants around our town; fruit trees and bushes, nut trees, herbs and Fox’s Field forest garden - all of which are there for everyone to harvest for free.

There could be so much more we could do if we had more active members. A sub group forms when someone or a couple of people have an idea and are willing to lead a new project. If you have an idea you would like to make happen get in touch with us as ttw.org.uk.

 So although we desperately need the government to help and not rely on the actions of individuals, charities and volunteer groups to deal with climate change, we do have power to change our world when we work together. And the next time you have the opportunity to vote, please choose a party with the best environmental policies: our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren really do depend on it.