Stroud goes to Copenhagen

5050 is a unique opportunity for Stroud District. The UK is increasingly dependent on Russian gas and oil from the Middle East; hardly ideal for energy security. On top of that we are now at a crucial point in the fight against climate change. After nearly 20 years of endless conferences, discussions, and empty promises to cut emissions we have finally run out of time. This December when the world meets in Copenhagen it will be our last chance to agree an effective global deal. It has to be now because we won’t get another shot.

Isabelle Ellis-Cockcroft

My name is Isabelle Ellis-Cockcroft and I’m from Stroud. I am one of 23 young people travelling to the Copenhagen Climate Conference 2009 this December as part of the UK Youth Delegation, on behalf of the UK Youth Climate Coalition.

Being on the delegation is a big commitment. So why am I prepared to put so much of my time and energy into this? Because climate change isn’t about polar bears, it’s about everyone I know and care for; my friends, my family and our future. As a young person I cannot escape climate change. I can choose to bury my head in the sand and ignore the terrifying world I will have to face later. Or I can stand up and be counted. I can start now, while we still have time, and help to build the better future that I want to see.

So as the world turns towards Copenhagen, this is Stroud’s chance to play its part and take its responsibility to the future seriously. Ensuring a renewable and secure source of local energy in the process.

In September the UK Youth Delegation met with some of the UK’s core team of UN negotiators at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). They spoke about how mass public pressure on climate change is the only thing that will give them the mandate to push for a strong enough deal at Copenhagen.

The UK has done some good talking on climate change; on paper it has one of the strongest climate change policies on the world. But the action the UK has actually taken so far amounts to rearranging deckchairs on Titanic. 5050 is the perfect way for Stroud to show that we are prepared to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. And it sends a clear message to politicians, demanding that they follow suit to protect our future.

But the anti-campaign has kicked off and as always they are making the loudest noise, drowning out the views of the silent majority. So if you would like Stroud to take this opportunity then say so. And if you’re still unconvinced, before you cast your vote, think about what you are really voting for. Perhaps it’s about looking at a bigger picture than the view you see from your kitchen window. I am 18 and in 2050 I will be 59. I want the chance to live my life in a world with a safe and stable climate, where there is enough food and water to go around. Is that too much to ask?

I’m not saying windmills are the only way to tackle climate change, far from it in fact. What I’m saying is that we need to use every tool we’ve got to tackle our deadly addiction to fossil fuels. Wind is a vital piece of the puzzle and its not as if we are going to be over run by turbines. 16 across the whole of the Stroud District is all it will take to meet 5050.

So whether you want to support local jobs or help protect your children’s future, why not step out from the silent majority and make yourself heard?