News / climate change
Scrubbing the city in solidarity with climate change protesters
Armed with scrubbing brushes and buckets of water, a group of campaigners are making their own small-scale stand to highlight climate change.
As crowds of Extinction Rebellion protesters bring the streets of London to a halt to demand action over the escalating environmental crisis, supporters in Bristol are taking symbolic action in solidarity.
Clad in a high-vis vest and knee protectors, Phil Haughton says he is prepared to stay in position by the fountains opposite the Hippodrome into Monday night and again on Tuesday to highlight the issue of climate change and call for faster action from local politicians.
is needed now More than ever
Jude and James Ritchie join Phil (far left) in his symbolic clean up of Bristol
“I thought about my grandson, Ben, who is six months old and felt sad that we are doing so little at policy level about this,” explains the owner of Better Food.
“Here in Bristol, we have declared a climate crisis, yet we are dragging our feet on air pollution.”
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Read more: Bristol’s young people strike for their future again
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It is just a few days after young people in the city turned out for the third time to make their voices heard on the subject and Phil is joining them in calling for faster action to tackle climate change.
He also argues the proposed expansion of Bristol Airport is at odds with the city’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
“It can be done,” continues Phil, referring to urgent action on climate change, “it’s not always popular, but it can be done.”
Speaking about why he decided to make a stand in the centre of Bristol, he adds: “The aim is to have conversations with people and offer space for people to join us here,” he says, gesturing around the busy open space in the heart of the city.
“We have to act and we have to act now.”
Geraldine Hill-Male gets to work with a feather duster
Bristol City Council twice missed a government-imposed deadline to come up with a clean air plan for the city, which has dangerous levels of air pollution.
In early April, a timeline for a clean air plan was confirmed by the council and a consultation on revised plans is due to launch in the summer.
Responding to the call for urgent action, a Bristol Labour Group spokesman said: “Everyone who takes part in the climate event – as with the recent school strikes – will share Labour’s desire to deliver a carbon neutral Bristol, powered by clean energy.”
He stated that for Marvin Rees, and his Labour administration, environmental and social justice go hand-in-hand and said the mayor has led national efforts for a £2 billion national Clean Air Fund, lobbying alongside other Core cities and regional mayors for more resources and powers.
Kerry McCarthy, the MP for Bristol East has also called for a proper Clean Air Act from Government.
The spokesman added that the £1billion City Leap infrastructure programme is a “game-changing, generationally-important project will forever transform how Bristol generates, stores, and uses energy”.
Read more: Bristol declares climate emergency and pledges to become carbon neutral by 2030
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