UN Climate Change report - Code Red

It is scary with the wildfires and the 47 degree heatwaves in Canada and elsewhere. The temperature at the top of the mountains is so high, the ice is melting and flooding the valleys. We’ve got to stop pussyfooting around and be prepared to make uncomfortable choices.

It is scarey.

But I can't help thinking that, alongside doing what we can as individuals to reduce emissions etc., there are other things that can be done, even though they won't cure the problem.

Flooding can be reduced (not cured) by not building on flood plains and by good river management. These won't stop the rain, of course.

The threat from wildfires can be reduced by having proper firebreaks and getting rid of dry undergrowth. Such measures can stop the fires spreading so fast.

We're not going to be able to put things right quickly, if at all, but we can try to make them better. It's always easier to dig yourself into a hole than to get out again, so anything we do has to be joined-up (lots of different measures) and long term.

I’m really worried but almost have to block it out because it scares me so much and worry about what the future holds for my children and grandchildren. Which isn’t to say that I don’t want to be proactive but, apart from recycling (which I’ve always done) and trying to have a zero food waste policy I don’t really know where to start/what to do.