Since April, our District has hosted showings of the People’s Emergency Briefing in most of our major towns, and several villages too – with more being planned all the time. But can we do even more?
This month we’re featuring a guest post from Dr Richard Clarke, local activist and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Gloucestershire, who’s proposed a friendly competition we can all take part in . . .
Turning Local Action into National Impact
One of the things I love about the National Emergency Briefing campaign is how it connects a national campaign with local action.
You can see that already in the screenings, thousands of people coming together in village halls, community spaces, cinemas, churches, theatres all to understand the climate and nature risks we face, and to talk about what we can do in response.
This week, I wanted to see whether we could bring some of that same local energy to the UK Parliament Petition to hold a prime-time televised emergency briefing on the climate and nature crisis.
In Stroud, Jess from Transition Stroud, Josie from the Trinity Rooms and I set out to make a noticeable difference to Stroud’s position on the petition leaderboard.
Knowing Stroud, we thought at least second place would be within reach, so we gave ourselves that as a target.
With a bit of organising, a bit of sharing, and some visuals to show people that their signatures were genuinely moving the dial, Stroud made a very visible jump up the board.
Petitions can sometimes feel abstract. You add your name, and it disappears into a meaningless pool of others. But when you track the data locally, you can actually see the effect of community action. Seeing this number tick up has been really exciting, and we’ve definitely drawn in people that wouldn’t have otherwise signed.
So, lets continue this a little friendly challenge:
Brighton Pavilion you can’t be happy with us in Stroud overtaking you, think you can retake your lead?
Bristol Central, think you can do better, think you can catch South Devon? Go on show us what you’re capable of!
If you, in any constituency, would like help setting a local target, tracking progress, or turning the data into something you can share back with your community, get in touch. I’d be very happy to help!!
Petition details and my dashboard for tracking the wider National Emergency Briefing campaign activity are below –
- Sign and share the petition here (especially if you’re in Stroud!) https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767687
- National Emergency Briefing Dashboard: https://vr7ney-richard-m0clarke.shinyapps.io/national-emergency-briefing-dashboard/
We Can and Must Act Now
Take action – join your nearest Climate Action Group You can find the full list of local climate groups on the Stroud resilience Web – or contact us to be put in touch with your nearest group.
Want to see or show the film in your community? The National Emergency Briefing website has some great advice on how to do this – as well as hosting this national screening map that shows all the planned screenings. We’re also offering support locally –
- Join the PEB Stroud District WhatsApp group
- Take a look at our Stroud screening and workshop resources – includes suggested screening and workshop timings, a slideshow, and handouts for you to use or adapt.