DECLARING a “Climate Emergency”, as has happened with local councils and even national government, is a good thing in tackling climate change’s big threat to our continued existence on planet earth, but only if the word ‘emergency’ actually meant what it says.

Of course, you’d expect immediate enormous action to stop carbon emissions into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels and enormous action to keep it in the ground. Business as usual would not be happening anywhere.

READ MORE: Somerset County Council declares climate emergency

What do we find regarding use of the motorway up to Bridgwater and beyond towards distant Bristol (I assume) on both the bulk of last Friday and Saturday: a three-lane virtual static car park in almost one big continuous traffic jam, creating immense pollution from the tick-over of tens of thousands of engines, plus immense delays and extra expenditures for travellers, particularly those wanting to catch a plane or make a fixed rendezvous.

In the meantime, we see the number of ultra-polluting air flights from airports taking off, if anything, in more flights than last year’s numbers.

Some emergency!

READ MORE: PICTURES: Hundreds take part in Extinction Rebellion march in Taunton

Not likely: Business as usual is so much more convenient!

To make these emergency calls work, surely everyone must realise that the rebellion part of the new Extinction Rebellion national movement must, by definition, throw people out of their carbon emissions ‘convenience’ consumerist lifestyles into shocking, really ‘nasty’, new inconvenient ‘sustainable’ lifestyles?

What do we want? Climate justice! When do we want it? Now!

ALAN DEBENHAM
Taunton