Harrogate group's 'optimism' over climate change solutions

Harrogate's moves towards being a 'green' town are about to take another step forward.
Learning about what you can do to reduce carbon emissions at a recent Carbon Conversation.Learning about what you can do to reduce carbon emissions at a recent Carbon Conversation.
Learning about what you can do to reduce carbon emissions at a recent Carbon Conversation.

Pressure group Zero Carbon Harrogate are running a taster for their Carbon Conversations course next week at Harrogate’s Friend’s Meeting House from 7.45pm to 9pm.

The course on Thursday, January 23 aims to help people address climate change by focusing on values and lifestyle as well as understanding the basic facts of carbon emissions.

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Zero Carbon Harrogate says both locally and globally, the impacts of the changing climate have become increasingly visible.

In the Harrogate District there are grounds for optimism following both Harrogate Borough Council and North County Council committing to become carbon neutral, and Parliament’s decision to make net-zero emissions by 2050 law in July of last year.

But tougher targets do not themselves reduce emissions. New plans must be drawn up to deliver them.

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The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) estimates that the average UK household will need to reduce emissions by 87% in the next 30 years, requiring a reduction in energy use, changes to the way we travel, what we eat, how much we buy and how we dispose of things. This is where we come in.

Past participants across the UK have made significant reductions to their carbon footprints by the end of the course and put plans in place to halve their emissions within two to five years, leading the course to be featured in The Guardian, as one of the 20 best climate change solutions.

“I have enjoyed the course”, said one past participant.

“Focussed on reducing each participant’s individual footprint, it led me to look at my own life and choices with a magnifying glass, and iron out conflicts within myself, allowing time to figure out creative solutions both practically and emotionally.”