Late last month, Dorset Council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Executive Advisory Panel convened to hear about the continued progress being made by the authority in its work to tackle climate change.
First order of business was to discuss the motions put forward by Cllr Daryl Turner and Cllr Kelvin Clayton in Full Council meetings last year. These motions asked Dorset Council to set a target date for ensuring the council’s activities emit net-zero carbon, as well as developing strategies to work with local communities to achieve this goal, amongst other proposals.
In the panel meeting, Cllr Clayton emphasised that residents were seeking political leadership on the issue of climate change and were expecting Dorset Council to find solutions and get on with implementing them. Cllr Turner added to these points, stating that the authority needed targets and milestones, while expressing his desire for the Council to become a green energy supplier.
Panel chair Cllr Ray Bryan reassured councillors that the authority was approaching the stage of setting meaningful targets as work was continuing at speed. He also pointed out that the proposed motions were already being incorporated into the developing Dorset Council Climate and Ecological Emergency strategy and action plan and would be addressed as part of the ongoing work of the council’s Task and Finish groups.
The panel were given an update on the progress of the groups by Dorset Council’s newly recruited Corporate Sustainability Officer, who let attendees know that the intention was for costed carbon reduction action plans to be developed to allow an informed decision on setting a zero-carbon target based on the scale of the work, available resources and funding.
Councillors were also presented with initial findings from the ongoing Call for Ideas. A range of suggestions were put forward – the most common being changes in the way Dorset Council runs its planning services, a push for renewable energy production and improvement of the county’s wild spaces and roadside verges. The Call for Ideas will run until the end of February, with a full summary of the findings due to be published in the Spring.
It was also decided that the forthcoming Inquiry Day – where people are invited to speak to the panel about their ideas to mitigate climate change – will be supplemented by a second session held on a different evening in order to ensure presenters have the best opportunity to attend. Details of the Inquiry Day sessions will be publicised shortly.
Finally, panel members welcomed the announcement that Dorset Council will be adopting the Balloon and Sky Lantern Release Policy originally implemented by authorities under the former Dorset Councils Partnership. The policy proposes that the intentional outdoor release of balloons and sky lanterns (“lanterns”) be classed an act of littering, and thereby to discourage such activities across Dorset and to completely prohibit releases from Council-owned land and premises.
Cllr Ray Bryan, chair of Dorset Council’s Climate Change Executive Advisory Panel, said: –
“When considering how Dorset Council’s services can reach a carbon-neutral state, we will be reviewing our services to carefully consider what we can do to reduce our emissions and then set a realistic but ambitious date to achieve carbon neutrality.
I accept that some people may have preferred us to set a target date first, but this is about making measurable and sustainable long-term changes. The forthcoming Dorset Council Plan 2020-24 demonstrates the extent to which our Climate Emergency declaration will affect the way we operate and deliver services in the future.
Our Climate Change strategy and action plan will clearly set out how we intend to do this as we move towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions. I’m excited for us to show everyone what we’re proposing in the coming months.”
Sky lanterns are more than just litter – a major fire occured in Birmingham when one landed in a vehicle breaker’s yard, and we obviously have highly flammable heathland and crops across the county, so I think we should look for something with higher sanctions.
I THINK UR POLLUTING WIV UR HOT AIR CRAP AND U GOT POLICIES THAT U GUYS SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.BANNING THE LANTERNS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF OPPRESION..GIVE US A BREAK LEAVE US WIV DIS LITTLE BIT OF A SMILE AND SORT REAL POLUTION ….U SPOUTING HOT AIR WOULD BE A START
We need to prevent ALL balloon and lantern releases across county and whole country for that matter by making it an offence
sorry – why is this policy titled “Weymouth & Portland Borough Council” ?
It’s a link to a previously adopted policy by WPBC – when it is adopted by Dorset Council, the document will be updated accordingly.
Stop fly-tipping first and bring them to account before stopping students let off sky lanterns.
These students could soon be working for the council
Lanterns are a far higher risk than fly tipping. Fly tipping doesn’t cause burns and fatalities. These lanterns (and the balloons) should be totally banned.
Please, is a balloon and sky lantern release policy actually headline news if we are really trying to address climate change?
I accept that it is ‘littering’ but would suggest that attention to fly tipping and taking action on materials falling from waste vehicles would resources better applied to tackle a larger and more easily policed problem, as would action on agricultural plastics (covering whole fields and silage wraps)
Such statements trivialise the true scale of the climate issue.
Lets focus strategy on the big items please, show leadership on that:
REDUCING MANS IMPACT ON CLIMATE by minimising CO2 emissions.
Trees: restoring acreage and number of native deciduous trees
Habitat loss – connected ‘green corridors’
Reducing rainwater run-off
Building Insulation / banning patio heaters and similar.
Reducing pollution of rivers and coastal waters (improved sewage treatment)
Work, Shopping and Transport: effective local solutions for a rural community.
Cleaning sewage effluent to strip excess nitrate and phosphate to prevent excessive enrichment of river water, groundwater and coastal waters.
Reduce summer air quality issues by encouraging tourism by public transport and cycling / walking.
All large roofs to have PV panels (farms, offices, industrial and commercial premises). Consider PV roofs over car parking areas.
Ban PV on agricultural land as this reduces conversion of CO2 to Oxygen that would otherwise occur if planted with trees.
ADOPTING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS IMPACTS OF UNAVOIDABLE CLIMATE CHANGE
Revise flood maps to align with predicted increases in rainfall, intensity of storms and sea level rise (using the same data that has been the basis of the decision to declare a Climate Emergency)
Have robust policies and check procedures to ensure planning decisions are sound.
Resume planning policies controlling development (including permitted development ) on ‘Main River’ floodplains – issue Article 4 Directives or similar on this.
Require gullies drains and ditches to be maintained
Seek re-afforestation of catchment areas with high run-off rates
Outright ban world wide.
Plants absorb solar energy reducing the amount of energy reflected into the upper atmosphere. Plants grow better with more carbon dioxide. Why are people trying to starve plants of the life giving gas that they need? Are you trying to destroy the flora of the planet? If the carbon was fossilized does that not imply it was once above the earth?
Does anyone know the story of the emperors new cloths? Perhaps it should be called the Emperors new Climate Crisis? Have you noticed all the top people around the world giving up their luxury lifestyles to stop the Climate Crisis?