Welsh Government urged to make televised briefing on the climate and nature emergency
Stephen Price
As wildfires continued to burn across parts of Wales overnight, a Senedd petition has been created calling for the Welsh Government to organise a prime-time televised briefing on the climate and nature emergency, delivered by independent experts.
The petition states: “The scientific evidence is clear that climate change and nature loss present an escalating threat to Wales. However, the public debate is increasingly shaped by misinformation.
“We therefore call on the Welsh Government to take steps to organise a prime time televised briefing on the climate and nature emergency, delivered by independent experts, setting out:
“- the true scale and immediacy of the threats facing Wales;
“- the choices that the nation faces if it is to mitigate these threats.”
Publicising the petition online, campaigner Adam Johannes shared: “We are already living with the climate emergency. Farmers are facing drought. Communities are dealing with heatwaves, floods and wildfires. Wildlife is disappearing. But most of us still not being given the full picture.
“We are watching the unraveling of the natural world that has sheltered human civilization for centuries, while public life is filled with distraction, euphemism and denial. Governments continue to talk about (and water down) targets and strategies even as the emergency accelerates.
“That’s why I’m joining the call for the Welsh Government to organise a prime-time televised briefing on the climate and nature emergency, delivered by independent experts.
“We deserve clear, honest information the scale of the danger, speed and consequences of what is unfolding, and of the choices we now all must face together. If we’re going to protect our communities and the people we love, we need to understand what is happening and what can still be done.”
Cobra meeting
The petition comes amid reports that Andy Burnham will chair a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday in response to extreme heat, which has caused widespread wildfires and plunged many parts of the country into drought.
The Prime Minister will meet with ministers, officials and agencies as high temperatures continue across the UK on Wednesday afternoon, with temperatures of 33C forecast, and up to 38C on Thursday.
Ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Home Office, and Department for Health will attend. The Environment Agency will also be present.
It will be the second Cobra meeting this year on heatwaves, after one took place amid high temperatures in June, although devolved Governments have not been invited to attend at this stage.
The Welsh Government said: “Responding effectively to extreme heat and wildfires requires close coordination across governments. In Wales, access to specialist assets, including aerial firefighting support and other emergency resources, depends on effective UK-wide cooperation, so it is disappointing that the devolved governments have so far not been invited to attend today’s COBR discussion.
“The First Minister has committed to convene a multi-agency summit to consider how we can best strengthen wildfire prevention and resilience in Wales.”
A Downing Street spokesperson said the Government understood firefighters, farmers and NHS staff were all facing challenges connected to the weather.
On Tuesday a firefighter union chief warned the country faces a “national emergency” amid ongoing wildfires.
The Met Office said the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record, as parts of the country face their fifth heatwave this summer.
Rare amber “extreme heat” warnings have been issued by the forecaster for London and parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday.
The Government urged the public to pay attention to UK Health Security Agency heat health alerts, and advised people should drink plenty of fluids and check in on family, friends and neighbours who may be at high risk.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister will chair a meeting of COBR – the government emergency committee – this afternoon on the UK’s ongoing response to extreme heat, wildfires and drought.
“We know how challenging this summer is proving, particularly for firefighters tackling wildfires, farmers working in drought conditions, and NHS staff in busy A&E units.
“We will continue to take the action needed to keep communities safe, protect water supplies and safeguard the environment.”
Met Office chief forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius on Thursday brings the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued.
“High pressure is now becoming dominant and temperatures will build day by day. Southerly and south-easterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe which helps develop this further notable heat in what has been a hot and dry summer so far for many in the south of the UK.”
It comes as Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), warned the UK faces a national emergency “right now” with fires across the country.
Firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires across England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone, while July was the busiest month on record for wildfires with 458 incidents, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said.
Mr Wright told Times Radio: “In many parts of the country, firefighters do not have the new modern equipment to deal with these.
“They do not have the new modern personal protective equipment, the lightweight fire kit that we wear, the right helmets, lightweight helmets, breathable uniforms to make sure they’re better protected, their health is protected when they’re out dealing with these incidents for hours and hours on end.”
The Government said it had announced £97 million in new funding to upgrade national firefighting capabilities, including off-road vehicles and specialist equipment.
Nearly three quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, after a record dry July and very dry start to August has combined with high temperatures to put pressure on water resources.
Record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to the deaths of more than 2,800 people, while parts of the country were hit with further heatwaves last month as England and Wales endured their driest July since records began in 1836.
The Environment Agency said 71.3% of England is now experiencing “flash drought”, as a dry start to August followed the country’s driest July on record.
Flash drought is one which develops very quickly because of a combination of very low rainfall and high temperatures.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I want to thank NHS staff who are once again stepping up to cope with the extra pressures that hot weather brings.
“Extreme heat can be dangerous, so staying aware of warnings and alerts in place can make a real difference.”
View the petition calling for the Welsh Government to take steps to organise a government-led televised briefing on the climate and nature emergency here.
The Welsh Government said: “We are aware of the petition and as with all petitions registered with the Senedd, we will respond when referred to the Welsh Government from the Committee.”
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Wildfire risk today and tomorrow are particularly very high.
But someone with the IQ of a bean will think it’s a good idea to use a disposable BBQ or use fire where they should not. UK needs joined up thinking on this, outright bans on anything that is flammable outdoors, even the garden BBQ when it is this dry and condition are ripe for wildfires.
This needs to be a UK Government and Burnham led briefing, because we need government action and Worldwide action (Trump has been helping with his silly war that has focused minds on energy security) on reducing greenhouse gases and mitigations, from fire fighting, water supply, food and energy security. We are some twenty years plus too slow.
No one is thinking it could be too late by now. Trump is taking the US back decades and China are going so fast they should be shaming the world.
Physics is not stopped because of what we are thinking or not thinking, the longer the delay the worse it will get. You are right about Trump and China has been doing it for strategic reasons but it will benefit the World. Cymru, the UK and Europe needs to get on with the job, eg electrifying all the railways and buses for example.
Israel are starting Wildfires with drones and phosphorous bombs in Southern Lebanon…
And every Red Admiral in that Butterfly House should apologize to the people of Cymru for the last quarter of a century of no progress, look around you it has failed the people…
Your southern wildfire smoke has reached Ynys Mon calling at Aberystwyth and all stations to Caergybi …
Burnham we will consider a ban on BBQs, now you stupid people the next two days are acute risk from sellers of these things, Joe Public is brain dead to this…
What just 20 out of 6,600 Defra on climate adaptation, how does that compare to NRW…
Here in West Wales, the hedgehogs have gone, the bats have gone and the dirds have stopped singing. It’s grim. Perhaps they can find some prison space for fossil fuel investors.
Countering misinformation? Whatever is believed about the role of human activity in climate change, Wales is responsible for only about 0.1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. So, paragon or pariah Wales is not going to make measurable differences in outcomes. What is wanted is not some “expert” lecturing us, but action on climate change mitigation and on air and water pollution and land contamination and on protecting and rejuvenating depleted habitats and perhaps engineering some new one capable of supporting biodiversity and species numbers in a changing world. Reducing electricity bills would probably have wide public appeal!
Get real, ‘Wales’ supplied the Royal Navy and everyone else around the world with between 3 and 6 billion tons of coal over two hundred years…