Climate change on agenda

Stirling Methodist Church will be the venue on Monday, February 20, for a meeting at which there will be a firsthand account of the impact of climate change in the South Pacific.

The Queen Street church and Friends of the Earth have organised the event which starts at 7.30pm and the main speaker will be Dr Julia Edwards, a church mission partner of the Methodist Church.

She is working with the Pacific Council of Churches as a climate researcher.

Walter Attwood from Friends of the Earth and Stirling Methodist Church said: “This is very much a hands-on job as much of her work involves helping communities in planning for and assisting with the relocation of whole villages from coastal areas. In some cases this involves abandoning very low lying islands and moving to higher land which can be quite a distance away.

“These migrations are entirely due to global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels in the industrial north.”

The meeting, which will be chaired by Stirling Council environment convener Danny Gibson, will also include a question and answer session.

There will also be an opportunity to discuss issues of interest in Scotland such as withdrawal from fossil fuel industries, re-investment in clean energy and the decision that has to be made on fracking.

Stirling Council leader Johanna Boyd, who urged people to attend the meeting, said: “Climate change knows no national borders and it’s so important to keep in touch with places and people where its impact is already severe.

“Through the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, the council is combining efforts with local and regional authorities across 57 countries.”