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Let Preston Pedal

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Calling all Preston cyclists! (and aspiring cyclists, and non-cyclists!*)

Fed up of disjointed cycling routes? Inadequate bike storage? A lack of proper cycling lanes in Preston? Want to be part of changing things? 

At Climate Action Preston we’re making cycling one of our key campaigns this October as we join in with Friends of the Earth’s week of action (5th – 11th October) to call on local and national government to plan and budget for a green and fair recovery from coronavirus.

Excited? Here are three ways you can get involved now. Please share this email with any other cyclists or aspiring cyclists you know!

  1. Contribute your ideas to make Preston cycle friendly on our Google Map at this link – add new cycle lanes and safe storage, and locate safety issues. See attached guidance. If you don’t have a Google account or struggle with the map, send your suggestions to climateactionpreston@gmail.com

2. Add your ideas at this link to show how we can support green travel in and around Preston. If you have any issues with logging in, send your suggestions to climateactionpreston@gmail.com

3. Participate by cycling in our week of action (5th-11th October).  If you drive, swap out one of your regular journeys in Preston that day with a cycle ride, cycle to the shops, get out cycling with the family. 

We’d like to publish what happens in the week of action. Take a selfie with your bike, tag us in @PrestonAction and tag your MP, @prestoncouncil and @LancashireCC. Use the hashtag #LetPrestonPedal tell us about your journey. Were there dedicated cycle lanes in convenient and safe places the whole way? Could you safely lock up your bike when you arrived? What was traffic like? Would you be happy to cycle this route with a child on your bike? 

Not on twitter? Not a problem! Email info about your ride and any images to climateactionpreston@gmail.com and we’ll post it on our social media.

We’ll collate everyone’s ideas and compile a report to send to our MPs and councillors. 

If you’d like to be involved in Climate Action Preston’s other campaigns and projects, join our mailing list by emailing climateactionpreston@gmail.com. All welcome!

Let’s say “on yer bike!” to anyone who doesn’t want to build a better future for Preston.

*Maybe you don’t cycle because you are differently-abled; we’d love to hear what would help you to travel more sustainably in Preston – is it more pedestrian crossings, wider pavements, accessible public transport, electric car share schemes, something else? Get in touch to let us know your thoughts, or add them here.

A (Very) Brief Look at Climate Change

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Climate change is a massive issue with a lot of contributing factors. It’s not a simple and easy matter to understand. Luckily, there’s plenty of information out there to help us get our heads round it.

I’ve known the basics for some time now: we release too much carbon dioxide into the air which traps heat from the sun in our atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect (read more here).

7 August 2011 So... why should you care about the study of ...
Image from Polar Trek

But I’m just starting to get into the nitty gritty of what really happens as a result of all these nasty emissions.

The increasing global temperature is very dangerous. It’s melting ice caps which creates a rising sea level and disrupts ocean currents creating havoc for marine life (read more here). Then ocean acidification also harms living things in our seas.

Ocean Acidification - Deep Maps: West Cork Coastal Cultures
Image from EPA

Rising temperatures mean more water evaporates into the air and the warmer air means clouds act differently, causing more heavy rain and snowfall which is already leading to increased flooding as well as ruining soil quality (because of the water evaporating out of the soil) and slowing plant growth which is bad for crops we use for food. For more on this go here. We’ll also see more droughts and hurricanes.

Image from the EPA

Unfortunately, it’s the poorest people in the world who will be worst affected by climate change, despite the fact that they contribute the least towards it. Developing countries aren’t as well-prepared to combat the effects of climate change and millions of the world’s poorest are already being displaced because of droughts, other extreme weather and rising sea levels encroaching on their land.

Climate Refugees: No International Definition, Recognition ...
Climate Refugees: image from NPR

A whole lot of wildlife is threatened by climate change and some species have already died out. If we value biodiversity and the rich natural world then we need to protect it. Temperatures are rising too quickly for many species to adapt and their habitats are changing too rapidly. Read about some of the impacts of climate change on animals here.

Image from the Met Office.

It’s scary. Really scary. But we have the power and the solutions to turn this around as long as we act urgently.

Preston City Council declared a climate emergency back in April 2019 but is the term ’emergency’ being taken seriously?

If you can, please join Climate Action Preston to work together towards a green future for Preston. If you’re not able to join us, consider what you can do as an individual to reduce your carbon footprint. The two most effective measures the average person can take involve looking at their travel and their diet and I’ll be discussing these actions in the next post.

Calling All Prestonians

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Be the Change

Be the change you want to see in the world.

— Gandhi.

Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish school girl, has inspired millions across the world to protest against climate change. But she argues that it shouldn’t be her striking from school, it should be the adults taking action; the world leaders making drastic changes to their policies and practices .

As a mother of young children, I worry that in a few years time her words could be echoed by my children as they become aware of the extent of the climate crisis and challenge me about my own actions. I don’t want to be part of the problem; I want to be part of the solution. I want to protect my children’s futures. So many of the daily choices I make will either tackle climate change or contribute to it. Suddenly the choice to take a stand against climate change and work to protect my planet seems a far more important parental decision than which is right primary school or when to go back to work.

Climate change is already affecting people across the world. People are already dying as a result of the amount of carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere. I’m no expert in the science, but there are plenty of people who are experts and they are imploring us to take urgent action on a really big scale to address the problem. As an individual, it can feel as though my actions won’t even begin to make a difference in the face of such an extreme situation. But everything I do makes a difference for better or for worse. And the more I talk about my actions, the more other people will be encouraged to make changes of their own, or to share their own Eco Warrior success stories. Individuals quickly become communities who become nations. Eventually, the world is going to have to work together to fight for our survival and the sooner individuals catch on to this, the better.

I’m just one person, but Climate Action Preston is my way of reaching out to others who want to make a positive difference. Soon we’ll be a community fighting for tomorrow.

Will you join me?