Inspirational Women: The impact of climate change
Heather Williams showed Sisters on the Planet, a short film featuring the stories of four inspirational women from around the world who are dealing with the impacts of climate change in their daily lives.
Serena Tramonti gave a talk about her experiences of development work in Nepal, a country that is already being hit by both severe drought and extreme flooding due to climate change. Serena told us about disaster preparedness committees set up by Nepalese women and supported by Oxfam, which are raising the houses in the village to protect them from floodwater, and installing early warning flood alert systems.
Millions of people in developing countries are already dealing with the effects of climate change, and adapting their lives to cope with altered seasons and freak weather. But as carbon emissions continue to rise, occurrences of floods and drought are set to increase. The effect on people in poor countries is to push them further into poverty, as farmers can no longer grow enough food both to feed their families and make enough profit to send their children to school and pay for basic healthcare.
Oxfam campaigns on climate change because it is hitting those in developing countries first and worst, and events this one in Knutsford aim to raise awareness of the issue. Heather said, “we are always keen to meet new people and new communities to work with.
Right now, the North West office is looking for groups in the Knutsford area who want to spread the word about climate change to their communities, in innovative and creative ways: whether it’s organising a climate hearing and inviting an MP along, painting a community mural, or holding a drama workshop to connect with the experiences of climate change survivors, Oxfam would love to hear from you”.
Look out for other events going on in and around Knutsford in the near future, and drop into the Oxfam shop to take a look at the climate change display that has been put together by some volunteers. “Now is a really key time to get together in our communities to take action on climate change,” said Heather. “In December, leaders from 192 countries will meet in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Summit, and decisions made there will effectively decide the fate of not just the environment, but of millions of people living in developing countries right now”.
For details of how you can get involved, or more information, call 0161 234 2924 or email hwilliams@oxfam.org.uk
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