Latest news with #climateemergency
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Flood alerts stepped up for East Sussex village
Households in an East Sussex village are to get a new flood warning service. Pett, near Hastings, is at risk of flooding from both the sea and the Marsham Sewer drainage ditch, according to the Environment Agency (EA). The village already has a flood warning service which covers the coastal risk, but not for the risk from the sewer. "This will make the flood warnings they receive more targeted and enable the homeowners to take the steps they need to respond in good time," said an EA spokesperson. Henry Bethell, from the EA's flood resilience team, said floods could have a "devastating impact". "However, the climate emergency means we cannot prevent all flooding – so we're working to make communities resilient to future flooding," he said. The new flood warning service area has been created to target groups of households where the chances of flooding might be greater than the larger surrounding area, said the EA. Flood warnings tell people about an imminent risk of flooding to their home or business and help people make informed decisions about how to respond, said the EA. There are three types of warning – flood alert, flood warning and severe flood warning. Home and business owners in Pett will be automatically enrolled to the flood warning service via their mobile network. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story Flood warnings issued due to expected high tides Swathes of Sussex flooded after heavy rainfall Related internet links Environment Agency - Sign up for flood warnings
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Reform-led Durham county council scraps climate emergency declaration
A Reform-led council is thought to have become the first in the UK to rescind its climate emergency declaration, a move condemned as 'a very dark day' for the authority. Durham county council, which has had an overwhelming Reform majority since the May local elections, passed a motion to rescind a declaration made in 2019. More than 300 local authorities have declared a climate emergency. It voted instead to declare a County Durham care emergency, a move described as 'cynical and insulting' by the Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Wilkes. He said there was a financial case as well as an environmental case for keeping the declaration. Wilkes said the council's climate action had helped save more than £13m in the last year alone. He added that stopping work on tackling the climate crisis would risk the loss of external funding. It ran the risk of less money to invest in social care, he said. 'This is not an either-or.' During a sometimes fractious and bad-tempered debate on Wednesday, the Reform council leader, Andrew Husband, said the authority was now driven by data and common sense. 'During the Roman-occupied era not far away from County Durham, around 45AD, there is evidence of Roman vineyards along Hadrian's Wall. This is because the Roman period in Britain is known for having a relatively warm climate which would have been conducive to growing grapes. Mind, how the climate has changed,' he said. Kenny Hope, a Reform councillor, accused the Lib Dems of being in favour of adult and child slave labour. He said the mining of material for lithium batteries was 'rife with child slavery' as was the production of solar panels in China. 'I do not believe in child or adult slave labour and I believe the guys on this side of the house also do not believe in it. But I believe the guys on the other side must believe in adult or child slave labour because they have not took that into consideration,' he said. Darren Grimes, a former GB News presenter, prolific tweeter and now deputy leader of the council, proposed the motion and accused his opponents of wanting to make local residents 'colder and poorer … shame. Shame. Shame.' He said Durham was done 'with expensive virtue-signalling tripe' and said the 2019 declaration was 'a feel-good' one chasing 'net-zero rainbows while the likes of China belch out coal more than Sauron's Mordor'. Afterwards, Jonathan Elmer, one of the council's two Green members, described some of what he heard in the debate as 'bonkers'. He said the vote represented 'a very dark day' for the council. 'Eighty per cent of the population do believe in the climate emergency and want to do something about it. Durham has an administration that doesn't. They've got a head-in-the-sand, don't-look-up approach,' Elmer said. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Wilkes said he was concerned for his nine-year-old son. 'I want to know he can grow up and live in a country and on a planet that is safe. There is a personal aspect to everything, isn't there?' On Monday, the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, warned MPs about the climate crisis, saying he would explicitly call out politicians who rejected net zero policies for betraying future generations. The duration of the Durham council debate was short because of rules limiting it to 30 minutes. A move by Wilkes to have a fuller debate was voted down by Reform. The rules also meant there was no time for another motion by Grimes to strengthen what he described as free speech protections in the code of conduct for elected members. Before the debate, about 200 protesters gathered outside county hall with banners and placards highlighting the climate crisis. 'Reform is asking you bury your head in the sand,' read one. 'Our children need a healthy world,' said another.
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Reform-led Durham county council scraps climate emergency pledge
A Reform-led council is thought to have become the first in the UK to rescind its climate emergency declaration, a move condemned as 'a very dark day' for the authority. Durham county council, which has had an overwhelming Reform majority since the May local elections, passed a motion to rescind a declaration made in 2019 More than 300 local authorities have declared a climate emergency. It voted instead to declare a County Durham care emergency, a move described as 'cynical and insulting' by the Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Wilkes. He said there was a financial case as well as an environmental case for keeping the declaration. Wilkes said the council's climate action had helped save more than £13m in the last year alone. He added that stopping work on tackling the climate crisis would risk the loss of external funding. It 'risked less money to invest in social care,' he said. 'This is not an either, or.' During a sometimes fractious and bad-tempered debate on Wednesday, the Reform council leader Andrew Husband said the authority was now driven by data and common sense. 'During the Roman-occupied era not far away from County Durham, around 45AD, there is evidence of Roman vineyards along Hadrian's Wall. This is because the Roman period in Britain is known for having a relatively warm climate which would have been conducive to growing grapes. Mind, how the climate has changed,' he said. Kenny Hope, a Reform councillor, accused the Lib Dems of being in favour of adult and child slave labour. He said the mining of material for lithium batteries was 'rife with child slavery' as was the production of solar panels in China. 'I do not believe in child or adult slave labour and I believe the guys on this side of the house also do not believe in it. But I believe the guys on the other side must believe in adult or child slave labour because they have not took that into consideration,' he said. Darren Grimes, a former GB News presenter, prolific tweeter and now deputy leader of the council, proposed the motion and accused his opponents of wanting to make local residents 'colder and poorer … shame. Shame. Shame.' He said Durham was done 'with expensive virtue-signalling tripe' and said the 2019 declaration was 'a feel-good' one chasing 'net-zero rainbows while the likes of China belch out coal more than Sauron's Mordor.' Afterwards, Jonathan Elmer, one of the council's two Green members, described some of what he heard in the debate as 'bonkers'. He said the vote represented 'a very dark day' for the council. 'Eighty per cent of the population do believe in the climate emergency and want to do something about it. Durham has an administration that doesn't. They've got a head in the sand, don't look up approach,' Elmer said. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Wilkes said he was concerned for his nine-year-old son. 'I want to know he can grow up and live in a country and on a planet that is safe. There is a personal aspect to everything, isn't there?' On Monday, the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, warned MPs about the climate crisis, saying he would explicitly call out politicians who rejected net zero policies for betraying future generations. The duration of the Durham council debate was short because of rules limiting it to 30 minutes. A move by Wilkes to have a fuller debate was voted down by Reform. The rules also meant there was no time for another motion by Grimes to strengthen what he described as free speech protections in the code of conduct for elected members. Before the debate, about 200 protesters gathered outside county hall with banners and placards highlighting the climate crisis. 'Reform is asking you bury your head in the sand,' read one. 'Our children need a healthy world,' said another.
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Durham County Council votes to scrap net zero pledge
A county council has revoked its net zero pledge, despite opposition from cross-party councillors and UK councillors in County Durham moved to scrap the 2019 declaration, with an alternative social care pledge voted council leader Darren Grimes, who brought the motion to revoke the climate vow, said: "We are done with expensive virtue-signalling tripe, and care about our residents."Liberal Democrat Mark Wilkes said the council had saved £13m in the past year through climate-saving efficiencies and labelled the Reform motion "cynical and insulting". The previous council environment pledge aimed to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. Net zero means no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the said the alternative "care emergency" declaration would help recognise the "critical and escalating crisis" in children's social care, including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) added: "We seek to declare a real care emergency that's devouring our kids and coffers in tandem." Campaigners gathered outside Durham County Hall before the vote to oppose the banners and placards warned of the ongoing climate emergency, telling council leaders to "get your heads out of the sand". Another message, held by one young boy, read: "If you care…allow me to have a future."Durham County Council received a national award last year for its carbon reduction and was praised for its use of green technologies, including wind turbines, solar panels, and battery said social care issues had "nothing whatsoever to do with climate change"."It is our young people who are going to be most impacted by climate change, and indeed, the savings we have been making off the back of our action on the climate, including energy efficiency measures, is actually helping us to protect frontline social care services," he Elmer, Green Party councillor for Brandon, opposed the Reform plea and said: " If councillor Grimes really cared about SEND provision, he'd have brought this motion without reference to climate change."He'd have worked for cross-party consensus on it, he'd have looked to get ideas and input on how to improve the lives of SEND kids in County Durham from across this chamber."But instead, he's stoked controversy and division. Undoubtedly, many people will conclude it's the controversy that he really cares about."Sixty-two Reform councillors voted to approve the motion, while seven from other parties voted against. There were 17 abstentions and 12 councillors were not present at the meeting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Reform renamed several key council departments in May, including removing references to climate change in one key cabinet portfolio. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Move to drop Durham County Council's climate change target
A county council's net zero target could be revoked and social care prioritised. A motion has been put forward by Durham County Council's deputy leader and Reform councillor Darren Grimes "to rescind a climate emergency" declared in local authority had hoped to achieve net zero emissions across the county by 2045 to tackle climate change. However, Grimes said the Reform-led council should declare a county-wide emergency to tackle the "critical and escalating crisis" in children's social care, including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision. County Durham Liberal Democrats are to stage a protest opposing the proposed move, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Lib Dem Councillor Mark Wilkes said: "Councillor Grimes thinks net zero is the cause of the council's financial problems. "It's absolute nonsense. Indeed work we have been doing has actually saved the council money."He also said the "massive increases" in adult and social care costs had been caused by inflation, societal changes and under-funding of councils. 'Urgent threat' Grimes, who represents the Annfield Plain and Tanfield area, warned that the ongoing children's social care crisis was the "most urgent threat to the well-being of our children and the financial stability" of the this year, the local authority said it was struggling to cope with rising demand and called for major changes to said he wanted to see investment in early intervention services to support children within their families, as well as expanding provision for children in care and those with will vote on the motion at a full council meeting on local authority's current climate emergency response plan will run until 2027. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
