by Lynda MacDermott
Sharon Duggan succeeded in getting climate change on the agenda in Cranleigh in 2019 when she founded Cranleigh Climate Action Group; there were many small actions taken and some more adventurous – you may have seen or taken part in – a great Eco Festival in the Arts Centre in spring 2022.
But as we all got back to normal life after Covid and the news headlines became filled with reports of raging wild-fires, floods, and extreme temperatures, the group decided it was time to take the next steps and really get active. To do this they had to become a more formal organisation and so it was that an inaugural meeting to set up Cranleigh Climate Action was held at Cranleigh Village Sports and Social club in June.
“Cranleigh’s carbon footprint per household is larger than the national average” That’s how the speaker, Mark from Zero Carbon Guildford shocked the meeting and explained that Cranleigh’s consumption of goods and services was the culprit – with locally, a higher consumption of goods and services than the national average.
“Reduce, repair, reuse, recycle,” should be Cranleigh’s watchwords he advised. We listened attentively.
The Climate Action group aims to support the community, local organisations and businesses in Cranleigh and the surrounding villages to reduce emissions of all sorts of greenhouse gasses to reduce carbon emissions and eventually become a Climate Positive village.
Lynda MacDermott elected as chair quoted Greta Thunberg. “Greta said that there isn’t one solution for our changing climate but what is needed is to change the conversation” – and “that” Lynda continued “is what Cranleigh Climate Action aims to do –organising small and maybe bigger projects to help residents and businesses locally make the changes we need to reduce all harmful emissions and to make our village more resilient to the changing climate.”
Members discussed their initial projects, including a community fridge, monitoring air quality and a “reduce, recycle” fashion show together with Cranleigh’s wonderful charity shops amongst other initiatives.
The event was sponsored by the Cranleigh Co-op Member Pioneer, Deborah Spiers.
