Whoop, we hit 200 signatures online (and we have a load more coming in on the paper form, which you can download here. To celebrate the latest round number, here’s another interview, this time with Anne Tucker of Moss Side. If you want to answer these questions, please do so and then send them in an email to climateemergemcymanchester@gmail.com, with the subject header “milestone interview”. Thanks!”
Also – please save the date – Thursday 23rd May, What next for climate action in Manchester? Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount St. , 7pm mingling 7.30 meeting
1. Who are you, what do you do, why did you sign the petition?
My name is Anne Tucker, I live in Moss Side . I’m retired but spend a lot of time working with residents in their alleyways helping make them into shared spaces/community gardens
I signed the petition as I think things are being done far too slowly to get emissions down. In particular we have to acknowledge that some aspects of what people consider “essential” must be limited or even stopped.
Manchester needs to respond much more robustly to the urgency of this, because of the speed of climate breakdown
2. Have you tried to get other folks to sign yet? If so, how, and how did that go?
I have shared the info on twitter and Facebook, I regularly discuss fossil fuels, fracking, airline travel and car driving with people I know. Mixed success – most people justify their activity or say “yes I know but I DO …….”. Some have changed things. All would like the govt/council to take a greater lead.
3. What suggestions do you have for those trying to get more people to sign the petition
Print out copies of it and show up friends. Discuss with whoever we can to get people to see importance
4. If Manchester City Council DOES declare a climate emergency, what should its first actions afterwards be?
1) Formulate clear policy against fracking, coal including using the public in campaigning if the govt forces the above
2) commit to no expansion of mcr airport . Advocate for frequent flier tax
3) commit to mcrs quota of tree planting for GTR MCRS new forest
4) push Andy Burnham to regulate the buses across GM area
5) prioritise cycling further
5. How do you think citizens could/should act to make sure that such a declaration is followed up with actual actions? What skills and knowledge are needed for that?
As above.
2) Organisation at street level to get citizens to understand and sign up to campaigns for lowering emissions, including tenants, residents and other community groups
3) set up equivalent of “commiseration books” like they do after disasters, and encourage resident groups to list their achievers, questions and challenges
I am less confident about how to get more people as activist leaders from across the city communities …..
6. Anything else you’d like to say
Let’s go for it!
