Derek Thomas MP Responds To Extinction Event Letter - Cornishman Publish Letter

In view of the critical situation the Earth now faces due to man-made climate breakdown and the associated extinction event unfolding daily around us I recently contacted my MP in an open letter to the local paper - The Cornishman - asking for his response to the crisis - 
Here-s the original letter:

Open letter to:  Rt Hon Derek Thomas MP -  

29-11-2018

CC:  The Cornishman newspaper

Dear Derek

I am sure you are aware of the recent announcement by the IPCC that the governments of the world have a mere twelve years in which to drastically reduce carbon emissions for there to be any chance of keeping global temperature-rise to one and a half degrees -

I am sure you have also heard of the predicted consequences of failure to do this -

Currently around 200 species are becoming extinct per day in what scientists have declared to be the greatest extinction-event since a meteorite wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago -  Since 1970 we have lost half of the wild animals on earth as well as vast amounts of forest and wilderness -

In view of this emergency in which we find ourselves I would be very grateful to know what steps you - as political representative of this south-western part of Cornwall and the Scilly Isles - are taking to address this situation and press for the reduction of carbon-emissions and other forms of pollution in this area -  

My view is that we should all do whatever we can to prevent this this Mass-Extinction-Event  from drastically degrading the world that our children will inherit from us -  

Obviously - sitting in the House of Commons - you are in a far stronger position to influence our climate and nature-protection strategy than the average citizen and I welcome hearing your response to this emergency -

With best wishes -

Jeremy Schanche

----------------------

A couple of weeks later I received a reply from Derek Thomas which follows below in full:

----------------------

Dear Jeremy

Thank you for this email. You are absolutely right to raise this. The IPCC report must sharpen our minds to this issue. There is no doubt in my mind that one of our first duties is to care for the natural environment and behave in a way that does not compound the current challenges.

Your email is timely, not least because in November I met with the Chair of the Campaign for Rural Cornwall to engage his organisation’s advice and expertise regarding how we can sensitively respond to the needs of our community such as providing housing, infrastructure and improvements to mobile and broadband connectivity. I also met with the RSPB in October to see some of the work they have been doing to protect and encourage natural habitats in West Cornwall. This was prior to a Parliamentary debate and second reading of the Agriculture Bill. I argued that we must support the few small farms that remain to support sustainable food production and environmentaly-friendly farming.

On Friday I met with a local environmental campaigner as we are working together to develop ideas with my Cornish colleagues towards a self-sufficient Cornwall as far as energy is concerned. This is something I’ve been keen to do for several years. I am also the Parliamentary representative in Cornwall for the wave and tidal renewable energy sector and we hope to meet with the Minister in the new year.

My view is that we must address our ‘leaky’ homes and reduce the use of carbon fuels in transport as an urgent priority in the UK. This is something I’ve persisted with here in Westminster. However, this is not enough to effect change around the world. I see the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as the most useful agreed priorities for the developed world both to address inequality around the world and address the problem of harmful emissions, unnecessary waste and harmful industrial practices. I’m sure you are aware of the SDGs but if not they are worth investigating. To support these goals I communicate the priorities with our schools and find opportunities for the Government to be held to account for their progress in meeting the goals they have signed up to on behalf of the UK.

I appreciated your constructive email Jeremy and apologise for the delay in responding. 

Regards 

Derek Thomas MP

For West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (St Ives)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Derek Thomas with Teresa May - Prime Minister of Britain

On 19th December 2018 my letter was printed in The Cornishman newspaper -  I hope this goes some way towards raising people-s awareness of the extreme urgency with which we need to transform our entire way of life if we are to have a healthy planet to pass on to our children -