Donald Trump has said it’s a ‘hoax’, David Attenborough thinks it’s our ‘greatest threat’ – but now campaigners have said that many Lincoln residents are ‘complacent’ about climate change.
The Extinction Rebellion group, a global organisation who campaign on the topic, came to Lincoln last week to organise into ‘action groups’ as they prepare for ‘serious’ protests in the city later this year.
Rosemary Robinson, the organiser of the event, said: “Some people are really spot on and they say yes, this is something that needs to be done.
“A lot of other people are fairly complacent really, I don’t think they are really aware of just how serious the situation is.
“Of course that will be one of our aims over the next coming months – to raise public awareness as well as pressuring the Government to do something.”
On Lincoln’s High Street however, most people agreed that climate change was an important issue.
Pete Holden, 39, said: “I do think it’s an important issue, especially with the seas and pollution and things like that which are going to have an impact on the climate and rising seas.
“It’s not an immediate issue but obviously prevention is better than cure.”
Kelly Lawton, 45, said: “It is an important issue because it’s going to cause damage.
“The other issues in the country at the minute are financial which people can get over but you can’t get over climate change.”
Recent Government surveys have shown that around three-quarters of the UK population are ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ concerned about climate change.
But whilst people in Lincoln agreed that climate change was important, they were split on how much power they had to do change it.
Pete continued: “I do think we can do something about it – it’s a case of if we all jump at the same time we can make a bit more of an impact.
“It’s getting the message across to everyone that can be difficult.”
80-year-old Gordon said: “People always have power, its about coming together to use it.
“If there is enough people in anything then they can change things – but it has to be together.”
But Kelly added: “It’s difficult for a normal person who has no control over anything major to make an impact on the big issues such as planes and things like that – we can’t do anything about it.”
Last Thursday, Extinction Rebellion met on Sibthorpe Street to prepare for protests later in the year.
LSJ News went to the event and spoke to its organiser, Rosemary Robinson:
Whilst attitudes in Lincoln may be split, that’s certainly no different to the division on the international stage.
Below, you can see what the President of the United States has previously said about climate change:
Or, you can take the view of veteran broadcaster and scientist Sir David Attenborough:
Extinction Rebellion is preparing for its first major Lincoln protests in April.