Moray councillor calls for help to protect from effects of climate change
Following recent drought, wildfires and 90 mph winds, a local elected official is calling for definitive action to protect from the effects of climate change.
Moray councillor, Draeyk van der Horn (Forres, Green), claims the Climate Change Strategy being presented to the local authority this month is a start, but everyone must revise resilience planning in order to survive global warming.
He said: “It’s time for bold, urgent, and unapologetic leadership. It’s time for all of us to stand up and say: no more.
“We must act on climate change now - for the sake of our communities, our ecosystems, and generations to come. The consequences are already here; the question is whether we have the courage to respond.”
Storm Floris over Monday and Tuesday, August 4 and 5 was the latest in a growing pattern of extreme and unpredictable weather events across the UK.
Locally, hundreds of trees were brought down, properties damaged and roads blocked during a summer month when such storms have been rare. This “new normal” has been fuelled by rising global temperatures and an increasingly unstable climate.
“It is our responsibility to change our behaviour and stop polluting the planet,” explained Cllr Van der Horn. “We can’t continue business as usual while the world around us is breaking down.
“The damage across Forres and Findhorn has been devastating. Trees that stood for generations have been uprooted.
“Particularly painful was the loss of mature trees in Grant Park, symbols of stability, beauty, and connection to nature that have stood for decades. Their loss speaks volumes about the damage we are doing to our environment.”
The Findhorn Ecovillage resident helped Moray Council clear fallen trees and reopen blocked roads, as well as repaired damaged roofs and rehung doors that had been torn off.
The storm follows the Dava wildfire and fires in Culbin Forest in recent weeks, as well as winter storms that caused serious coastal damage to the road into Findhorn.
Landslides inland - such as in Keith and near Dufftown - are also becoming more frequent, putting even more strain on local services and resources.
“All of this is connected,” said cllr van der Horn. “Climate breakdown is driving an increase in the frequency and severity of storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, and erosion.
“Warmer, drier conditions fuel fires; more intense storms trigger flash floods; and rising seas batter our coastlines.
“Local infrastructure including roads, forests and homes were not created to withstand these evolving conditions.”
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has revised its flood predictions because their ‘1-in-200-year’ models have become inaccurate as the pace of change has outstripped plans designed to protect communities.
Official SEPA maps and risk categories no longer provide reliable safety guidance, which has implications for planning, infrastructure and community resilience.
UK Climate Projections 2009 (UKCP09) underestimate the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events; new data from UKCP18 indicates flood peaks could be 10 to 26 per cent higher than previously assumed.
And the planet has breached the Paris Accord of 1.5 degrees aimed at reducing the trajectory of climatic and social upheaval.
“What we’re seeing isn’t simply disruption,” added the councillor, “It’s a clear and urgent warning that we must act now or face even worse consequences.
“We urgently need a thorough review of our emergency procedures and need to do much more to build truly resilient communities.”
He finished: “This month, as we present the Climate Change Strategy to full council, the stakes could not be higher. We cannot afford a minimalist approach, not when our lives, livelihoods, natural heritage, and wellbeing are all at risk.”