Flooding: Action On Climate Change Urgently Needed

Schools, hospital services and travel have been disrupted after Storm Desmond brought winds, torrential rain and flooding to parts of the UK. Record rainfalls saw some areas experience more than one month’s rain between Friday and Saturday night, with flood defences overtopping in some areas.

Commenting on the devastating floods, Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Guy Shrubsole said: “The misery and chaos of the record rainfall in Cumbria are yet another wake-up call for this Government. Climate change is expected to make flooding more likely and more severe in the UK.

“Unfortunately UK policies are going in the wrong direction with ministers failing to invest adequately in flood defences and repeatedly undermining energy efficiency and clean renewable power.

“World leaders attending the Paris climate summit must do far more to protect us all from the ravages of climate change – and massively ramp up efforts to cut the pollution that’s super-charging our weather.”

Picture: John Fleetwood, River Sprint