On Sunday 14 June, Norwood Forum was invited by West Norwood Picturehouse to host a screening of the National Emergency Briefing film. This followed on from our own Norwood Green Day the day before. This film is a 50-minute documentary presenting the latest evidence on the climate and nature crisis in the UK, designed to inform communities and policymakers about urgent action. After the screening members of our Green Norwood project team facilitated an audience discussion.
The film shows excerpts of speeches from a range of independent experts about the dangers we are facing from climate change and some of the possible solutions to this crisis. The speakers are experts in defence, health, economics and social policy as well as climate science and the risks they speak of include lack of food, clean water and failing economic and social stability. After each speech, we watch the responses of members of the public and a few celebrities, most of whom had previously only known a little about the climate changes that are already happening and how terrible things could become if we do not take significant actions quickly.
The National Emergency Briefing team want us to talk about the film with other people, arrange other screenings (there have been over1600 so far) and ask our MPs to call for a prime time cross-media Emergency Briefing about climate change and nature breakdown similar to those seen during the Covid pandemic. This will mean that many more of us learn about how this critical issue could affect all our futures and the urgent need for actions to reduce the risks we face.
On Sunday, after acknowledging our own responses to the film, we asked the audience to give us their suggestions for actions we can take locally. These suggestions ranged from reducing wasteful consumption via the Library of Things and the Repair Cafe to volunteering to increase the biodiversity in local green spaces to working together to spread the installation of renewable energy devices on homes and community buildings.
After the discussion, several of the audience told us that they were leaving the cinema feeling hopeful and empowered to step up their green actions. Norwood Forum will do everything it can to help with this. Start by exploring the links below:
1: You can sign a petition in support of a National Emergency Briefing here, 100,000 signatures will trigger a debate in Parliament.
2: You can find out where other screenings are happening here and details on how to host your own in a local school, Church, community space or workplace here.
3: It's time for the UK Government to hold a prime-time televised emergency briefing on the climate and nature crisis, delivered live by trusted independent experts. Has your MP joined the Parliamentary Call for a televised briefing? Find that out here.
4: Visit Norwood Forum's new Positive Action You Can Take webpage which we are building into a useful community resource. Note: The National Emergency Briefing is now also being called the People’s Emergency Briefing.
Note: The National Emergency Briefing is now also being called the People’s Emergency Briefing.
