I didn't know who my MP was

22 January 2008

When Friends of the Earth needed to lobby every MP in the country to get support for the Climate Change Bill, it turned to its financial supporters, including Guy from Hull Friends of the Earth.

Image © Paramount

Guy had already been to see Al Gore's climate change film 'An Inconvenient Truth' after which he made a personal commitment to reduce his carbon footprint.

But the film made him realise that the Government must play a crucial role in tackling climate change too.

2 months later he found himself face-to-face with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott debating the need for a climate change Bill.

So when he found out about Friends of the Earth's effort to lobby every MP, he signed up.

6 months ago, I didn't even know who my MP was. Then, almost overnight, I was organising a meeting with John Prescott, my MP.

I was a bit nervous beforehand but as soon as I had met him, I realised there was no need to be worried.

I even dared challenge him when he claimed that the UK had met its Kyoto targets.

Like everyone who has been part of The Big Ask campaign, Guy feels proud of its success.

He's since been spreading the word in Hull, organising public debates and demonstrations and many more screenings of An Inconvenient Truth.

Getting a climate change bill was a fantastic achievement. It's a real landmark.

This article is based on an extract from Friends of the Earth's book How Can I Stop Climate Change?

Find out more about how you can get involved in The Big Ask campaign.