Bridport calls on Oliver Letwin to strengthen Energy Bill9 March 2011
West Dorset Friends of the Earth held a successful public meeting in February, the first of a number of Energy Bill meetings across the country organised by Stop Climate Chaos.
More than 70 people attended the meeting in Bridport on a Friday night.
To publicise the meeting:
- the group sent press releases to local media
- details of the event were emailed to local contacts and posted online
- posters were put up all around the town
Oliver Letwin, MP and Minister of State for Policy, who spoke at the meeting, was left in no doubt about the breadth of support for a stronger Energy Bill.
Joining him on the panel were Liz Hutchins from Friends of the Earth and a local housing expert Yogesh Vadgama.
This was a fantastic meeting and explored some of the most important issues facing the planet. It was clear that the Government Energy Bill must be substantially strengthened if it is to meet the challenges.
Liz Hutchins, Parliamentary campaigner, Friends of the Earth
The Green Deal proposals in the Energy Bill could encourage well-off homeowners to take advantage of loans to make their properties energy efficient.
But Friends of the Earth is warning it's unlikely to help the 4.5 million UK households living in fuel poverty who can't afford to heat their homes properly.
And we're also calling for more money and less hassle to help councils get behind cost-effective green measures like insulating homes and improving public transport.
This would:
- Create jobs
- Slash fuel bills
- Reduce climate-changing CO2 emissions
© Scott Morrison
