Bells, pots, pans, drums, and buckets sounded out across the Stroud district on Saturday to mark Clang for Climate action.
The events took place simultaneously at 6pm for 10 minutes, involved people from all over the country ‘sounding the alarm’ about climate breakdown, in advance of the start of the United Nations’ climate conference, COP26.
The event draws inspiration from Greta Thunberg’s words: ‘I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.’
It also draws on a long history of communities using pots and pans as a means of protesting or raising the alarm, from Spain and Argentina to Canada and Iceland.
Pots and pans were banged outside the Sub Rooms and muffled bells were rung at nearby St Lawrence’s Church – in an echo of the medieval practice of warning citizens of emergencies. And Bisley residents, including district councillor Martin Brown and tower captain Ian Bucknell, rang three of the village’s eight bells.
Cllr Brown, part of the Green group on Stroud District Council, said: “The actions aimed to send a strong signal to world leaders to show that people all over the UK and all around the world demand immediate action to save our planet and its people from catastrophe. We were very pleased to take part in this national event demanding action from government leaders at COP26.”
The decisions reached at COP26 – and how they can be moved forward by local individuals and communities – will be discussed at a public meeting on Saturday, November 13 at Lansdown Hall, Stroud.
The meeting – from 7 pm-9 pm – will hear from a panel of expert local speakers and there will be opportunities to ask questions. The event is free and anyone can attend, either in person or via Zoom. Register here to attend online:
https://actionnetwork.org/events/cop26-the-day-after-are-you-inspired-to-do-more?source=direct_link&
