29th June 2005

Oxfordshire Green Party warned today that the extreme weather and serious flooding experienced by the South East this week will only get worse as the impact of climate change becomes more intense.

Cllr Craig Simmons, who is Leader of the Oxford City Council Green Group, said: "Climate change is characterised by more extreme weather patterns, exactly like the torrential rain that Oxford has been experiencing in the past few days. As Greens have been warning for decades, unless we introduce radical measures to deal with the problem, the economic and social damage caused by a runaway climate will become worse and worse."

In 2003 Cllr Simmons contributed to a report on likel impacts of Climate Change in the South East 'Global Warming, Local Warming', authored by Dr Caroline Lucas MEP and Oxfordshire Green Party member and climate expert Dr Paul Williams.

This report warned that climate change would hit the South East of England hard, and predicted serious economic damage as a result of flooding and extreme weather conditions. Since the publication of the report, areas of Oxford such as the Botley Road have suffered serious flooding damage, and East Oxford was innundated with rainwater this week, causing damage to scores of homes.

Cllr Matt Sellwood, who is Deputy Leader of the City Council Green Group, commented: "We don't have to accept climate change. The Greens have been putting forward a number of initiatives to deal with the threat, such as installing renewable energy as a matter of course on all Council buildings, and investing millions in energy efficiency programmes. We call on all political parties to  get behind these measures before it is too late, and prevent future misery for thousands of Oxford residents."

FMI: Cllr Craig Simmons on 0773 980 3047

'Global Warming, Local Warning' available at http://www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk/publications/pdfs_and_word/SE_Climate_change.pdf