Scafell Skiddaw Helvellyn Cross Fell Blencathra Fairfield Great Dun Fell Great Gable Langdale Pikes Sufton Fell Bowfell High Stile Lingmell Loughrigg

29 May 2008

Saving Cumbria from climate change is mission possible says new publication

Wheatfields in Wasdale, fire on the fells, storms and sunshine could characterise Cumbria's future according to a new publication. Mission Possible, produced by the Flora of the Fells Project, looks at the impact of climate change in the county. It is a pioneering attempt to bring the implications of this global phenomenon down to a local level and explore some of the complicated science which often clouds the issue.

The report's picture for Cumbria is mixed. While the county might not witness the extreme changes affecting other parts of the world, the booklet's conclusion is that global warming will inevitably change the county's countryside and the livelihoods of those who live here and visit. More severe impacts of climate change elsewhere could also have indirect consequences by putting increasing pressure on the county's resources. But it is not all gloom and doom; as the title suggests there is still hope and the booklet offers plenty of ways for individuals to turn back the tide of climate change.

"We are close to a tipping point with climate change," said John Redgate, Community Team Leader for Natural England, which funded the publication alongside Friends of the Lake District and the Lake District National Park Authority's Sustainable Development Fund. "The more people who recognise its implications, particularly at a local level, the more likely they will be to take the actions needed to minimize its impacts. This booklet goes a long way to helping that happen".

Mission Possible will also feature at a forthcoming Low-carbon Lake District conference in June, organised by the Lake District National Park Authority. Bob Cartwright, Director of Park Services at the Authority, believes that this publication could not have come at a better time, "People are waking up to the fact that climate change is real and want ideas for what they can do to make a difference. The National Park Authority is committed to a low-carbon Lake District. Next month's conference, where Jonathan Porritt will be our keynote speaker, will increase people's understanding of what global warming means for Cumbria and signpost what we can all do about it"

Mission Possible is available from all National Park Information Centres or direct from Friends of the Lake District on 01539 720788.

ENDS

Editors Notes

1. For further information contact Martin Varley, Flora of the Fells Project Officer on 01539 720788.

2. A pdf copy of Mission Possible is attached. To receive a hard copy phone 01539 720788.

2. Friends of the Lake District is a registered charity committed to enhancing and protecting the landscape and natural beauty of Cumbria and cooperating with other bodies with similar objectives or interests. We are also regional representatives for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, a national charity that helps people keep their local countryside beautiful, productive and enjoyable for everyone.

Our theme for 2008 is 'Connecting People and Place'. Throughout the year we are focusing our work on encouraging people to gain a greater sense of belonging to places in Cumbria where they live, work and visit.