If you missed the Climate Change Hustings for Taunton Deane this Tuesday there will be a chance to hear it on the excellent community radio station 10 Radio – more details below.  The Climate Change Hustings was organised by Wivey Action on Climate, Transition Town Wellington, Transition Athelney and Taunton Transition Town.

A  packed hall at Wellington Prep school heard the views of six of Taunton Deane’s candidates in the General Election.

For what is believed to be one of only a handful of hustings organised specifically on the theme of climate change across the country there was an excellent turn out of around 200 people. The six candidates – Rebecca Pow (conservative), Clive Martin (Green Party), Mike Rigby (Independent), Neil Guild (Labour), Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat) and Laura Bailhache (UKIP)  – were each asked why they considered themselves to be the best candidate to tackle climate change. There was a near unanimous view that climate change is a serious issue with only the UKIP candidate suggesting that the threat is exaggerated.

The candidates were then asked seven questions (chosen from 40 submitted) in a BBC ‘Question Time’ style on issues ranging from  the effects on the local community and environment of building the proposed nuclear reactor at Hinkley C to the beneficial effects on the climate of reducing meat and dairy consumption. While there was general agreement on some issues – such as building a tidal lagoon in Bridgwater Bay for power generation – there were very different opinions on the thorny question of whether growing the economy is compatible with tackling climate change. The debate was however good-humoured and at times light-hearted – the candidates were finally asked: ‘What is your biggest climate sin?’ which drew some revealing replies.

‘Running for election’ the Labour candidate Neil Guild replied.

The organisers of the event – Wivey Action on Climate, Transition Town Wellington, Transition Athelney and Taunton Transition Town-  would like to thank Wellington Prep school for their excellent hosting of the event.

10Radio have now got their podcast of the hustings online at http://10radio.org/index.php?page=podcasts  It will be broadcast across Wivey, Wellington and much of Taunton on 105.3fm (and online) on Saturday at 10am and 8pm, Sunday at 7am and Tuesday at 2pm.