On Wednesday 15th April, 34 people from West Norfolk attended the screening of the film People’s Emergency Briefing in King’s Lynn, followed by a discussion facilitated by local conservation scientist Dr. Charlie Gardner.
Organised by Extinction Rebellion King’s Lynn, as part of the national campaign to get the National Emergency Briefing screened across the country, King’s Lynn played host to the latest screening of the community version of the film. The film features British experts in fields such as health, defence, food security, nature, and energy. They give a clear and stark warning about the urgent need for action and the risks the UK faces if action isn’t taken.
The goal is to pressure the government to broadcast on primetime television the National Emergency Briefing about the risks and threats to the UK from climate change and biodiversity loss.
Held at the Majestic Cinema in King’s Lynn, seats booked up completely in under seven days, with others expressing interest in attending another screening. Due to this high demand, our group is looking at running another screening locally, and we also encourage others to use the resources available from National Emergency Briefing to put on screenings of the film in their town halls, village halls, or community cinemas.
Following the screening was a group discussion of attendees, facilitated by local Dr. Charlie Gardner, a senior conservation lecturer and campaigner on climate change and biodiversity loss. People expressed their shock and concern about the evidence presented, the discussion focused on what can be done both locally and nationally to take action collectively and pressure the government to do more.
MPs James Wild and Terry Jermy were invited but couldn’t attend due to other commitments. All 52 West Norfolk borough councillors were also invited, we were pleased to have Cllr Joshua Osborne and Cllr Michael de Whalley attending but it’s disappointing that only two attended. Councillors Jim Moriarty, Rob Colwell, Alex Ware, and Pallavi Devulapalli gave apologies. It was disappointing that the remaining 44 councillors in West Norfolk did not respond to our invitation about this vitally important film about the threats to the UK and our communities. We hope they will engage in the next screening we organise.
One of the attendees said “Watching the Briefing was a very powerful experience. This film must be seen by all those who hold power in the country.”
We believe that everyone deserves to know the urgent evidence presented within this film, but particularly important is that our elected representatives make themselves aware of this as they are tasked with making important decisions and have a key role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
More information: https://www.nebriefing.org/
