Richard Boothman
ACE is dedicated to making sure our corner of the Yorkshire Dales is able to avoid some of the worst excesses of climate breakdown. With this in mind, we were pleased when Richard Boothman, a member of our steering group was invited to talk to the policy committee of Friends of the Dales https://www.friendsofthedales.org.uk/ about climate breakdown.
Friends of the Dales is a membership charity campaigning for the protection and enjoyment of the Dales. Like many organisations, they are coming to terms with the realities of climate breakdown and developing policies in response. While aware of the issue, the committee felt that an external view of the scale and severity of climate breakdown, its impact on the wider world and some actions they could take would help to focus their thinking.
Three minutes of individual visualisation of what the committee members would like the Dales to be like in 2030 produced some unexpected and thought-provoking ideas. These were beyond the anticipated improvements in landscape and biodiversity, extending to significant social change and building an international reputation for excellence in regenerative agriculture.
One outcome from the talk is that Richard is putting together an article for the group’s newsletter to seek the input of the wider membership and to find out what they want the Dales to be like in 2030.
Unlike many organisations that have recently declared a climate emergency but failed to follow it up with meaningful action, Richard is confident Friends of the Dales will develop an effective policy response. Beyond this, he believes it is possible there will be a more profound impact because of the relationship Friends of the Dales has with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/ .
