Bath Quakers convene climate hustings
A climate hustings was arranged by Friends in Bath
Over 100 people gathered at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution for a local-election hustings last month convened by Bath Quakers on the theme of climate and environment. Speakers from Bath Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, plus independents, set out their positions and took questions from what Friends described as ‘a highly engaged audience’. The event was chaired by Methodist minister Ian Souter and conceived by Bath Friend Lin Patterson.
According to the Bath Quakers, some of the prospective candidates talked about the tension between living in a heritage city and doing works on energy efficiency. This later drew a sharp response from the Bath Preservation Trust which, in the Bath Quaker News, pointed to work it had done, including ‘Warmer Bath’, a guide to improving energy efficiency of traditional homes, prepared with the Centre for Sustainable Energy. Bath Friends said: ‘There is clearly discussion to be had here.’
Many of the attenders at the event signed up to start ‘a loose citizens’ network’ with the intention of keeping ‘the future council focussed on this agenda’ and accountable.
