The sunshine has made a welcome return to Leyland and its environs after the wet and wild weather of recent weeks.
Elsewhere across the globe, China has just seen its worst weather conditions for 50 years. One traveller caught up in the weather chaos described the scene:
"The railway stations in Guangzhou are a scene of horror, with countless thousands of desperate and freezing people besieging them...." Read more..
In America on Tuesday some of the worst tornado clusters in US history ripped their way through 5 states killing at least 31 people in Tennessee, 13 in Arkansas, seven in Kentucky and four in Alabama.
Parts of Australia have been particularly drought-stricken over the last decade which it is believed is due to climate change. (It has also pushed the price of wine up!)
Whilst it is difficult to pin any one weather event on global warming the increasing number of extreme weather events seen around the world is in line with the predictions on climate change. And while a minority dispute the precise extent and balance of causes of the changing climate the degree of consensus on the evidence that it is happening and we need to do something is overwhelming.
The challenge is how we prepare for the full consequences and try to minimise our own impact.
Even in the arch-capitalist United States of America some influential businesses together with environmental groups last year formed the United States Climate Action Partnership to demand tough national legislation from the federal government to require significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Back in Leyland our very own Matthew Tomlinson, Labour councillor for Golden Hill Ward and County Councillor, is showing leadership by example. He has pledged to reduce his own carbon footprint by going to work less by car and using other forms of transport more such as buses, trains and bicycle.
Matthew Tomlinson in the Leyland Guardian, 16th January 2008.
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