The evening of Thursday 30 April saw upwards of 50 concerned citizens in the Rye Community Centre. They had gathered for a screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing which is a 50-minute film designed for communities to watch together and discuss. Hosted by Chris Packham and interspersed with discussions with both members of the public and celebrities, it outlines the potential impact of climate change under a number of different headings and it made for very sober viewing.
The film uses clips from a November 2025 briefing for MPs in which experts from various scientific disciplines made it clear what is in store for the UK if we do not act quickly to reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The full versions of these presentations are available on YouTube here, but the film offers a digestible summary for the public and is being screened around the country.
Some of the information I managed to record is presented below, but this is merely a fraction of the content and the film is a must-watch for anyone who is concerned or even still sceptical about climate change:
Extreme weather
We are currently experiencing the least extreme weather any of us will see. The rate of change is faster than expected and, by 2050, 25% of homes will be at risk of flooding.
A rise of between three and five degrees centigrade would see a complete collapse of worldwide weather systems.
Tipping Points
This was perhaps one of the most alarming sections, as there is no return once a tipping point has been reached. The impact of changes to the Gulf Stream, which gives us our temperate climate, could see the UK becoming uninhabitable with months of freeze followed by shorter, hotter summers. It would be impossible to grow crops in this scenario.
Impact
There is a risk to food security with only a 1.5% rise to global temperatures, including an increased chance of failure of cereal harvests. There is the possibility of civil unrest when food becomes scarce. A move away from animal farming and consumption of meat would provide a healthier diet and release land equal to the area of Scotland for the growing of plant-based food.
Health
In a scenario in which there is no longer a functioning economy, there is no health system. Hotter temperatures see the increase of many health conditions and associated deaths.
Security
The speaker for this section represented the military, and it was significant that this arm of the state is now factoring climate change into its planning. Climate shocks fuel political instability and the impact of this will be felt in the UK as well as globally. Multiple crises occurring at the same time are impossible to manage.
Nature
Nature must be seen as a critical infrastructure. It underpins our very existence, but systems are breaking down. The UK is in the bottom 10% for biodiversity.
Fixing it
The picture presented by this film is undeniably bleak and shocking, but it is essential to understand that it is not too late to prevent the most extreme scenarios occurring. The final section pointed out that the cost of de-carbonising is becoming cheaper all the time. Both wind and solar power are already significantly cheaper than had been predicted and are more efficient than fossil fuel generated energy. Ordinary citizens such as ourselves are urged to participate in discussions and debates about what could and should be done.
This film showing was well-organised and provided opportunities for the audience to talk about their response to the film. When asked for a show of hands to indicate their willingness to act in some way, including putting pressure on politicians to treat this issue as a national emergency – one of the central aims of the film – almost everyone raised a hand.
And that is why I left the venue shocked and concerned, but not completely depressed. It is not too late to save the future of human life as we know it on this planet, and I, for one, will be writing to my MP very soon to put the case for immediate and significant action, including an emergency national broadcast. The argument was that, if Covid was serious enough to provoke such action, the climate emergency is surely even more so.
There will be a follow-on meeting with further opportunities for discussion and planning a response on 28 May at 7pm, also at Rye Community Centre
Watch the trailer for the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tLUnWHkGG4
Search for local screenings: https://www.nebriefing.org/screening-map
Check if your MP signed the Parliamentary call for a televised national broadcast and read the statement: https://www.nebriefing.org/parliamentary-call
Image Credits: Rawpixel https://www.rawpixel.com/image/440232/the-planet-earth CC https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/.