LAST Saturday's event orchestrated by Extinction Rebellion in the traffic-free environment of East Street showed the way forward for grass roots elements of our society to demonstrate what can be done in our communities to shape the future in the post pandemic world ahead of us.
READ MORE: Extinction Rebellion event prompts ideas for post-Covid world
With the emphasis on cleaner air to breath with more pedestrianisation of our town centre, better cycle routes and encouragement of cycling, fresh garden produce, and home grown plants, with minimal food miles, freely given, opportunities for people to express their views without fear of ridicule or rancour, and a chance to discuss and think about how we would like our communities and town centres to develop wholesomely in the months and years ahead, this event, in itself, came as a breath of fresh air, an example of how people can demonstrate by example and imagination how things could easily be different.
There was no samba band this time, no noisy protest march, no disruption to traffic officialdom or community.
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There may still be a time and a place for all that, but here it seems Extinction Rebellion is maturing locally into a more community-based organisation, linking with similar minded groups, with a broad social conscience, and a willingness to act to show how we all might move towards a better future.
Of course climate change and the ecological crisis are still looming, whatever the deniers and those too busy or self-absorbed may say, and our government seems reluctant yet to really grasp the nettle, but events like that on last Saturday may eventually prove that from small seeds mighty oaks may grow.
The people who put their care time and effort into running this event, particularly in these difficult days, deserve our fullest appreciation.
DAVID HINCKS
Firepool
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