Wednesday 28th May 2008
Six events in two days more than fulfilled the aims of the Canaries in a Coal Mine Climate Change awareness raising project. The rain did not dampen spirits (even if it curtailed numbers) attending the procession on Saturday afternoon and the chanting of the primary School Children as they walked up the High Street rang out the message of recycle, re-use and review energy use loud and clear. As an expression of youngsters showing concern for their future, it was a poignant message.
Dr Simon Boxall Oceanography professor from Southampton University kick started the project with a talk about his trip to the Arctic as part of the Cape Farewell project which links Scientists and artists in an effort to change attitudes towards Climate Change. The talk proved a witty, informative and perfect introduction to the issues we would be addressing over the rest of the two days.
After the Business Forum lunch that successfully reassured business about how to tackle carbon footprint reduction, 160 students from over 10 schools performed dances based around the subject of Global Warming in the E.M. Forster Theatre. Entitled Global Storming it was a sell out and the dances, organised were performed against a backdrop of the films which had been made by students under the ironic title Ignorance is Bliss as part of the Canaries in a Coal Mine video competition. This was an enormously energetic evening which captured the mix of cooperation, fun and information which has epitomised the Canaries' project's philosophy.
Sandwiched either side of the procession on Saturday was a version of Question Time at the Medway Hall, Angel Centre and the finale, the Save the Planet concert moved for weather reasons indoors to Tonbridge School. The Question Time panellists answered a wide range of questions about the whole subject of Climate Change and the enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience were treated less to the party political point scoring than a genuine and highly informative debate about what is happening now and what needs to happen to secure a stable and bright future for the planet. The panellists, Caroline Lucas Green MEP, Peter Ainsworth Conservative MP, Alan Bullion PPC Sevenoaks for the Lib Dems, and David Frame from Oxford University, a Climatology expert were all very impressive.
The concert, headlined by the up and coming Folk, Blues, Rock artists Johnny Flynn proved an excellent, well attended finale to the Canaries weekend. 8 bands overall played for just under three hours, again against a backdrop of short films made by pupils about Global Warming. A number of Tonbridgians (including Sam Pope (SH5) who had won the song writing competition) played impressively but Johnny Flynn stole the show with the final set of original songs from his forthcoming album which draw their inspiration from as wide a range of music as Country, Bob Dylan, and traditional Blues and Folk.