AT the time COP29 was concluding, the Welsh Valleys had unprecedented floods - exacerbated by the climate crisis, which in turn is the result of fossil fuel use.

Whilst some petro-states, including the host country, connived to continue to produce the very substances which are destroying our health and our climate, the people in South Wales suffered a direct result of their machinations.

So, what’s the point? As a seasoned attender at these COPs stated: “(It) is like a mirror that we hold up each year to ourselves to say, how well are we doing? And if the image we see in the mirror is ugly, it doesn’t do a lot of good to blame the mirror. The fault is not in the stars, dear Brutus; it’s in us.”

What are the majority of us who feel helpless, hopeless and without direction to do whilst the global leaders fail to reflect the views of the populations they claim to represent?

First and foremost: Don’t despair! To give up is to give in. To bury one’s head is to be complicit with those who seek to destroy. To do nothing is - well - to do nothing.

Talk with friends and family about what bothers you, what weighs heavy and threatens to drag you down. If you feel or find yourself on your own, then join with others who have the same concerns.

Do something. This may be changes at home, in your local community or wider still - but the moment you start to do something that makes a difference, you will feel a load lift off.

Get out in nature. It doesn’t matter whether it is dog walking, rockpooling, moth counting, bird surveying, tree planting, litter- picking - again, just do something outdoors. It will improve your mental (and physical) health.

Join a group. We are a social species. To share is strengthening. You are stronger than you know, especially in a group.

Might I suggest joining Climate Action St Austell (CASA) - www.climateactionstaustell.org - or Three Bays Wildlife – www.threebayswildlife.co.uk

But, no matter how you feel, do something!

Article from Climate Action St Austell (CASA)