A COMMUNITY activist from Dumbarton has issued a public appeal for support from other residents as she looks to set up a climate action group in the town.

Rose Harvie says she wants to see Dumbarton follow in the footsteps of two groups recently set up in neighbouring Argyll and Bute – one of them in nearby Cardross.

Mrs Harvie also cited a recent report by the scientists and journalists who make up the Climate Central research group, which suggested that much of Dumbarton and the Vale could be submerged by 2050 because of rising sea levels if nothing is done to tackle the growing climate emergency.

Mrs Harvie said: “With climate change at the forefront of most political parties agendas, and the threats to wildlife, and destruction of both human and animal habitats world wide, as a result of human activity, I am asking readers if anyone would be interested in forming a Dumbarton Climate Action Group?

“Cardross Climate Action Network, and Time for Change Argyll, have both been set up recently; the objective is to inform people of the risks world-wide of increased global temperature of over 3 degrees, and to plan how we might both mitigate against, and adapt to, climate change.

“I am nearly 80 years old, and I don’t want my five grandchildren to look back and say ‘Granny knew what to do, but she didn’t do it.’

“There are many things that we can do; reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, help save threatened habitats such as forests, and safeguard endangered species, by small but important changes to our lifestyles.

“We should all be aware that in November this year, pandemic allowing, Glasgow will host COP26, an international conference of world-wide importance, to tackle the problem of climate change. And a recently published map shows most of the River Leven and Clyde submerged by the year 2050 if no stringent action is taken to reduce the risks of climate change. We will have our own climate change problems, but we must also think of the rest of the natural world.”

Anyone interested in helping set up a Dumbarton group can contact Mrs Harvie on 01389 762816 or 07806 953787.