We were beyond thrilled when Real Media came to our launch day on March 26th to make a short film about our centre. Co-founders Anna Hyde of the CEE Bill and journalist Bel Jacobs; Pete Phoenix of the Climate Emergency Centre Network and Tom Bailey, founder of groundbreaking new campaign The Jump talked about what we do and why this matters now.
"It's bringing them, showing them what's happening locally, giving them information but most of all, it's about connecting people and projects," says Hyde. "The number one recommendation of the Climate Assembly UK was for a public education campaign. Well, we haven't seen that so that's what this is. This is the way of engaging. We don't have to wait for the government. What we're doing is building community upwards as trust is disintegrating downwards."
"Everyone is welcome here," adds Bailey. "But at the same time, it's not equal responsibility. The science is clear. It's not those fighting to put food on the table who need to fix this mess. It's the high consuming communities, high consuming individuals who need to act furthest and fastest."
"The climate is in an emergency and there's no option to say, 'Well, that was a bit a difficult. Let's step back.' So we're going to keep going," says Jacobs.
Real Media are a cooperative of journalists dedicated to public interest journalism. They platform and investigate voices and stories that may be less examined by large media organisations but which matter most of all in the dangerous times that we're living in.
Watch more of Real Media's extraordinary work here.