A CLIMATE change protester called on Swindon Borough Council to do more to recognise the 'climate change emergency'.

Speaking at the climate protests that have this week closed off parts of central Bristol, Tristan Strange urged his local council to follow the lead of the UK Parliament, France, Germany and Ireland in declaring a climate emergency and take swifter action to tackle global warming.

This sparked heated debate between Adver readers....

Angela Sindy Reid: “What do they offer for solutions? Another group of folks “citizens” to sit and discuss things, but what ideas do they actually have that will affect our planet?”

Tom Wright: “The biggest thing everyone can do is stop having babies!”

Dominique Hamblin: “Tom Wright, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The population is increasing at a larger rate than the planet can sustain, and this leads to all the problems. However that’s a truth so many people refuse to swallow.”

Alan Chippy Pellymounter: “Why don’t these people go and protest in the countries that there really is a problem like China and India? And shouldn’t they be at work? Universal credit needs to stop their benefits as they obviously aren’t spending 35 hours a week job searching, are they!”

Diana Anderson: “It’s not man-made. It’s a natural phenomenon of the earth’s cycle.”

Simon Bedwell: “Diana Anderson you are correct, but we are speeding up the cycle! I’m often around lakes, rivers etc and the amount of rubbish I see just left is a disgrace!

“We don’t need all the packaging we receive from supermarkets and retailers etc. This is adding to the massive issues! Fossil fuels have helped us develop our new way of living.

The only way to stop it is to stop the economy and other countries growing, and go back to living off the land, which isn’t a sustainable option anymore with the size of the population of the world.”

Graeme Phillips: “Maybe they should be doing this in massively polluting countries like China and India for arguments sake. We are light years ahead in pollution control in comparison to them.”

David Kearns: “These people are quick enough to shout about how the world forces their way of living on them.. Now they protest in the most disruptive and disrespectful way, and even have the nerve to do things like tell us to stop eating meat. I agree things have to be looked at and done but do not tell me how to live my life.”

Hilary Brooks: David Kearns, they’re doing it because there won’t be a future life to live for our descendants unless action is taken now. Changes have to be made urgently and that means by all of us, even if that means making some uncomfortable decisions. Cows are creating a major problem, and even as a meat eater myself, know I need to revise my diet to an extent.”

Shaun Rickie Perry: “Don’t worry they are putting up hanging baskets in the town centre soon.”

Jonny Lewis: “This earth is dying, every single person can do more...”

David King: “I don’t think anyone from Extinction Rebellion can come up with a constructive conversation or answers, just like they can’t towards Brexit.

“Most protesters don’t even know why they are there or what they are protesting about.”

Alyson Cruise: “The problem is 97 per cent of emissions which are emitted by industry, not the tiny amount each individual human is responsible for.”

Eris Crow: “These comments show why we are totally screwed and why Extinction Rebellion is necessary.”