大象传媒 Radio Devon's year-long Planet Devon campaign was officially launched on 14 February 2007 - with a stark warning over what will happen if we don't act now to minimise climate change. Representatives from conservation groups, the farming community, and Devon's local councils attended the launch at Darts Farm in East Devon. During the campaign, 大象传媒 Radio Devon and the 大象传媒 Devon website will be looking in depth at 12 different environmental issues facing the county - one each month. Topics include Devon's wildlife, carbon emissions and food miles. The launch coincides with a campaign by Devon County Council to make the county the greenest in the country. And Dartmoor National Park Authority is developing an action plan, to ensure the moor's long-term future.
 | | Could Exeter soon have Med temperatures? |
At the launch of Planet Devon, there was wide agreement that the biggest challenge facing us all is climate change. A lot of damage has already been done, with high carbon emission levels in the past 40 years. And measures taken now to reduce the emissions won't take effect for another 30 to 40 years. Devon County Council's climate change officer, Ian Bateman, says that failure to take action now would be catastrophic. Mr Bateman says climate change has begun, with warmer average temperatures already evident in Devon. And those temperatures will increase significantly unless we reduce carbon emissions. "If we do nothing, Devon will have a temperature rise of 4-5潞C. That would put us somewhere in the middle of Portugal by the end of this century. So Exeter would be like Lisbon.
 | | 'We must act now' - Ian Bateman |
"The new Med would be from Penzance to Gdansk. And then you wonder what's going to happen to places further south. The deserts will spread out." Another scenario will see Greenland melting, with a massive rise in sea levels which would see the loss of some coastal areas. Devon would be hit, including the internationally-important sand dunes at Braunton Burrows. Mr Bateman says we can all do our bit to minimise global warming: "We can make a difference if we start now. "We will still have some climate change, but we could modify it. That's why we need to act today. "We need to look at our household consumption of power; at transportation; and at food miles - or general consumption miles as I prefer to look at it.
 | | Places like Braunton Burrows could be flooded |
"It's about togetherness - together, we can tackle this. We can't solve it, but we can tackle it." The county council is to send out an energy conservation guide to homes, with tips on how people can contribute towards helping the environment. The leader of Devon County Council, Cllr Brian Greenslade, said: "The Planet Devon campaign fits in with what the county council is doing to make Devon the greenest county. "Energy conservation is a simple thing that people can do, and it's economical as well as environmental. An awful lot of people want to do something." Devon's farmers are already adapting to the changing times. Devon is the top county in the UK when it comes to the number of organic food producers. The changing weather is having an impact. The regional director of the National Farmers Union, Mel Hall, told 大象传媒 Devon: "Farmers in the region are witnessing changes in the weather patterns and it has an impact on grazing and sowing. "The NFU is responding to climate change. We are changing to bio-fuels - an alternative source of heat and power." Food miles is another issue which the NFU is seeking to tackle. That would mean supermarkets selling more local produce, and consumers opting to buy food that is in season. These are just some of the topics which are being raised as part of Planet Devon. If you want to take part in the Planet Devon campaign, you can make a pledge to do something 'green' and receive an online printable certificate - see the link on this page. | 
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