A ‘massive investment programme’ is needed to ensure we’re equipped for the summers to come, an Isle of Wight councillor has said after last month’s soaring temperatures.
Cllr Vix Lowthion of the Green Party called for politicians to look at the water supply, including public ownership and more reservoirs, as well as bans on disposable barbecues, more electric vehicles and air conditioned buildings.
The Carisbrooke and Gunville representative spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) after her party conducted a survey on the June heatwave, with over 85 per cent of respondents agreeing the hot weather had impacted on their life.
More than 62 per cent said it cost them money and the most common reported impacts were dehydration and difficulty sleeping.
On June 24, the Isle of Wight Met Service reported highs of 39.3 degrees Celsius in Northwood as the hottest on the Island as well as recordings above 38 degrees in Carisbrooke, Newport, East Cowes and Cowes.
Cllr Lowthion said the survey results make ‘sobering reading’ and pointed to the ‘desperate and anxious’ voices of ordinary Islanders who she added need greater support to cope with the ‘alarming’ conditions.
She said the research, carried out throughout July, is not about ‘just doing this to get support’ or having more Green councillors elected but rather a listening exercise to find out whether the heatwave is ‘as serious as we think it is’.
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Among residents’ comments were anecdotes about being taken to St Mary’s Hospital due to heatstroke, businesses losing trade and an ambulance service employee’s work struggles over uniform, sleep and ‘constant physical work’.
With many families staying home to keep cool and look after pets, one cafe reported taking just £8 on one day of the heatwave.
Asked why the Greens’ levels of support on the Island are not higher with climate change’s effects being widely felt, Cllr Lowthion said every time there is an election on the Isle of Wight the party ‘does better each time’ and the most recent council elections preceded June’s heatwave.
She said progress was ‘incremental’ and added that there are clearly other issues being faced aside from those on the environment which factor into how people vote.
At the end of their survey report, the Green Party urges people to put pressure on their MP and councillors.
On what actions she would like politicians to take in response to heatwaves, Cllr Lowthion said: “Not drilling for more oil, reducing carbon emissions, making sure we’re leading the world in that. Currently we’re not.
“More electric vehicles, less reliance on fossil fuels – we see that with the situation in Iran. All these things are interconnected with what we’re dealing with here.”
Cllr Lowthion, a secondary school teacher, also highlighted equipping buildings for rising temperatures with air conditioning.
“You go into a supermarket, it’s beautifully air conditioned, you go into a school and you really struggle,” she said.
“The message that sends is that supermarkets are more important than schools, more important than hospitals and it’s wrong.
“You need a massive investment programme to make sure we’re equipped for, clearly, the summers we’re going to be having from now on.”
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