a mix of messages, mental health, maths,

and Bridport-based virtual bric-à-brac...

Green Ethics - Actions and Dilemmas

An open discussion at Bridport Town Hall, East Street
7.30pm Thursday 23rd September 2021

Thanks to everyone who came along to this; and apologies to anyone who arrived to find our Event Full sign on the door. (Neil had unrealistically hoped to come down personally to talk to anyone unable to get in, so do feel free to get in touch if you were one of them.) We had 50 people joining us in a lively discussion. Thanks also to those who donated towards our expenses. We broke even, with a tiny excess which we'll pass on to a good cause.

Over the next few weeks, Kelvin, Horatio and ourselves will be thinking over how the evening went and where we go from here.  We'll also be updating this page as we do. If you'd like to send us  your comments, positive or negative, then we'd very much value hearing from you  (contact details below).

posted by Neil and Louise

Do I social distance by going by car or reduce CO2 by taking the train? • Should I fly to see my elderly parents who are living abroad? • Am I letting down my children if I don't drive them to where they want to go? • Will I cut out meat entirely or just eat less and be selective? • Shall I speak out at my workplace or place of education because their heating system is so wasteful? • Is my being heard about the urgency for real climate action more important than obeying the law?

How do we decide how to live our lives in the face of the climate crisis? In particular, how do we navigate through the ethical choices presented to us by selecting one action over another?

If climate science is right, then we'll all need to make a lot of difficult decisions over the coming years. What should the ethical basis of those choices be? What kind of person do we want to be, especially in our relationships to the natural world and to each other?

Kelvin Clayton will be introducing an ethical framework devised by Aristotle 2000 years ago and asking whether it has a renewed relevance today in the face of the growing climate crisis. The main purpose of the evening will be a community philosophy discussion, encouraging us to think about and (if we wish) share our thoughts on green ethical questions.

Horatio Morpurgo will moderate the discussion, ensuring that it's open to a variety of different points of view.

Everyone is welcome. —You could be sceptical of climate change or a believer, consider nature to be our's to rule or that we should live in harmony with it, or just fancy trying out something new for a couple of hours. It doesn't need any special knowledge beforehand, only a willingness to examine what's being said without judging the people saying it.

Doors open at 7pm. Disabled access is available via the Tourist Office, if you contact Neil or Louise first or let us know on the night (the office itself will be closed).

Kelvin is a local Green Party Councillor (County and Bridport Town), an ex philosophy lecturer and writes a regular Green Thoughts blog.

Horatio is a journalist and author of The Paradoxal Compass: Drake's Dilemma, which combines his interests in both history and the environment.

Covid and other practicalities: There will be a limit on total numbers to ensure there is extra space for those who prefer to socially distance. It isn't possible to pre-book. Mask wearing is optional, so please do so if you wish. We will be collecting contact details on arrival if you'd like to be known to test and trace for the event (and for no other reason). Please be sensitive to each other's preferences on the night, which may differ from your own.

Toilets are available, but no refreshments (the kitchen will be closed).

For more information about the event, please get in touch with Neil or Louise via family@ IGNORETHIS @@neil@ IGNORETHIS @ramsden.co.uk (or stop us to have a chat about it).

Posted by Neil and Louise

Publicising our Green Ethics evening

A good way to share information about the Green Ethics evening with friends is to copy them a link to this page:

bricabrac.yolasite.com/#greenethics

Feel free to print the poster to help spread the word. On most browsers, you or your friends can download the poster's PDF file below by right-clicking on it. Or you may find the image file easier for social media.

gbgw_green_ethics_poster - A4.pdf gbgw_green_ethics_poster - A4.pdf
Size : 990.396 Kb
Type : pdf

The following PDF contains a page of reminder slips that can be printed and cut out.

gbgw_green_ethics_reminders - A4.pdf gbgw_green_ethics_reminders - A4.pdf
Size : 11.974 Kb
Type : pdf

Posted by Neil

The Great Big Green Week in Bridport

West Dorset Friends of the Earth and other local groups are organising events for The Great Big Green Week 18th-26th September 2021 (*). It starts with an Opening Gathering at 10.30am on Saturday the 18th September on the Millennium Green in Bridport, with stalls, music and picnicking.

As well as our own Green Ethics evening on Thursday, there are events each day organised by various local environmental groups. They include practical green suggestions from Bridport Food Matters on Tuesday, a walk for children with Bridport Tree Planting on Friday and hosted visits to Dorset Greener Homes organised by Transition Town Bridport and Dorset Climate Action Network.

You can also learn more about the Lyme Bay Marine Protected Area and there are theatre, music and crafts events and walking trails. Visit the FoE List of the Week’s Events for the latest information.

Posted by Neil