No laughing matter

Sad to receive the following from Lesley Watkinson – who is the Clerk to Claverton Parish Council – but happy to give the contents of this email full publicity.

Lesley writes:

“The Parish Council of Claverton is deeply concerned about the latest abuse of nitrous oxide (N₂O) that took place on the private island field by Warleigh Weir, which lies within our Parish boundaries, on Sunday, 21^st April. 

During the gathering, individuals engaged in the dangerous use of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, breaking the law (it is illegal to use this Class C drug) and disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of our cherished natural environment.

The increasing illegal use of nitrous oxide by Warleigh Weir as a drug, not only poses a significant risk to the health and safety of individuals involved, but is a potent greenhouse gas and a very serious threat to the environment.

Molecule for molecule, N₂O is about 300 times as potent as carbon dioxide at heating the atmosphere. And like CO₂, it is long-lived, spending an average of 114 years in the sky before disintegrating. It also depletes the ozone layer.’ (BBC, Future Planet, 4^th June 2021).

The empty canisters, left after Sunday’s incident released the equivalent of almost a tonne of CO₂ which, based on past evidence, will lead to the gatherings at Warleigh Weir being one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases in the parish. 

The Parish Council strongly condemns such reckless behaviour, and damage to the environment, and calls on the competent authorities to take decisive action to prevent its recurrence.

As stewards of our community, we remind visitors of the importance of respecting our natural surroundings and the wellbeing of all members of our community, and the important goal of minimising global warming. 

We urge anyone with information about this incident or similar activities to come forward and assist in our efforts to uphold the values of safety and responsibility within our Parish.

The Parish Council will be working closely with local law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities to address this issue.

Together, we can preserve the beauty and tranquillity of our Parish for generations to come.”

Thank you Lesley.