Over the last month some of you may have noticed I was quieter here than usual. There was a reason. About a month ago I was asked to become 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆, with just a few weeks to help run a Town Council by-election. Last night the result came in. 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗻. For the first time a Green councillor has been elected to that council. This was absolutely a 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁, and two members of this Has2BGreen community — our 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 — played important roles in making the campaign succeed. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝘀𝟮𝗕𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 Has2BGreen exists for several reasons. Yes, we study the 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀. Yes, we try to understand the 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁. But the deeper purpose is something else: • rebuilding communities. • Locally and internationally. • Because the truth is simple: 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Understanding the big global problems matters. But meaningful change only happens when that understanding is 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Working with real people.Solving real problems.Building real systems. This campaign became a small example of that process. 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦 My role focused mainly on systems and coordination. Using my database background, I built a campaign system that combined several data sources: • the electoral register • absent voters lists • the marked register (who had voted) • Green Party membership records • canvassing data from volunteers On election day we added a sixth stream — 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. This allowed us to see, almost in real time: • who had voted • who had pledged support • who still needed a reminder Because of that system we were able to run a 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 on the final evening. Instead of volunteers wandering large areas knocking randomly, they received 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀, focusing only on supporters who had not yet voted.

Please welcome @Kaushik Sayeemohan, a self-proclaimed optimist - like myself! Is there any other way to be? I read and write about a lot of the issues facing the - and there are many and sometimes it can feel as though we are in deep trouble. But then I read about the increasing number of people taking action and the strangest thing happens - I fear that this group may become redundant. ...and then I think - what if that is the real aim of this group - to make ourselves redundant.. We help produce the people that bring about change - we are the people that bring about change - and we are so succesful this group becomes obsolete. Welcome to the group Kaushik!

We can't afford to look away anymore. As a community of people who genuinely care about our planet, I wanted to share something that's been weighing on my mind. We're all familiar with the basics... rising temperatures, melting ice caps, extreme weather. But I've been reading deeper into the science recently, and honestly? Some of it is absolutely terrifying. Not in a vague, "future generations will suffer" way. But in a "this could genuinely unravel civilisation as we know it" way. Here are five facts I've come across that explain why burying our heads in the sand is no longer an option. 1. The 5°C "Unknown Territory" We hear a lot about 1.5°C of warming, the "safe" limit everyone's fighting for. But here's what's less discussed - scientists have actually created a new risk category for warming beyond 5°C. They call it "unknown". We haven't seen temperatures like that on Earth for 20 million years. At this level, we're talking about existential threats that our current models simply cannot predict. Over 7 billion people could be exposed to lethal heat conditions. Entire ecosystems would collapse. And crucially, we don't know what we don't know. That's why they call it unknown. It's a scientific admission that things could get unimaginably bad. 2. The Domino Effect Nobody's Talking About The really unsettling bit? It's not just about individual systems failing, but rather about them taking each other down like dominoes. Scientists call them "tipping cascades" and when the Greenland ice sheet melts, it could destabilise the Atlantic currents. When those currents slow down, it could damage the Amazon rainforest. The kicker is that research shows the vast majority of these interactions are destabilising. They reinforce each other in a negative way. Once these dominoes start falling, we might not be able to stop them. 3. The Gulf Stream Could Simply... Stop You've probably heard of the Gulf Stream. That warm ocean current that keeps the UK from turning into a frozen wasteland? Its full name is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and scientists are increasingly concerned it could collapse entirely after 2100 under high-emission scenarios.

Please welcome Charan @Charankamal Singh Boparai I am inviting members of our local Green Party to take a look at my work here. Charan's reason for joining was that he is keen to increase the global capacity for change. This is the very essence of what I am attempting here. We all have voices that only we can reach. My way of wording or explaining things may not match yours, but if they do, we can share ideas and expand awareness of the issues surrounding the Climate Crisis. If not, there are other school groups that may suit you better or even one of your own. I will support anyone who helps spread the awareness and expand the conversation. (*See below) Welcome Charan! __ * One such "competing" skool group is Weather Watchers Community - David has written many things similar to my content. The wording is different, but the message is similar.

Please welcome @Ben Wills our very newest member. I have known Bne for a few years and we have managed to chat from time to time on Climate Change issues, politics and the way of the world. I feel that there have been too few conversations! Welcome Ben!