DOZENS of climate activists from Devon were in London at the government’s Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Among those taking part were the Teignbridge-based Green Spirits group from Dartmoor.

They were there to protest against the licences recently granted for new oil and gas explorations, proposals to re-start fracking, and the watering down of environmental regulations.

To the sound of birdsong, they highlighted the drastic decline in British bird species between 1970 and 1999, such as garden favourites the starling ( down 71 per cent), the tree sparrow (down 95 per cent) and bullfinch (down 52 per cent) (1,2,3).

They explained the clear link to the climate emergency and the lack of urgent government action.

Devon resident, Erica Lewis said: ‘Biodiversity has declined alarmingly in half a century: over  25,000 species, almost a third of those known, are in danger of dying out. Climate change is accelerating the sixth extinction and the continued burning of fossil fuels is largely responsible.’’

The Green Spirits made a sombre appearance, signifying the grief  and loss felt by so many ordinary people.

Local activist, Lu Overy, said: ‘We will keep making our voices heard until our government adopts a much better strategy to transition carefully to a green economy, based not on destructive unlimited growth but on people’s welfare, green jobs  and the urgent  necessity to stop further breakdown of climate and biodiversity.’’

The protestors then joined  thousands of others in Downing Street taking the message of No New Oil directly to the Prime Minister.