Dear Mr Paterson,
I am writing to you in your capacity as Secretary of State for the Environment and in my capacity as Chair of Kent Green Party.
Maidstone, in Kent, was particularly badly hit by the Christmas flooding as I'm sure you are aware. I am therefore deeply concerned that the Environment Agency is set to lose 1,700 jobs this year, that the improvements in flood defences along the River Medway have not been provided and that you do not take the matter of climate change seriously.
As climate change is making the likelihood and intensity of winter storms and flooding more likely, I urge you to take immediate and drastic action to prevent a repeat of the misery that local people have suffered. Actions that are urgently required are
- action to curb the country's greenhouse gas emissions plus international leadership to encourage other countries to do same
- investment in the Environment Agency rather than cuts
- investment in flood defences, including natural defences such as the use of new woodland
Yours sincerely
Stuart Jeffery
Chair, Kent Green Party
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