Anyone driving through Melksham Market Place might be wondering what the scaffolding is for on the central roundabout.
It’s a giant cube with a big message about the environment and the amount of CO2 we all generate.
The ‘Monument to CO2’ is the idea of local environmental campaigner, Michael Saunders.
“The cube measures 27-foot square – the size of one ton of CO2,” says Michael. “Each year, the average person in the UK – their ‘carbon footprint’ – generates 12 tons of CO2; that’s 12 times the size of the Market Place Cube!
“I have had this idea in mind for more than a couple of years, to try and graphically show how much CO2 we are each contributing to climate change. The idea of the cube was to give people an idea of just how much one ton of CO2 is and how we are all contributing to climate change.
“With record breaking temperatures, colossal fires, increasing droughts, food crops failing, and our sea levels rising, we are all very much aware of how we are destroying our tiny planet’s environment.
“Our incessant creation of CO2 has enclosed and trapped us all inside a super insulating blanket, stopping the sun’s heat, coupled with the heat we produce ourselves, from escaping into space.
“Each of us has a carbon footprint which is our average individual share of the CO2 we produce each year, and this is now more than 12 times the size of the cube for every one of us in the UK!
“So, every one of us is generating this amount on CO2 every month.”
This is the first of many exhibits for Melksham ClimateFest which was planned for this Saturday but has been re-arranged for Sunday 2nd October.
“All credit for providing and constructing the cube must go to Alex and Vinnie and their brilliant team at the Melksham Scaffolding company, who had no hesitation in giving up their time to help, and to Miriam at Melksham Town Council who arranged all of the relevant permissions from WIltshire Council.”
After being asked by Melksham Town Council to join, Michael is a member of the council’s environment and climate working group, to assist with climate and environmental advice.
