THE reality of climate change was brought home to a Sidmouth audience who watched a film put on by the town s Vision Group.

THE reality of climate change was brought home to a Sidmouth audience who watched a film put on by the town's Vision Group.

All Saint's hall was packed to see The Age of Stupid, with Pete Postlethwaite living alone in the devastated world of 2055, watching footage from 2008 and asking: "Why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance?"

Sharon Howe reviewed the film, saying: "It took us to disappearing glaciers in the French Alps, conflict and wars over resources in the Middle East and Africa and nimbyism in our own British backyards as the reality of climate change hits home.

"It was a brutally honest film telling us that we have to 'do something' otherwise we are going to face terrible times ahead."

She said there were things that could be done and Government's designation of the South West as the UK's first low carbon economic area was a tremendous boost for the region.

She said: "This week the South-West Regional Development Authority has secured �9.5 million from the Government and �20 million from the European Regional Development Fund to build 'Wave Hub', a project to create the world's largest test bed for wave energy 10 miles off the South West coast."

Stephen Peacock, Director of SWRDA, was in the audience and part of a panel to put forward positive ideas for tackling climate change.

"He was enthusiastic about the future of 'renewables' and for ordinary folk doing something to keep down energy use," said Sharon.