THE former editor of The Guardian newspaper was at Rose Hill Community on Wednesday to encourage people to take a stand on climate change.

Alan Rusbridger who served at the paper for twenty years gave a talk to some ninety residents at Rose Hill Community Centre at 8pm.

The ex-editor-in-chief who is now principal at Oxford University’s Lady Margaret Hall talked to residents about the importance of campaigning in journalism.

Organiser Eleanor Watts at Rose Hill and Iffley Low Carbon said of the event: “We were honoured to have Alan Rusbridger speak in Rose Hill.

“It has inspired us to campaign in our own walks of life for a low carbon society.”

Explaining the “keep it in the ground” campaign she said Mr Rusbridger was “appalled by the media’s failure to report the enormity of the threats posed by climate change”.

She said: “Instead of reporting instant news, he decided to make in-depth analyses of the slow-moving, but devastating consequences of burning fossil fuels.

“All climate scientists agree that there will be catastrophic consequences for humankind if global temperatures rise by more than 2 degrees.

“Yet we will surpass that figure if we burn even one fifth of the fossil fuel in our reserves. Hence the slogan, ‘Keep it in the Ground’.”

The talk was followed a talk by guest speaker Andy Edwards of Project Eric who updated guests on the “renewable revolution” taking place at the estate.