This week the Mayor of London published a climate change adaptation strategy focusing on what the capital city can and needs to do to save water and reduce carbon emissions. As the capital it’s not surprising that London and its inhabitants do things on a bigger scale than the rest of the county, but some of the stats are quite startling: Londoners use more water than people in the rest of the UK, and the city’s centre can be nearly one tenth warmer than the surrounding countryside. Does the warmth of the area have a connection to the greater use of water? Why does the rest of the population use less water?

Actress Jane Horrocks, originally from Lancashire and now living in west London, is supporting the Mayor’s request to get Londoners talking abut how best to tackle the effects of climate change. She says:

“Invest in a washing line or a whirligig and peg your washing outside inside of putting it in the tumble dryer. We've also got a water butt in the garden to collect rainwater for watering the plants and all the bits of pond life it collects fascinates the kids.”

Maybe all Londoners need is a northerner to show them the way…!