While the Climate Action targets are agreed and applied by Central and Local Government, Public Bodies Action alone will not meet the country's commitment. The actions that we as a nation must take to reduce the extent and impact of climate change requires every individual to make changes and this will only happen when people feel that it is the right thing for them to do.

As a society we have always listened to the experience of those who have lived through times of change and learned what we should do from them. Climate Change is no different and the experiences of the contributors here are an invaluable and personal reflection on what has already happened in our County and gives the reader a sense of what might change in the future.

When it comes to discussing climate change, older people have an advantage: they have watched it happen and have experienced its impacts. This book has presented individual experiences of the changes that have already occurred in Cork over the last 50-60 years. The one degree rise in annual average temperatures in Cork has occurred in the lifetime of the contributors. True stories are often easier to comprehend than science and statistics and in collating this book, we aim to give these stories a voice to bring the emotional aspects of climate change into focus.

We wish to thank all of the contributors who wrote to us with their 'Stories of Climate Change' throughout the County and also to Youghal's "Cumann na Daoine's Spring Chickens Older Adults Club" and "Youghal Active Retirement Association" who held outdoor workshops.

We hope that it will make the reader think and start making the changes that we all need to make to protect our future.