“WE face extinction if we don’t act now to stop climate change.”

That is the message from a Winchester-born woman who fasted day and night for several weeks to draw attention to the scale of the current climate and ecological emergency.

Maria Leslie spent more than two weeks joining more than 500 people taking part in a global hunger strike. From Israel to India, Ecuador to Australia, New Zealand to the UK people have chosen to go hungry as a mark of their love for the Earth.

Ms Leslie only took plant milk and fruit juice in solidarity with these hunger strikers.

As part of her fast the 42-year-old contacted local parliamentary candidates to tell them about her mission and ask them to pledge action to halt the loss of biodiversity and to reduce greenhouse emissions to net zero by 2025. All three main party candidates responded but clear pledges were not forthcoming for action by 2025.

She said: “I was surprised by Mr Brine’s response when he said ‘the climate emergency is the real issue at this election and is bigger than Brexit and all of us’. This seems in total contrast to his shameful voting record on climate issues. Out of 13 votes on climate issues since 2010 he has only voted for the planet twice. Strangely this is not mentioned on his ‘Green Winchester’ website.”

Her actions draw attention to the millions who face hunger every day, and to highlight food vulnerability. As the world heats up billions more will be at risk of starvation from climate and ecological collapse.

“We face extinction if we don’t act now to stop climate change. Humanity is incredibly resourceful and adaptable to change.

“If governments support, enforce and encourage people to adapt to reduce carbon emissions to zero and halt biodiversity loss, we can do it,” she added.

She ended her fast after travelling by coach to Madrid with other UK protesters to join Extinction Rebellion demonstrations at the United Nations COP25 climate conference.

This meeting takes place every year and has been the setting for the negotiations of both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.