Only started

The march is all over bar the shouting. We are in London, we have done more than 1,000 miles and we are ready to finish. The hecticness of the final few days means that this 80th blog will be my last of our 80 day protest.

I hope you have enjoyed what has been written. Climate change is not a complicated issue, but our society's dependence on fossil fuels means there has always been something to write about.

I'm sure the question the marchers will now be asked is: 'Was it worth it?'

We can never know all the effects of our campaigning actions. The world is too complex for that. But the threat of climate change is so great we can't not campaign.

However, this march will have been a failure if it has not inspired more people to campaign. The science is saying we are almost on the brink of runaway climate change. We have to act now. But we also have to continue campaigning year-after-year; no one protest, postcard or direct action can ever be enough.

Please join the World Development Movement so you can campaign with them on climate change and other issues of global justice, now and into the future:
www.wdm.org.uk/join

Join now - it's a better time than any other.

"We shall not give up the fight, we have only started."

Final awards

At the start of this march and blog I said I would report on certain things along the route. Below are the final awards categories mentioned at the start:

Best local beers:
A difficult choice between 'Saltaire Blonde' of the Shipley Brewery in Bradford, and 'Hoplite' of Hogsback Brewery in Salisbury. My head says Hoplite but my Yorkshire heart says Saltaire.

An honorable mention to the Wye Valley Brewery which provided us with many a fine pint through Herefordshire, Wales and Gloucestershire.

Highest number of 4x4s:
There has been a personal plee from one of my hosts for Farnham to get this award. Northallerton was also mentioned earlier in the blog. But honesty must report that the site of huge numbers of 4x4s travelling to and from Richmond park in London has to win both for the number and the complete pointlessness of massive vehicles in a crammed city.

Friendliest town:
We have received brilliant welcomes from local supporters everwhere we have gone, along with amazing food and shelter. The welcome from passers-by has differred though. Newcastle, Bradford and Wales are places the marchers would mention as the most welcoming. But I think a straw pole would reveal that Bradford just wins...

Messiest roadkill:
The hedgehogs, rabbits and pheasants all blend into one in the memory. The largest roadkill was a deer north of Northallerton. But the messiest was definitely a badger as we entered Wales. It was so well decapitated, Rachel mistook it for a dog. The smell stayed with us for hours.

Home

With great relief and excitement we arrived in London over the weekend. Whilst we still have the final miles through central London to complete, I am now able to sleep in my own bed for the first time in two-and-a-half months. What joy.

Arriving in Battersea we were met by the usual fantastic Christian Aid supporters and their cakes. I'd also like to give a personal thank you to members of the South-West London World Development Movement group who came along to Battersea as well.

In fact, I'd like to tank all the local World Development Movement campaigning groups who have joined us on the march: Ayshire, Edinburgh and the Lothians, York, Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Derby, Cardiff, Swansea, Bristol, Poole, Woking, Richmond and Kingston and South-West London.

You can find your local WDM campaigning group at:
www.wdm.org.uk/groups/contacts/

Open our eyes

As we marched into Working on Friday, a signpost by the road indicated that there have been 188 road deaths in Surrey in the last three years. 188. In Surrey alone.

Road deaths are another indication of why a world less dependent on the motor car will be better for reasons other than tackling climate change.

But a statistic about the deaths of real people also makes us question what is considered news in this country. Every life is valuable whether it is part of a statistic which says at least 150,000 people die from the effects of climate change each year; 60 people a year die on Surrey's roads; or one person dies in a horrific incident.

But our media can promote one unusual death ahead of many which are seen as usual. In the UK, deaths on UK roads, or death from climate or economic inequality around the world, are seen as normal and not worthy of the news. We have to see beyond what the media regard as news to have our eyes opened on what is really happening.

Distance covered so far: 995 miles

Do they all support us number 21

In Farnham on Thursday night I got to speak alongside Jeremy Hunt, local Conservative MP and member of the Shadow Cabinet.

First of all we challenged Jeremy on the need for more than an 80 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050, rather than the government's target of 60 per cent.

Jeremy responded that the most important thing is for annual targets on the government to ensure emissions are reduced every year. He is of course right that there has to be annual accountability to ensure we are on track to meet long-term targets. A 60 per cent reduction means less than a 3 per cent cut every year, whilst more than 80 per cent means cuts of 4-5 per cent every year.

So I challenged Jeremy to commit to annual cuts of 5 per cent every year, something he was unwilling to do, saying the Conservative party has yet to agree its policy. He had phoned Peter Ainsworth, the Conservative Environment spokesperson, before our meeting who said that "the science is compelling" on the need for 80 per cent cuts by 2050 / 5 per cent cuts every year.

Jeremy Hunt was similarly unwilling to commit himself on the need to include aviation within the climate bill until the Conservative party do.

Jeremy's final words were ones I would agree with:

"This town could be so much nicer if we could return it to being friendly for people on foot. I hope people will look back on this period and ask 'how could they live like this?'".

To some extent the local people of Farnham already recognised that a low carbon world can be a better world. Local primary schools have a walking bus where kids walk to school as a group accompanied by two parents taking their turn. It obviously reduces carbon emissions, builds community and tackles obesity. So many little changes needed to make our world a better place.

Distance covered so far: 979 miles

Local ale

I enjoyed a local beer of a different sort in Farnham on Thursday night. The ale itself was from Kent, so a long way from Surrey. But I was taken there by my host Rob, and was made to feel fully part of a local group of drinkers at the pub. Thanks to all - local is about a lot more than where something is produced.

Hard conversations

As we enter the last few days of walking we are fitter than ever. The emotional tiredness feels less as we all look forward to heading towards our various homes. But the hardest part of the march now is answering questions.

The hard questions are not: "What would a fair international agreement for emissions reductions be?" but: "How are your feet?, "Have you walked all the way?" and "What will you do after you finish". There are only so many times you can answer "fine", "almost all of it" and "go back to work".

The one marcher who does not have to tackle such questions is Portuguese speaker Geanis from Brazil. She has had the much harder challenge of marching for two-and-a-half months with a group of people who have been unable to communicate in Portuguese. I think Geanis has been the bravest person on our march.

Geanis has been here because her community have been directly affected by climate change, but not in the way you would think.

Geanis comes from an African-Brazilian agricultural community. They have been removed from 9,000 hectares of land by a European multinational company which is growing eucalyptus. As well as taking land from local people the eucalyptus monoculture takes huge quantities of water away as well.

The eucalyptus plantation is funded by carbon credits, the system where Europeans avoid reducing their emissions by paying for 'emission reductions' in impoverished countries. In this case the planting of eucalyptus.

Geanis told her story again in New Arlesford in Hampshire on Wednesday. Join in the conversation with her and tell your MP to get carbon credits out of the climate bill.

Distance covered so far: 956 miles

Solar heating

My hosts on our final rest day in Eastleigh, Alain and Mary, have solar water heating installed in their home. I enjoyed a carbon free shower which felt a lot cleaner than a normal one. Alain and Mary have not had to use their gas boiler since March.

Has paying for solar water heating saved Alain and Mary more money than investing the money in a savings account? - No. Has it cut carbon emissions, reduced dependence on imported gas and stopped some money flowing to Russian oligarchs to spend on detroying Enlglish football? - Yes.

As a government, if your main interest were short-term economic growth, you would not promote solar water heating. However, if you were bothered about reducing carbon emissions and the UK's dependence on Russian gas, you would subsidise solar water heating on a big scale. I know which I would vote for.

Now is the time to act

We are now in the final stretch of the march - just a week to go until we will finish in London.

In Monday night's meeting in Eastleigh, Elisee, our marcher from Burkina Faso, once again articulated the reason why we are all marching.

In recent weeks Burkina Faso has been affected by the floods seen in many parts of Africa. The heavy rains are an unusual event which tie in with the predictions of what will happen with climate change; warmer air means that when the rain comes, there will be more of it all at once.

Elisee works with farmers in Burkina Faso to try and make their livelihoods more secure. But climate change is destroying that security. Elisee told the people of Eastleigh that one million people have been displaced by the floods, and farmers have seen their entire crop for the year wiped out. Elisee finished:

"Climate change is already here and many people are suffering. This phenomenon will continue unless rich countries are willing to reduce their carbon emissions ... We do not have any more time."

Distance covered so far: 940 miles

Do they all support us number 20

In the spirit of openness I should report that Chris Huhne MP (Lib Dem) popped into the start of our evening event in Eastleight. I'm afraid I was still in a local hostelry sampling a Ringwood beer from the local brewery at the time. Chris Huhne is Environment spokesman for the Lib Dems, and we believe he has signed-up to most of our demands for the improvements needed in the climate bill.

Direct action fungi

Trevor, our guide through the New Forest, knows a lot about fungi. I found this out by talking to Trevor about my closest friends over the past two months; the fungi growing on my feet.

Trevor claims that fungi are amazing organisms. They have even been found to grow in the kerosene tanks of aeorplanes, blocking up engines and stopping planes from taking off. That's my kind of fungus.

Trevor, as a man who works for the Forestry Commission, also knows a lot about trees. He took us past a fabulous 600-year old oak in the forest known as the Knightwood Oak. However, the Forestry Commission has found in recent years that English Oaks are struggling in the south of England as the climate changes. The warmer summers are not suitable for the English Oak, and it is doubtful whether oaks which are young now will be able to survive into their 100s.

Distance covered so far: 924 miles

Government cut the carbon

We marched into Bournemouth on Saturday, a day ahead of the Labour party. Whilst we were joined by local campaigners, a middle-aged gentleman accosted me with the most bizarre conversation I have had on the march yet.

Man: "You should be getting the government to cut the carbon emissions."
Tim: "We are. We've been marching 1,000 miles this summer on a protest march to get the government to cut the UK's carbon emissions. That's why we are in Bournemouth this weekend."
Man: "You should be asking them why they are not building more windfarms."
Tim: "We are, along with all the other things needed to tackle climate change."
Man: "But what you need to do is get the government to cut carbon emissions and ask them why they are not building more windfarms."

I don't know whether he understood what we were doing. Or just thought that building windfarms is all we need to do to tackle climate change.

I hope he was doing what he thought we should be doing.

Distance covered so far: 910 miles
Seas seen: 3 (Irish, North and English Channel)

Public emissions

As we marched into Wimbourne we were greeted by school children and locals at Queen Elizabeth School. The Headmaster told us the school is responsible for 3 per cent of carbon emissions in Dorset - a huge amount - although a new, much smaller emitting building, is being built to replace it.

In one event earlier on the march all the attendees were asked to pledge to “use my fair share of the Earth’s resources”. I did not feel able to make the pledge.

In terms of stopping the worst effects of climate change, using my fair share would mean emitting less than 1 tonne of carbon dioxide a year. In the UK we emit 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person.

I know I will not emit less than 1 tonne of carbon dioxide this year or next. Any time I use electricity it is from a national grid which gets more of its electricity from fossil fuels. I live in a rented home which has gas heating, and needs it. And, like Queen Elizabeth School, government and company services and infrastructure on which we depend lie outside my immediate control.

Tackling climate change requires us to act as a society. It is not possible to tackle as individuals.

Distance covered so far: 894 miles

Do they all support us number 19

Bob Walter (Conservative) met us as we arrived in Blandford Forum and had his photo taken with us. After his words of support I asked him if this went as far as to voting for at least an 80 per cent cut in the climate bill. Bob gave the cryptic answer "I hope so". Sounds good - I hope so too.

I then asked him about including aviation. At first he responded that aviation is an international problem. I explained there are clear ways to assign UK emissions, after which Bob said he supported the need for aviation to be included in the bill.

If Bob is true to his word, that's a vote for making the climate bill stronger when it gets to the House of Commons.

Distance covered so far: 884 miles

Denial to despair

On our march I have had two conversations with climate change deniers. One was by Torness nuclear power station. The second was on Wednesday somewhere between Warminster and Shaftsbury.

In my experience before the march, those who are sceptical about the science of climate change tend to be men over 50 years old. Obviously this is not based on any scientific experiment subjected to analysis and published in a peer reviewed journal. But the two climate change deniers I have met on the march fit the profile.

Today, a man accosted me that humans are not having any influence on the climate. I went through the science of climate change and asked him which bit he disagreed with. Is it that we have not increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? Is it that greenhouse gases do not have a warming effect?

His response was that there's no point in us doing anything because of China. So, he now accepted climate change.

I pointed out that we emit 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person, and China emits less than 4. If we do not reduce our emissions, how can we expect China to?

He responded that it's all too late to do anything about it.

In the space of ten minutes our conversation went from denial, to blaming someone else, to saying it is too late.

The opposition to action on climate change is not based on logic. It is the perceived threat of what action to tackle climate change would mean.

Distance covered so far: 869 miles

Direct action dog

I had to reasses my view of dogs on our march from Warminster to Shaftsbury. Along one stretch of road a dog joined us for a while. It then proceeded to sit down in front of approaching traffic.

If all dogs took such direct action, I think I could grow to like them.

Limo humvee

The short journey from Trowbridge to Warminster on Tuesday was notable for one thing. A Limo Humvee parked in a drive. The biggest symbol of the ridiculous excess of our scoiety we have seen on the march.

Distance covered so far: 851 miles

Update (from Pete, the WDM web officer):

We did have one comment to this post which was just a signpost to a Limo Humvee hire site! - since I've just discovered that this entry features quite high up in google when you search for "Limo Humvee" (try it!, I haven't tried "Limo Hummer" yet)- quite amusing since as you say, Humvees demonstrate perfectly the most selfish, stupid and excessive wastage of our society! - hopefully someone searching for Limo Humvee hire will think twice and perhaps go by bike or bus..

Privatised public space

Our route into Trowbridge on Monday took us through the Shires Shopping Centre. Passing through we tried to speak to locals about climate change.

Unfortunately, three big men were soon next to me telling us to lower our banners, and stop handing information out to people. I asked why, to which their response was "This is private property."

The Shires Shopping Centre is owned by Zurich Insurance. It is a privatised public space; it t is a social centre for the local people where many gather.

There was no shortage of advertising telling people to consume more in order to be happier. But any alternatives are banned because it is private property. If you are not telling people to consume more, you are not allowed.

Distance walked so far: 840 miles

Slavery

In Bristol there are many reminders of the city's wealth built on the slave trade, such as mansion houses overlooking the downs. In the year of the 200th anniversary of the UK act of parliament which made the transatlantic slave trade illegal, there is much discussion of the parrallels with campaigning today.

There are themes about the slave trade which African campaigners I have met claim have resonance today. Slavery was tackled because of a mass movement involving black and white, not just a few white 'celebrity campaigners'. The act of parliament banning the trade was the beginning of the end of a horrible injustice, not a great act of benevolence on the part of the British people. And the effects of the slave trade still make themselves known today in the vast inequalities which exist between communities around the world.

All these themes remain true about climate change campaigning today. Tackling it requires a mass movement of all peoples. If we limit climate change it will be the limiting of a horrendous injustice, not an act of great benevolence. And perhaps most poignantly, our emissions now will effect many future generations to come.

Distance covered so far: 813 miles

See the World Development Movement briefing: 200 years on the legacies of enslavement and abolition for more.

Do they all support us number 18

We met two more Labour MPs in Bristol, Doug Naysmith and Kerry McCarthy. Unfortunately, neither were willing to commit to any specific demands on the climate bill, despite being willing to stand in a photo with the marchers and all the locals who turned out to support us.

They did accept that the government needed to "raise its game" on climate change. Doug and Kerry also accepted that there are weaknesses in the climate bill because of the lack of annual accountability for the government, and that avitiation isn't included. Something for all Bristol residents to work on with Doug and Kerry

Tyndale

On Thursday 13 September we marched past the monument to William Tyndale south of Dursley in Gloucestershire. In the 1520s, Tyndale translated the New Testament of the Bible into early modern English against the will of the state, and had copies printed and distributed across England. The established church and state opposed common people being able to read the New Testament in English; fearful of how the radical words of Jesus would be used. Tyndale was burnt at the stake in 1536.

Before Tyndale got his translation published, Henry VIII had sought to use reformers like Tyndale in the King's quest to get a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Tyndale passed-up the chance of personal gain and insider access to the state because he believed what Henry VIII was doing was wrong and an abuse of power.

When we engage with people in power, there is always a debate as to what extent we should modify our challenge and get insider access so that we are more likely to have 'influence'. I think like Tyndale we have to remain true to the challenge we have to those in power. Success is highlighting injustice and calling for change, not getting insider access at the expense of toning down what we say.

Distance covered so far: 800 miles

Suffering number 2

Since the first few weeks of the march the walking has got a lot easier. But today it felt like we were back in Scotland. A supposed 15 mile day turned into 21 miles, with two steep climbs at the end.

There were differences. This time Rosalia from El Salvador powered us up the hills at the front. The hero was Elisee from Burkina Faso, who joined us for his first day of marching today, and powered on all the way to Dursley. As we marched up the second hill, we returned to the song which had seen us into Dunfermline eight weeks ago: "We shall not give up the fight, we have only started."

Even if we get all the improvements we need in the climate bill, that is only the start of the fight or one days walking. We also need loads of government policies to shift us to a low carbon economy. The campaiging goes on and on. We need you to join us:
www.wdm.org.uk/join

Distance covered so far: 782 miles

Do they all support us number 17

As we crossed over the Severn Bridge back into England we were met by local MP Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat). He committed himself in front of us and a TV camera to voting for at least an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050, and including aviation within those emissions.

At the end of our days walk to Dursley a second MP, David Drew (Labour) joined us. He felt that carbon trading is a nonsense and aviation should definitely be included in the bill. Unfortunately he was less supportive on the need for at least an 80 per cent target. David felt that the important thing is how we cut emissions, not the particular target.

Of course he is right that we need the government to start implementing all the measures needed to drastically reduce emissions. But given the government is setting an inadequate target, the target has to be improved as well.

Severn Barrage

Our latest rest day has been in Chepstow, watching the River Wye fall and rise with the tide. Apparently this area has the second largest tide in the world. We saw the direction of the river change within five minutes and the huge power of the incoming tide.

A Severn Barrage is being proposed to generate electricity from the tidal force of the Severn and Bristol Channel. Last night one of our hosts said he recognised the need for different ways to generate electricity, but was worried about the impacts of any barrage on the local environment.

We need to generate more electricity from non-fossil fuel sources. Whether or not we need gigantic projects like the Severn Barrage, the threat of climate change means we have to massively increase the energy we generate from the sun, wind, waves and tides.

However, any way we extract energy from the Earth may potentially be damaging. We have to use less energy so that we generate less in the first place.

Meeting up..

Hi just a quick post from the WDM office - a few of us journeyed over to Cardiff, where we met up with some local group members to cheer Tim on: Here's to the next 300 miles!

Agrofuels

One of the 'solutions' to climate change being pushed in Europe and the US are biofuels; using land to grow crops for fuel rather than food.

Our three marchers from Latin America, Geanis, Cassia and Rosalia, refuse to refer to biofuels. 'Bio' is connected with life, yet in Brazil corporations are taking over land and bringing environmental destruction in order to produce ethanol for US car drivers. Geanis, Cassia and Rosalia refer to 'agrofuels' instead.

Today I was talking to Kate from South Africa, who says that agrofuels are now being pushed in southern africa. Maize, the staple food, can be used to make ethanol for export to Europe. Around the world food prices are already rising due to biofuels, but the huge amount of land needed to produce a modest amount of food means the price will rise much further.

Kate says African governments are hoping agrofuels will grow their economies. Whilst wealthier landowners may benefit, the effect of rising food prices on a region already suffering from food insecurity caused by agricultural liberalisation and climate change is terrifying.

Unfortunately in a world where resources are alocated by price, rich people's demand for fuel will be judged as more important than the poor's need for food.

Distance covered so far: 760 miles

Dog attack

Those of you who have been following this blog for a while will know that back in July I told you I shared a fear of dogs with Mahesh from India. Some of you laughed at us. Our fears have now been justified.

Walking into Chepstow a pack of large dogs (I reckon they were wolves) charged across the road at us. Thankfully I can report none of the full-time marchers were injured. Kevin from the Christian Aid campaigns team did get his trousers ripped though.

Do they all support us number 16

As we were leaving Newport on Monday, local MP Paul Flynn came to see us off. Paul told us how in August 1981, protestors from Wales passed through Newport on their way to Greenham Common. Again it was powerful to be reminded of Britain's history of protest.

Paul told us that he supported and would vote for 80 per cent cuts and the inclusion of aviation within the climate bill. Paul has been happy to vote against the government in the past, so hopefully he will be true to his word when the crucial votes on the climate bill happen.

Is life getting better?

In Cardiff we have been treated to a lovely stay by friends of our Welsh marcher, John. I went with Dwijen to stay with a lovely couple, Daleyth and Pwt.

Daleyth seemed a wise woman. She said to us if people could be satisfied with enough we would all be better off. She spoke of how people in the past we seemed to waste less and make more use of what they had, where as we now live in a disposable society.

Generally I react against comments about the world being so much better in the past and everything being rubbish these days. But it does feel the case that lots of what our society calls improvements are nothing of the sort.

Bottled water is an invention of the marketing machines of big companies. It is far more expensive than tap water and tastes no different, yet we waste huge amounts of money and energy on it each year.

Growing our economy is the main aim of our economic policy. Similarly, companies have to continually sell more and make more profit. This means corporations have to invent things we don't really need, then market them to us until we think we need them; like bottled water. This does not make the world a better place.

Distance covered so far: 731 miles

Do they all support us number 15

Two more days on the march and two more Labour MPs; Don Touhig and Julie Morgan.

Whilst in his speech to us Don said "I congratulate you on your efforts", when we questioned him, he thought an 80 per cent cut in emissions is "not achievable". On aviation Don was more positive, saying he "probably supported" the need for aviation to be included within the bill. He'd been lobbied on this already by Nia Griffith, Labour MP for Llanelli, who was on a committee of MPs who argued that the government has to include aviation.

Julie Morgan also said: "I can't see any reason why aviation should not be included." Again, she was less supportive on 80 per cent, thinking it was too ambitious.

Of course cuts of more than 80 per cent are ambitious. But it's not a choice we have to make. The latest science says stopping the worst effects of climate change requires more than an 80 per cent cut by 2050, so that's what we have to do.

Contrails

Our time in Wales so far has been the most glorious weather of the march. In Govilon on Wednesday we stayed in a Baptist Chapel with fantastic views across the valleys.

This morning I was lying with Chira and Dwijen starring at the clear blue sky.Dwijen and Chira were once again surprised by the number of planes flying over head. Fantastic white contrails were left in their wake, which as all you knowledgable people know, also have a warming effect on our planet.

I've gained a reputation as the plane man on our march; Christian Aid staff gave me a paper plane present a couple of weeks ago.

Aviation is not a big issue because it is the greatest contributor to climate change. There are so many ways we use fossil fuels no one way is the biggest.

In the UK flying makes up 13 per cent of our contribution to climate change, and emissions from aviation are growing by around 5 per cent every year.

The reason aviation is so important in the UK is because government policy is most outrageously out of line with what is needed to tackle climate change. The government has to scrap its plans for massive expansion in flights or we will be unable to radically reduce our carbon emissions. First step is to get emissions from aviation included in the climate bill.

Distance covered so far: 703 miles

Do they all support us number 14

We travelled over the Welsh border on Wednesday, and were greeted by David Davies MP (Conservative). My Jones surname gave me enough Welshness to be the appointed speaker to the crowd who gathered to greet us.

David Davies welcomed us and said he supported the need to reduce emissions. I responded by challenging him to vote for the improvements needed in the climate bill. Unfortunately David sped off in his (small) car before we were able to find out whether he actually supported us.

Distance covered so far: 689 miles

Bangladesh

Our relaxation in Hereford over a rest day included a game of kwik-cricket in our sports hall / bedroom. Dwijen (Bangladesh), Mohamed (Kenya), Simon (Gloucestershire), Neil (Ireland) and I managed keep Pierre (Mali) awake wacking a tennis ball near his head as he tried to sleep. The influence of the British empire continues.

Dwijen works for the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies alongside coastal communities who are struggling to access fresh water. Rising sea-levels are causing salt water to invade water supplies, making them useless.

Dwijen says that they have to work harder as the impacts of climate change become worse; running to stand still. As sea levels rise and tropical storms get stronger, Bangladesh will face more flooding and destruction of water supplies. Whilst we were marching this week Dwijen said to me: "We are working to adapt to climate change, but we will fail unless rich countries cut their emissions."

The UK and EU have signed-up to keeping the increase in global temperatures due to our greenhouse gas emissions to 2degC. So far temperatures have risen by 0.8degC. Our demand to reduce emissions by more than 80 per cent by 2050 is based on what scientists tell us needs to happen for the 2degC limit to be kept to.

In a public meeting this week, Dwijen challenged us that 2degC will be catastrophic. We have to reduce emissions as radically and quickly as possible; people in Bangaldesh are already suffering.

Distance covered so far: 660 miles

Leadership

As we were leaving Worcester on Saturday morning Mike Foster MP (Labour) came to speak to us. Mike claimed that he supports all that we are doing, and then proceeded to tell us how good the Labour government's record on climate change is. When we challenged Mike that the government's record is actually very poor, he claimed that they cannot go further without more leadership from 'the public'

Mike referred a lot to the UK government's leadership on climate change globally, talking about the passion of the past and current prime minister, and the effort made at G8 summits such as in Gleneagles.

We challenged him that talking is not leadership. Real leadership from the UK would be a radical reduction in carbon emissions. In the UK, carbon dioxide emissions are now back at the same level they were in 1992 when I was learning about climate change at primary school.

Each day on the march we have one person in charge of making sure we go the right way and get to meetings on time. I had the dubious honour today. If I led in the same way as the Labour government, I would have sat in a chair at the start of today and lectured everyone about the importance of us walking from Worcester to Ledbury. But I would not have put one foor in front of the other. We would still be sat there now as the sun set.

Distance covered so far: 648 miles

(PS. As you might have guessed, Mike refussed to suport any of our specific demands)

Economic growth

A small gathering of people in Dudley on a Wednesday night was not where I expected to debate the big issue of how climate change relates to the global economy and capitalism. But that's what happened.

A Dudley minister (I assume he was a minister - he was wearing a dog collar) asked if it was possible to tackle climate change within a capitalist system, as capitalism needs constant economic growth. Big question.

Globally our emissions are rising because we are consuming more, whether ipods, flights or meat. Most of our consumption uses energy from fossil fuels.

I suggested there are three things the world needs to do to break this chain of increasing emissions. The first is to waste less, which would save money. Secondly is to get more energy from non-fossil fuel sources. The third is a greater challenge to our greedy world; we (the rich) need to consume less.

The minister wondered whether anyone will ever accept "lower standards of living" in order to tackle climate change? I think that's the wrong question. We can consume less whilst having higher standards of living - more money does not equal a better quality of life.

Another minister present said: "What I call sin, you call greed and he calls capitalism."

It's interesting that we see 'greed' as bad and 'economic growth' as good. The closer you look, the more they seem to resemble each other.

Golf

You miss a bit of marching and everything changes. We now have a few new marchers with us: Geoff and Kate from South Africa, and Dwijen from Bangladesh. It was good to start getting to know them on the suburban walk out of Birmingham to Halesowen on Wednesday 29 August.

As we entered Halesowen I was talking to Kate as we passed through a golf course, one of many on our travels. I commented about the number of golf courses and Kate said "Terrible aren't they."

Kate told me that there has been huge golf course development in South Africa in recent years, primarily for tourists. The golf courses often prevent local fishing communities from having access to the sea. Golf courses also take large amounts of irrigation, stealing valuable groundwater from local people.

Golf course developments are justified because they bring economic growth, but economic growth is not a measure of quality of life. Another example of the global economy acting in the interests of money, and against the rights and livelihoods of people.

Greenbelt

Whilst the other marchers were rallying with Lemar in Birmingham, I went with Chira to speak at the Greenbelt festival near Cheltenham. Greenbelt is an odd place; it claims to inspire activists and campaigning, yet is sponsored by a government ministry, the Department for International Development.

At the same time as our 'Meet the Cut the Carbon marchers' session, Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development, was speaking elsewhere on the site. Having done our usual climate change talk, we decided to arrange a little protest march of our own. Fourty people joined us as we marched past the Douglas Alexander talk and interrupted him with a rendition of "What shall we do with the carbon emissions?"

Douglas Alexander's previous job was at the Department for Transport where he was implementing the government's airport and road expansion policies. He needs every reminder he can get to cut the carbon.

Later in the day there was meant to be a panel debate on climate change. Unfortunately Douglas Alexander pulled-out of taking part, as did any other representative from the government.

The government is happy to sponsor festivals to push their propoganda, but it is unwilling to take part in real debates about government policies. Another nail in the coffin of our so-called democratic political system.

A conversation

Cassia, one of our marchers from Brazil, is from the Landless Workers' Movement - MST. A man walks up to Cassia as she relaxes in the sun.

Man: Where are you from?
Cassia: Brazil
Man: The problem with you lot is you are destroying the amazon
Cassia: !!?? It's your companies and consumption who are detroying the rainforest. The people of the amazon are struggling against it.

Distance covered so far: 547 miles
Marchers who have so far had birthdays on the march: 2

Do they all support us number 13

Another couple of Labour MPs took a break from their summer holidays to meet us as we marched through Derbyshire: Judy Mallaber and Mark Todd (both Labour).

Rachel, our marcher from 'Newastle', spoke to Judy. Apparently Judy is supportive of the need for 80 per cent cuts and is lobbying the government to change their position. Judy is another who won't vote against the government. Climate change must not be a serious enough issue for MPs to endanger their careers.

Mark Todd responded that he's not sure about the usefulness of long-term targets (that's why we also need the government to be accountable for cutting emissions every year Mark). He queried whether 60 per cent cuts are possible, never mind 80 per cent.

We can respond that its not a question of feasibility; the impacts of climate change are too great for us to have any other option than to cut our emissions. We can also respond that their are loads of ways to cut emissions, the government just aren't doing them. Instead, they decide to build more runways.

But the main question I was left with was, if Mark Todd doesn't support radical reductions in carbon emissions, why did he pose for a smiley photo with us?

Tim on YouTube

Do they all support us number 12

I went with Mohamed our Kenyan marcher and Lisa from the Christian Aid campaigns team to meet Patrick McLoughlin, MP for West Derbyshire and the first Conservative we have met.

We pressed him on our demands for changes to the climate bill, but he refused to commit to anything. As a member of the shadow cabinet he will "wait till we have discussed it and decide our collective decision". Whilst I was pressing him just to include aviation in the climate bill he said that "aviation needs to share in the emission reductions we make". That sounds good - first step is to include aviation in the bill then.

Distance covered so far: 513 miles
Distance to go: 487 miles - bring it on

Car nation

Sunday's march from Buxton to Bakewell was our most scenic so far, passing through the peak district and various dales. Towards the end of the day we walked along a railway line removed by Dr Beeching in the 1960s.

The afternoon seemed to symbolise how this country has let public transport to decline over the century, whilst massively promoting the use of the car. Our worship of the car has not been more apparent than when walking through northern cities which are clearly designed with cars as the focus. Try a 14-mile walk through Greater Manchester and you'll see what I mean.

Once a week we have a rest day, this week in Bakewell, so we've had a chance to look around. The station may be gone, but on the east-side of the river exists a packed car park larger than the town centre. You might not be able to get here by train, but there's plenty of room for the motorist.

Distance covered so far: 497 miles

Little Britain

In Marple on Friday night I watched TV for the first time since beginning this march. With Neil, our marcher from Northern Ireland, we settled down to a reality TV show about a woman learning to climb up rockfaces across the UK.

At the end she said: "This journey has shown me a remarkable country. We can go to amazing places without travelling far."

That's certainly been my experience of our protest walk. Having had many a holiday in the UK I consider my knowledge of Britain quite good. But there have been so many fantastic places I have never been to before: sailing past the Isle of Arran; walking the Clyde-Forth Canal and seeing Falkirk wheel; amazing beeches on the north-east coast; Newcastle-Gateshead riverside, Durham Cathedral; and Albert Square in Manchester. Tonight I'm writing this from the Spa town of Buxton. Unfortunately we pass through places so quickly we do not get the chance to fully appreciate them.

Our journey is showing me so many parts of the country I want to go back to. And this is despite missing out the best bits: Scottish Highlands, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, North Wales and Cornwall.

There's enough in the UK to visit for many a holiday to come. Call me a little Britainer, but I reckon not flying on holiday is a pleasure rather than a sacrifice.

Distance covered so far: 482 miles

Do they all support us number 11

August is meant to be the holiday season for MPs but we haven't seen much evidence of it yet. Friday's walk out of Manchester to Marple featured to MPs along the way: Gerald Kaufman (Labour) and Andrew Stunnell (Lib Dem).

Gerald was almost as loyalist as Caly Mountford in Colne Valley. He said he may consider voting against the government "if we attacked Iran". So that's OK then. Definitely another MP to put in the attack against democracy column.

Distance covered so far: 465 miles

Do they all support us number 10

Half-way through our journey down from Saddleworth to Manchester we were met by Oldham East and Saddleworth MP, Phil Woolas (Labour). Phil is the Minister in the Department for Environment responsible for climate change. Unsurprisingly we couldn't get him to publicly disagree with the government's current position on the climate bill; he's the one responsible for it.

We did however have a lively debate, during which Phil said two interesting things.

Firstly, it was reassuring that Phil acknowleged that the UK and UK government are "still at basecamp and tying our shoelaces" in the battle against climate change. When I challenged him on the need for the government to implement policies such as regulations on builders and landlords, subsidising renewable energy and halting the expansion of airports, he agreed that such policies are necessary.

However Phil also used an argument we have heard from a lot of Labour politicians on this march: "we must take the people with us", the implication being 'the people' are actively opposed to government policies to reduce carbon emissions.

I don't know of any mass campaigns to keep the incandescent lightbulb, but we still have them. Neither are people hammering on the door for poor quality housing lacking insulation. I haven't yet met a protestor outside a coal power station with a placard saying "We want more". And the last time I looked, protestors at Heathrow are calling for the third runway NOT to be built.

I don't think it is the public who are stopping the government acting to reduce our emissions. I reckon the true opposition are companies dependent on our continued use of fossil fuels, and a government who finds talking about climate change a lot easier than acting.

Distance covered so far: 453 miles
Number of showers during our walk into Manchester: 103
Number of UK marchers surprised by number of showers in Manchester: 0

Democracy

One of my regrets on being on this march is missing out on the climate camp at Heathrow. But campaigning is collective, and there are other campaigners from the World Development Movement who are taking part. You can see their blogs at:
http://climatechangecamp.blogspot.com/

On Wednesday 15 August we marched from Huddersfield to Saddleworth, through the constituency of Colne Valley, where we were joined by Labour MP, Kali Mountford, and prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives, Jason McCartney. Jason has the honour of being the first representative of the Conservative party who has visited us on the march.

In speaking to Kali she was supportive of some of our demands, particularly that the climate bill should not allow the UK to buy carbon credits from developing countries. When I asked her if this meant she would vote against carbon credits being included in the bill, Kali responded "I would never vote against the government".

This is outrageous; an elected representative knows something is wrong, but refuses to ever vote against her party.

I'm sure there are commentators criticising the Heathrow climate camp for being an 'attack on democracy', and questioning why we don't campaign solely through 'democratic processes'.

Kali showed today why we have to use all means of peaceful protest. An MP refusing to ever vote against the government is the true attack on democracy. Down at Heathrow, the climate camp is true democracy at work.

Distance covered so far: 439 miles

Glaciers

Risolat from Tajikistan spoke at our evening meeting on Tuesday night in Huddersfield. At 18 years old Risolat is our youngest marcher, and saw the sea for the first time by coming on the march.

Tajikistan is a former republic of the Soviet Union in Central Asia. With 7 million people it has high levels of poverty following the extreme free market policies which were introduced after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Tajikistan also makes effectively no contribution to climate change, emitting 1 tonne of carbon dioxide per person (compared to the UK's 10 tonnes).

Risolat told us how Tajikistan is a mountainous country, which depends on glaciers for much of the water supply. But the glaciers are disappearing. Fedchencko, the largest glacier, has already shrunk by 1km, and is now retreating at a rate of 10 metres a year.

Glaciers act as gigantic water towers, storing water for the dry season, but as they shrink they become less effective. If we allow glaciers to disappear, dry season water supplies disappear as well.

One-sixth of the world's population depends on glaciers for their dry season water supply. Over 1 billion people. Scary.

Distance covered so far: 426 miles

Do they all support us number 9

'Home is where the heart is' some say, but I reckon 'home is where the best local real ale is'. Bradford provided both for me. We were met by my Gran and Grandad as we marched into Centenary Square in the centre of Yorkshire's greatest city, and sampled some excellent Saltaire Blonde ale later in the evening. It is with great pride I can report that Bradford is now viewed by the marchers as the best city we have visited.

In Bradford we also met two local MPs, Marsha Singh and Terry Rooney. They both said they supported the need for at least an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050. However, they seemed less supportive of the policies needed to achieve such a cut. When I mentioned that aviation is excluded from the bill, Marsha Singh responded that flying makes up 2 per cent of emissions. This is wrong - in the UK aviation accounts for 13 per cent of our contribution to climate change.

Terry Rooney said we can't stop poor people flying on holiday. Again, this is wrong. The richest 17 per cent of the UK population account for 64 per cent of flights.

Both the statements of Marsha and Terry come from heavy lobbying by the aviation industry. Our campaigning has to challenge the lies peddled by powerful corporations.

Do they all support us number 8

As we marched into Leeds we were greeted along the way by two Labour MPs, Colin Burgon and Colin Challen. Unfortunately I missed Colin Burgon as I was off on an interview for Radio Leeds, but my colleagues assured me he was supportive of our demands and critical of the government.

Colin Challen is a very progressive MP; the first time I heard of him was when he asked a probing question in Prime Minister's Question Time about a secretive but very important international trade agreement (GATS for any long-standing World Development Movement campaigners reading this blog).

Colin is one of the most active MPs campaigning on climate change and certainly supports what we are calling for. Let's hope he can persuade enough of his colleagues to do so.

Distance covered so far: 405 miles

A power station tour of Britain

Another of the delights of our walk has been the number of coal (and one nuclear) power stations we have passed. So far we have got close to: Killroot, Longleet, Cockenzie, Torness, Lynemouth and now Drax, Eggham and Ferrybridge all in one day.

The south of Selby and over to Castleford in Yorkshire is 'Megawatt Valley', with three power stations dominating the landscape. Last year's climate camp was held in the area due to the high concentration of emissions, particularly from Drax, the largest and biggest emitting power station in the UK. This year the camp has moved to Heathrow, after it was pointed out that planes taking off from Heathrow make an even larger contribution to climate change than Drax does.

In talks I use the statistic: "Drax emits more carbon dioxide than Kenya ... and Uganda ... and Tanzania ... and Zambia ... and Malawi ... and Mozambique ... all put together." Last night we made some placards to say that as we walked through Megawatt Valley.

It is a shocking statistic which tries to get accross the scale on which we in the UK emit compared to the poorest countries in the world, and hence the injustice of climate change. Like the scale-model of the solar system yesterday, it is an attempt to make something which is too big to comprehend, comprehensible. Hopefully it works.

Distance covered so far: 392 miles

Getting younger every mile

Our walk has introduced us to many treasures accross the UK. Walking south from York between Bishopthorpe and Riccall we walked along the solar system cycle path. The 6.4 mile track is a scale representation of the solar system, with Jupiter the size of a football, and Pluto as small as a pea.

One step equals 500,000km which meant we were travelling 3 times faster than the speed of light. Information on the way told us that "each journey ends before it begins and every time you travel on the route you will be a little younger at the end than when you started".

The start of the walk covers the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars very quickly. Although Venus is further from the sun than Mercury, the high level of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere means it is more than 150 degress hotter.

A couple of nights before in Sowerby, I had been asked for ID for the first time in seven years, whilst trying to buy a local Yorkshire ale. Maybe walking does actually make you younger.

Distance covered so far: 374 miles

Do they all support us number 7

On Wednesday 8 August we reached the heart of Yorkshire, passing through York. I spoke at a mini-rally in the city centre along with Cassia and the local MP, Hugh Bayley (Labour).

Hugh is on the International Development Select Committee, so aware of issues around climate change and its effects round the world. We challenged him about the improvements needed in the climate bill, to which he responded that at least 80 per cent is needed, and aviation should be included. Another Labour MP down, another one who has publicly supported us on the need for improvements in the climate bill.

Is there anyone willing to support the government's position?

Inequality

The big day arrived on Monday as we crossed from County Durham into Yorkshire, God's own country. With 16 miles done by the finish in Northallerton, we've now managed 322 miles since we began 23 days ago in Northern Ireland.

One of the things you notice as you arrive in Northallerton are row-upon-row of 4x4s for sale. Many may be of more use here than those used in cities, but a local did whisper in my ear "this is one of the richest places in the country".

The way in which many of us compare a country's contribution to climate change is how much carbon dioxide a country emits per person. The UK is around 10 tonnes, China 4, India 1 and Bangladesh 0.3.

But within a country these figures are meaningless. There are clear divisions between how much different communities emit, and one of the biggest is between rich and poor. Richer people are more likely to fly, consume lots of manufactured goods, fill homes with electrical applicances, and have a (or many) gas guzzling cars.

In contrast many of the ways individuals are told to reduce their carbon emissions, for instance by the UK government, can only be done by richer people. "Better insulation" requires you to own your own home. "Buy solar water heating" requires lots of money available to invest. Even "fly less" assumes that you can afford a holiday in the first place.

Greater responsibility for climate change resides with the rich both between countries and within countries.

Wise words

We've now arrived in Durham on Satuday night, after a 17 mile journey south from Newcastle. We are all tired, so I will just give you the words of 6-year old Sam whose family are kindly putting me up tonight:

"This is my remote control car. I don't like the real ones as they make gases which are making the globe warmer."

Distance covered so far: 286 miles

Do they all support us number 6

Our walk through Tyneside on Friday included going via Jarrow to meet the daughter of one of the Jarrow marchers. In 1936 207 Geordie's marched down to London demanding relief from unemployment and poverty. When they arrived in London after 22 days of marching, the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, refused to meet them.

We have almost the opposite problem. Whilst many MPs are now on holiday, earlier in the day we had been greeted by Alan Campbell MP (Labour), who marched with us to the Tyne ferry. Alan is a government whip, which means its his job to ensure Labour MPs don't rebel and do vote for the government. Of course, this meant he did not depart from the government's line that a 60 per cent cut is all that is possible and aviation does not need to be included within this.

Our job is to make Alan's life as difficult as possible when the climate bill enters parliament in the autumn.

Political will

Thursday was 19 miles from Lynemouth to Whitley Bay, assisted by a nice breeze and occasional sun. Half-way through the day we passed through Blyth and made a brief stop at the 'New and Renewable Energy Centre', a not-for-profit organisation supporting the development of wave, wind and solar power.

I joined Chira, our marcher from the Democratic Republic of Congo, in talking to Andrew Mill of the Centre about renewable technologies. Andrew talked us through current issues, such as the fact there are around 80 different designs of wave and tidal energy systems currently being developed. The limited government funding for them is spread across many technologies, and so none are given the support they need to be made viable.

I asked why the government doesn't just support a few designs, but apparently the government does not want to be seen to 'pick a winner' rather than the best design emerging from 'the market'. I suspect if we wait for the market we'll be waiting a long time. And we know that time is one thing we don't have.

Having also spoken about the potential of wind and solar energy, Andrew told us: "These technologies are all possible. It is the political will which is needed."

Distance covered so far: 256 miles
Highest roadkill in one day: 26

Commuter heaven

Over the past couple of weeks as we have worked our way down the north-east coast, we've been continually meeting up with the main north-eastern rail line between Edinburgh and London.

Today's journey of 24 miles from Alnwick to Lynemouth was no exception. I've passed through Alnmouth station quite a bit on journey's north and south and always loved the view out to sea. It was great today to have more time to appreciate it.

Last night Demo and I were talking to Peter, one of our hosts for the night. He is the chair of the rail users association in Alnwick. They have been fighting for more regular services into Newcastle, and recently they have been improved. Consequently, commuter journey's to Newcastle have increased by 45 per cent, which, as Peter says, does something to reduce carbon emissions. But Peter also said it is far more relaxing, quick and useful to be commuting on a train than in a car.

Trains are another of those areas where a low carbon world would deliver a better quality of life. Whilst it would be expensive to massively upgrade our rail system in the UK, the benefits would be seen in ways in which GDP cannot measure.

Present crisis and future crisis

Joy of joys - I'm writing this with another local ale in my hand, this time a traditional pale ale recipe from Alnwick. I'm staying tonight with Demo in the home of a very kind family in Alnwick who are treating us extremely well.

Demo is our marcher from the Philippines, and today has been a big day for him. We walked 17 miles from Wooler to Alnwick in the baking heat, and at the end of it Demo had to talk to the people of Alnwick about climate change and the Philippines. He told of how the number of typhoons has been increasing to around 20 a year, causing extreme flooding.

Typhoons, or hurricanes as they are known in the Atlantic, are caused by warm water releasing its energy. As the seas get warmer the frequency and intesity of typhoons increase.

In 2004, one flooding event killed thousands of people in Demo's home region, including 10 of his relatives. Demo is passionate in telling us that "Climate change is not a future crisis, it is a present crisis."

Today was a big day for Demo for another reason. He announced to us that his wife is expecting his second child; great news which we have all rejoiced in. But in the same meeting tonight, Demo was sombre when he wondered, if climate change is allowed to get worse, "What kind of world will our baby live in?"

Distance covered so far: 213 miles

The news

We had a rest day on Monday 30 July and I took the opportunity to wash my clothes, cut Chira, mine and Mohammed's hair, and even sample a local Northumbrian ale. I also relaxed by reading the Guardian, New Scientist and my emails.

Not that this was a break from climate change. The Guardian reported that the Environmental Audit Committee is set to issue a report arguing the climate bill should set a target of at least 80 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050, and that this needs to include aviation.

The New Scientist had an article by James Hanson, a famous climate scientist, arguing that sea levels could rise by 5 metres by the end of the century and therefore there needs to be a radical reduction in emissions starting straight away.

And in my emails I could catch-up on BAA's attempts to ban members of environmental organisations campaigning on climate change, including the World Development Movement, protesting at Heathrow. The request for an injuction is to be heard in court on Wednesday.

I wonder if a 5-metre sea-level rise would take out Heathrow or any of BAA's other airports?

Wind turbines

Our stroll on Sunday 29 July was a 17 mile-er from Norham to Wooler. We are now in England, and unfortunately moving away from the coast. As we've passed through lots of rural areas over the last week, it has been a reminder that not everywhere is connected into the internet and the burdens of 21st century communications.

At lunchtime today I was accosted by a local complaining about wind farm applications in the area. He was scared about the damage wind farms in the Northumbrian countryside will have on the landscape and tourism.

There is obviously a tension between local and global environmental damage. This is why the first thing we need to do as a society is limit the amount of energy we use as much as possible. The more energy we try to extract from the Earth, the more likely we are to damage it, whether through climate change, or through covering lots of land with wind turbines - if that can beseen as damage.

As a non-Northumbrian I couldn't argue for wind farms in Northumbria. I won't be living near them. However, I did tell the local man that I spent several years in my childhood living next to Didcot coal fired power station, and would rather it had been a wind farm.

Distance covered so far: 194 miles
Reading so far: Once through 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'

Do they all support us number 5

On Friday and Saturday we met two Lib Dem MPs in a row: Michael Moore in Eyemouth and Alan Beith in Norham.

The Lib Dems seem tuned in to the need for at least an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050, and to include all aviation emissions. Hopefully it will stay that way and all Lib Dem MPs will vote that way in the autumn.

Nuclear

The coastal walk from Dunbar to Cockburnspath on Thursday took us past Torness nuclear power station, one of the most recent nuclear power plants built in the UK.

The night before I’d been speaking to someone who works at Torness. He told me the plant transfers 43 per cent of the energy it generates into electricity, gets its uranium from Canada, South Africa and Australia, and is due to be decommissioned in 2025. I asked him what his view on nuclear power in Britain is. He reckoned it is not the best way to create electricity, but new nuclear power plants will be needed for the next 40 years before renewable power can fully take over.

I asked some of the other marchers their views on nuclear as we passed Torness.

Mahesh from India told me that India already has four nuclear power plants. He is against more nuclear plants as the radioactive waste stores up problems for future generations which they may not be able to deal with - nuclear is not morally justifiable.

Cassia from Brazil was also against nuclear. She said there are two nuclear reactors in Brazil and there are plans for a third. Cassia thought the first two are not currently working. However, they were paid for by loans from western countries which are still being repaid.

Demo from the Philippines has a similar story to Cassia. President Marcos borrowed money from the World Bank to build the Philippines’ only nuclear reactor. Since then, popular opposition means the nuclear plant has never been used. But the people of the Philippines continue to pay the debts created by Marcos’ reactor.

Local ale

Wednesday 25 July was a historic day on the march; we finally sampled our first local real ale. The Belhaven Brewery and the good people of Dunbar were the providers.

Cassia, one of our Brazilian marchers, had been unsure about how real British beer would compare to Brazilian. Not anymore. Cassia now claims that real ale is "a beer good enough to drink warm".

If I were an entrepreneur I’d be trying to corner the market in selling real British beer around the world, and take on the many varieties of lager which all taste the same. However, the transport emissions from doing so might be quite high. Maybe it is best for Dunbar’s best beer to stay in Dunbar.

Grain

Some nights we stay in people's homes, and others in church halls. Tuesday morning we had a mixture of both; a church hall to sleep in and breakfast and a shower in a home.

I went with Stuart, our second Scottish marcher, to the home of Dave and Sheena. Dave works as a grain merchant in East Lothian, one of the main cereal growing areas in Scotland. Dave told me that the price of grain has increased 50 per cent over the last couple of years, initially due to drought in Australia, heavily linked with climate change, but also because the price is beginning to be increased by the worldwide shift to using land to grow biofuels rather than food.

Over the last year, Dave said EU countries had been releasing their stockpiles of grain to stop the price from increasing too drastically.

Grain stockpiles have been attacked by free market economists as an unwarranted intervention in the market, but Dave said their existence has been justified over the past year. Unfortuantely some impoverished countries have been forced not to have such stockpiles. In Malawi, drought has been increasing over recent decades; southern Africa is and will get drier with climate change. But drought in 2002/2003 was exacerbated because the International Monetary Fund had told Malawi to sell off its grain reserves, another 'unwarranted intervention' in the market.

Government intervention in agricultural markets will become more important in the future to ensure food security. Climate change will hit crop yields worldwide. But unfortunately the EU and US's rush to grow more crops for fuel will also affect food supply and increase the world price of grains even more. It is the poor who will suffer most from the higher cost of food.

Do they all support us number 4

On Monday 23 July we had lunch with Gavin Strang MP (Labour). He was very responsive to our demands, publicly committing himself to support the need for at least an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050.

In conversation, he told me it was "ridiculous" that aviation is not included in the government's figures, targets or the climate bill. He had only realised this six months ago, and felt misled by the government when they use statistics which do not include aviation.

So that's two Labour MPs in a couple of days who have supported our demands on the climate bill. If it carries on like this, and Labour MPs follow through on their commitments, the government will be forced to make the climate bill stronger.

Do they all support us number 3

As we arrived in Edinburgh on Saturday we were greeted by Mark Lazarowicz MP (Labour). Mark is on the Environmental Audit Committee of the House of Commons and the committee of both Houses of Parliament which is scrutinising the draft climate bill.

Mark told us he was personally convinced of the need for a target of at least an 80 per cent reduction in emissions, and for aviation to be fully included in the climate bill. The committee scrutinising the bill meet next week, and hopefully they'll come collectively to the same position as Mark, and put real pressure on the government. Mahesh and Mohammed both forcefully told him a strong climate bill is needed for the UK to lead the way in international negotiations on climate change.

Mark showed his support by joining us on our march through Edinburgh in the pouring rain. I hope he maintains his support for our demands, even if it means voting against the Labour government in the autumn.

Distance covered: 103 miles
Aggregate blister count across all the marchers: 27 and rising...

Alternative development

Everyone on the march has distinctive pieces of clothing, such as Merryn, our retired marcher, and her amazing hat. On Friday morning I was delighted to be given a Via Campesina neck-scarf by Cassia, one of our marchers from Brazil.

Cassia works for MST, the Brazilian landless workers movement. Via Campesina is the international network of peasant campaigns. As we march along, Cassia is reminding us all that climate change cannot be fought without challenging the economic structures which underlie the world.

Like Mahesh, Cassia has worked with communities who are suffering from western companies buying carbon credits from companies in developing countries. MST are also struggling against the expansion of US corporations growing biofuels in Brazil and denying land to peasants, something I’m sure we’ll discuss more as the march progresses.

Today, when we were greeted with a lovely lunch in Inverkeething, Cassia spoke to those present about the need for an alternative approach to ‘development’. Whilst rich countries emit far more greenhouse gases per person at the moment, some developing countries are increasing their emissions as they pursue industrial development.

As a citizen of a rich industrialised country with high and growing emissions I have no moral right to comment about emissions from developing countries. But Cassia does, and today she stressed the need for a clean development process which genuinely helps the poor without contributing to climate change:

“We need alternative models of development and to change the system we are working in. Today you can take action to cut the carbon, tomorrow you can do even more.”

Distance covered so far: 94 miles

Beer quality: No time yet to search out a real ale. Maybe tonight…

Climate change in the UK

As we go round the UK, our message is that climate change is impacting on the poorest people in the world first and worst. But of course it is and will have effects here in the UK as well.

On Friday 20 July we passed through Gordon Brown’s constituency. I had the honour of speaking at the meeting where we met his election agent. Whilst Gordon had passed on his support for our march, we were clear that the real support we want to see is a stronger climate bill.

In the evening we had an evening cruise on the Forth with members of the public to speak to them about climate change. The captain of the boat had something to add as well. Puffins in the Forth are disappearing as the sea gets warmer and the fish they eat head north.

Across the Fourth we could see North Queensferry where Prime Minister Brown has his home outside London. We didn’t know which house was his, but given how low and close to the sea they were, I’d guess half of North Queensferry will be underwater by the end of the century.

Suffering

When starting this blog, I did not intend to glorify in the pain we are feeling along the way, but today you will have to indulge me. Thursday 19 July was a 20 mile trip from Falkirk to Dunfermline. On top of 61 miles in the three days before it was by far our hardest trip.

One of the heroes of the last two days has been Rosalia from El Salvador. Rosalia works with communities in El Salvador who are battling against the effects of increased flooding over recent years due to more frequent and intense storms. But she was one of many who carried on through blisters determined to keep knocking the miles off. As we were covering the final few miles up to Dunfermline this evening, the two of us sang the words of an old song from apartheid South Africa:

"We shall not give up the fight we have only started.

"Together we'll have victories hand holding hand."

Elsewhere in the march Mahesh was speaking to Chira from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mahesh said: "I wonder why we are suffering like this. We are doing it on behalf of others. We cannot give up."

Distance covered so far: 81 miles
Estimated banana consumption: 120

Cycling

Wednesday 18 July was our longest day of the whole march; 27 miles from Glasgow to Falkirk. When we were speaking to supporters who gathered to meet us in Falkirk, it was with genuine feeling that we demanded that they join our campaign as 'we're not doing this for the fun'.

Our two great helpers on the march are Mike and Liz in the support electric vans, carrying our luggage, bringing us lunch, providing plasters and bandages and keeping us all going. But one further vital thing Mike provides is regular updates on what is happening in the Tour de France.

I love cycling, both the sport and as a mode of transport. It was great to see lots of cyclists on the Clyde-Forth canal as we were covering our 27 miles. Cycling is a genuinely carbon neutral form of transport. However, cycling has many more benefits than just tackling climate change. It lowers congestion, is cheaper, makes people healthier, does not cause hundreds of deaths each year and, certainly in many cities, is quicker than any other form of transport.

A low carbon world will be a better world for many reasons other than tackling climate change. A world with less cars and more bikes will certainly be a better one. And today I discovered one more benefit of cycling - it would have been a lot easier to cycle 27 miles than walk them.

Corrupt emissions

One thing I share with our Indian marcher Mahesh is a fear of dogs. Mine comes from having been run over by one as a toddler. Therefore slight trepidation came to both our faces when we were sent off in Kilmarnock to stay in the home of a dog owner. Thankfully our host Mike was as gracious as any host could be, and as well as keeping the dog out of sight, he provide much needed clothes-washing facilities.

On the long march to Glasgow the next morning I spoke to Mahesh about his campaigning in India. He lives in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, the most heavily industrialised state in India. Largely unregulated expansion of factories is producing big health problems for local people through air and water pollution.

But Mahesh tells me of a perverse effect of attempts to tackle climate change. The EU and UK allow companies to avoid reducing their emissions by paying for them to take place elsewhere. Many of these ’reductions’ are being bought from Indian factories. Except there are few checks that real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are taking place. Instead factories take the money, expand their operations and increase both their global and local pollution. Western companies are also able to increase their emissions due to the ‘reductions’ they have bought.

As Mahesh explains the situation in Gujarat, he is filled with righteous anger. “It is unjust that the rich are allowed to emit whilst paying for more pollution for the poor. It is corruption.” Unfortunately this system is set to continue. A little mentioned clause in the UK government’s climate bill is to allow the UK to buy emission ‘reductions’ from developing countries rather than make them ourselves.

Walking distance covered so far: 34 miles
Best sight: Coming off Fenwick moor into Glasgow, with the sun shining and mountains behind the city

Do they all support us number 2

A big day of 21 miles left us with little time to talk to the politicians who supported us between Kilmarnock and Glasgow. So I can only be left with the assumption that those listed below fully support our demands for at least an 80 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050 and to include all aviation emissions in the climate bill:
Ken McIntosh MSP who also passed on support for our march from Jim Murphy MP (Labour)
Patrick Harvey MSP

I hope Jim Murphy will follow-up his support by calling on the government to make the climate change bill stronger and voting for amendments.

Patrick Harvey MSP was a rare example of a politician going further than campaigners. He reminded us of the importance of year-on-year accountability within the Scottish and Westminster climate bills. It is no use just setting targets for 2050 – most politicians doing so will be dead by then. What we need to make sure happens is that emissions are being reduced year-on-year, something the UK is failing to do at the moment. Thanks to Patrick for that reminder.

Climate march featured on the BBC

Climate protesters on long walk:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6898605.stm

Dancing alone

On Monday we finally got some walking done with a brisk 13 miles from Troon to Kilmarnock. We were greeted with an evening of traditional scottish dancing, where we were told "dancing is the one thing in Scotland you can't do alone". Having been thrown around the dance floor by one of our Scottish marchers, Angela, I rather wish you could.

Acting together is a strong message in our individualistic world. We see this with climate change where so much responsibilty is placed on individuals. 'Change a lightbulb', 'turn down your thermosts', 'put in insulation'. But the reality is that we emit greenhouse gases as a society not as individuals. An individual cannot control how electricity is generated for the national grid, how many roads and runways are built, or if like me you don't own the house you level in, how much insulation you have. It is governments through decisions, regulations, subsidies and taxes which control these things. And this is why our most important response to climate change is collectively campaigning for the government to change and implement such policies.

Walking covered so far: 13 miles
Abuse from drivers: 3 (I'd like to publish number plates, but am worried about the legal consequences)

Do they all support us?

One of the things I find irritating as a campaigner is politicians being happy to join in a publicity opportunity attached to a campaign, but not to support the campaign's demands. I suspect I might get irritated a lot on this march. Whilst I'd love to think all the politicians who are joining us along the way fully support our demands, it would leave me wondering why UK carbon dioxide emissions are still rising (5 per cent since Labour came to power in 1997).

The main aim of our march is to get a stronger climate change bill, which is going through the House of Commons in the autumn. Our key demands are that we need at least an 80 per cent reduction in UK emissions by 2050; the UK government is currently promoting an out-of-date target of 60 per cent. The government is also refusing to include emissions from international aviation - the fastest growing source of UK emissions. If aviation is not included, it will continue to grow unheeded, and all our efforts to tackle climate change will be in vain.

So, I've decided to publish the names of all elected politicians who join in with the march, with the assumption that they support our demands. In Troon on Sunday we had:
Sandra Osborne MP (Labour)
John Scott MSP
Councillor Hugh Hunter
Councillor Nan McFarlan
Councillor Peter Convey

Unfortunately, in conversation with Sandra Osborne MP, it sounds like she intends to stick with the government's position on 60 per cent and not including aviation. Thankfully, there were several Ayrshire World Development Movement group members present who I know will be carrying-on the campaigning in the autumn. Hopefully Sandra will be willing to support climate justice by the autumn.

Lobbying MPs on the climate bill will be a mammoth but vital effort in the autumn - please do it. If you want to join in with your local World Development Movement group's lobbying, you can get in touch with them through:
http://www.wdm.org.uk/groups/index.htm

Sailing the Belfast Loch

Saturday 14 July was the official start of our march sailing from Bangor in Northern Ireland to Troon in Scotland; letting the wind take the strain and our feet rest a bit longer yet. Myself and Mohammed from Kenya drew the short straw and were placed on the smallest sailing boat 'Nanuq' with our extremely welcoming skipper Peter.

Mohammed works for the organisation Northern Aid in Kenya, supporting pastorilists in northern Kenya as they struggle to cope with the demands of climate change. Droughts in northern Kenya have been occuring more frequently in the last twenty years due to rising temperatures. Mohammed is on the march to tell people of the problems of climate change, and to demand that rich countries reduce our emissions, and support communities who are suffering from the climate damage we have already caused. He is insistent that "it is not the emissions of the poor which are hurting my people".

As we set out to sea it was fantastic to feel the power of the wind taking us north to Scotland. Unfortunately, forecasts came in of very bad weather ahead, which our small boat might not be able to deal with, and our stomachs definitely wouldn't. So ourselves and the other smaller boat had to head back to Northern Ireland, whilst the largest sailing boat carried on to Troon.

When we docked in Carrickfergus, our Captain Peter gave Mohammed and myself a shirt with 'Nanuq' on it which I will definitely treasure for the rest of the march. Mohammed may not when he gets home; 'Nanuq' means 'to breastfeed' in Somali.

We eventually arrived in Troon on Sunday morning on the ferry from Larne. Having been fooled by the usual cheap airline trick of giving aiports names from miles away from where they are actually situated, I hadn't realised Glasgow Prestwick airport is next to Troon. As we watched plane-after-plane fly overhead Mohammed said to me: "This is what I don't like, all these planes. They never stop. Does no one realise the damage they cause?"

Walking miles covered: 0 (!?)
Beer: V. poor; not a sight of a cask ale in N.Ireland...
Hospitality: Fantastic

Yet to start...

So far we've been tucked away in Northern Ireland waiting for the march to start properly. Whilst we've had little chance to see Belfast and the surrounding area one constant has been the optimism present in the area. Many locals mention 'the troubles' in the past tense-the landlady in the guesthouse in which I am writing this says business is booming since 'the troubles fnished'.

Climate change is a huge issue which can often seem impossible to tackle. This is no reason not to try. The catastrophic consequences of the world failing to limit and cut greenhous egas emissions would be disastrous. But it is encouraging that to be reminded that change is possible, however hard and far away it seems.

Intro

For the next three months I'm going to be walking round the UK as the World Development Movement activist on Christian Aid's 'Cut the carbon' march. The plan is to walk 1,000 miles as part of campaigning in the UK to get the UK government to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

But along the way I intend to report on the best local beers, friendliest towns, highest number of SUVs, messiest roadkill, and much else beside. I don't know if it will be fun enough to keep the reader interested, but I'm certainly excited.

It all kicks off on Saturday 14 July in Belfast, where we will put our lives in the hands of a few sailing boats and set-off across the Irish Sea to Troon in Scotland. There are 18 of us on the march; 10 from the UK and eight international marchers. My sea-sickness tablets are packed, but I suspect the contents of my stomach will see more of the sea than I would like.

Until my next post, I suggest you check-out www.wdm.org.uk/aroundtheworldin80protests which takes you on a journey showing that protest is alive-and-kicking around the world.

Christian Aid : Cut the carbon climate change march

Start here for all the information you need to know about the 2007 Climate Change March - organised by Christian Aid. This map shows Tim's complete journey up to his last blog post!

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N.B. This map is approximate - even Tim can't walk on water. (+ I've added Tim's trip to Greenbelt hence the other add on to the map!)