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…