Christian Aid walkers march 1,000-miles into history

The Cut the Carbon march is an 11 week 1,000 mile trek across the UK starting in Northern Ireland and ending in London on 2 October 2007. The team of 18 ‘core’ walkers come from rich countries and poor to spread the cut the carbon message to companies and politicians.

Early steps

The marchers left Bangor, Northern Ireland, on Saturday, 7 July. Before departure, each of the walkers laced special Cut the Carbon shoelaces into their walking boots and gave up their old laces.

Along the route, supporters will be encouraged to exchange their own branded laces for their old ones. These old laces will then be tied together and handed in to Prime Minister Gordon Brown as a petition.

First-hand accounts

Eight marchers from the developing world are joining ten marchers from the UK. International marchers have come from as far as the Philippines, Kenya and El Salvador.

Some have never seen the sea; others have never been to Britain before. But all have direct experience of the suffering caused by a changed climate in their country – and how it hits the poor the hardest.

Fraser Winterbottom, 50, from Buckingham, said: ‘It makes a huge difference to have marchers from countries like Congo, Kenya and the Philippines to tell us how changing weather is affecting their water supplies and harvests.

‘I understand much better the seriousness of climate change, when I hear how it is affecting them. In the UK we tend to regard climate change as a media debate and the latest fad. In other parts of the world, it’s an issue of survival.’

Tim Jones, from Leeds, who sailed out of Bangor harbour in a boat with Mohammed Adow from Kenya said: ‘Climate change is like eating a slap-up meal and handing the bill to the world’s poor.’ 


Give your support to the marchers on the social networking site, Facebook.

March aims

The marchers want UK companies to publish their carbon emissions in their annual reports and to agree to cut their carbon emissions by 5% each year.

They are also calling on the government to make Britain the first rich country to take action on climate change by committing to a cut in carbon emissions by at least 80% by the year 2050.

This will set an example for other rich countries to follow when they meet at the UN conference on climate change in Bali this December.

How you can take part in the Cut the Carbon march >>

Join Christian Aid's climate change campaign >>


Photos credits: Christian Aid/Sue Osmond