WHY are we walking to cop 26?

Carrying a sculpture of a polar bear is not going to save the world.

I do know that.

The heads of state and other delegates will most probably be completely unaware that I have slogged 306 miles to get to COP26 and found others willing to help me.

So, what is the point.

It is partly, that knowing my own capabilities, I can’t think of anything better to do.

I floated the idea to friends and clients visiting my workshop and it seemed to catch their imagination and gained their interest and support.

Perhaps this penance-like pilgrimage is not going to change to the world, but I think it will change those who take part.  These days it is not often that we take part in tasks together.  During this time of Covid many of us who haven’t been on the frontline of the NHS or the service industries, have become quite insular.

We do help out (I made safety visors during the first lockdown) but it is not the same as doing something with a purpose as a physical group.

I am encouraging you to come along for just a day, or even half a day.

It will not be a shouty, banner waving demonstration; but a day of talking, walking, moving through your local landscape, whether it is beautiful countryside or built up. To enjoy the company of others, enjoy the sweat, the toil, the rain and hopefully be still smiling at the end.  We will have a purpose ~ to get there with the bear, together ~ however ridiculous a task that is.

I have a deep personal conviction that there is no quick fix to the climate crisis.

If we are going to stop carbon levels peaking at 1.5 or 1.8 degrees it is only going to be done if we see the the world as a whole not as individual countries.  We can not do this huge task and not think of those in the most delicate climate positions as not being our kin.

So far we in this country have only had unpredictable, uncharacteristic weather, floods and fires, this is because we are live in a temperate zone next to the ocean.  We are very lucky.  But for how much longer, if the arctic melt speeds up, as it may do we will start loosing our coastal communities.

And as for the less fortunate parts of the world ~ 200 million climate refugees are predicted as their homelands become uninhabitable.

My answer is:

ONENESS AND KINDNESS