Christian Aid is asking thousands of people from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales to put their best foot forward and join its 1,000-mile ‘Cut the Carbon’ campaign march between 14 July – 2 October 2007.
The longest protest march in UK history will highlight the devastating impact global warming is having on millions of poor people in developing countries and put pressure on the government to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by 5 per cent year on year.
The march will visit 70 towns and cities and more than 50,000 people are expected to get involved along the way by joining the walkers on parts of the route and attending major events across the UK. Concerts featuring bands, performers and comedy acts will be held in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and London.
The 20 core walkers, who will complete the 1,000 miles in 11 weeks, come from the UK and some of the developing nations in which Christian Aid works on climate issues, including El Salvador and Tajikistan.
The walkers will carry messages about the impact of global warming across the world and will encourage members of the public to join the national campaign and make personal commitments to reducing their carbon footprint.
Paul Brannen, head of campaigns at Christian Aid, said: ‘Climate change is the most serious threat to humanity and poor people in the least developed countries are already dying as a result of floods, droughts and conflict over scarce resources, such as water, that are becoming scarcer as the planet heats up.
‘They need our help to tackle climate change by reducing emissions, through individual actions and by putting pressure on the UK government to pursue climate-friendly national and international policies.’
For further information on the route and how to join the march in your area or how to get involved in the Christian Aid climate campaign visit: http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/climatechange