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Report written by Stuart Parkinson, SGR
Ben Matthews gave a presentation reporting on SGR's main activity over the last two years: the Climate Train; whereby 36 scientists and environmentalists travelled to the Kyoto Climate Conference in Japan last December by train, boat and bicycle. The full report of the project has just been published by SGR, where further details can be found.
There were four reasons for the Climate Train:
1. To get to the Kyoto Conference using methods which minimised any impact on the climate;
2. To allow meetings with local scientists en route to take place to raise awareness and discussion of the climate change issue;
3. To make a statement about the need to make changes in lifestyles in order to tackle climate change.
4. To raise awareness through the global media about the need to make changes in our life-styles in order to tackle climate change effectively.
Ben presented a summary of the calculations made to compare the impact on the climate of air travel between Europe and Japan and that due to train and boat. These calculations concluded that the reduction of impact by using alternatives to air travel had been 7/8 (or 87%), and that of CO2 alone had been 2/3 (about 66%).
Ben then proceeded to detail the journey showing photographs of the main events and giving us an impression of life en route. A number of conferences were held: in Moscow; Novosibirsk (in Siberia); and Beijing. The one in Novosibirsk was particularly well attended (including local politicians and children) and reported in the media. It led to the setting up of Siberian Scientists for Global Responsibility (SSGR). It also gave the Climate Train participants a chance to witness at first hand some of the changes taking place in Siberia which are believed to be due to climate change, including large-scale fires in the peat tundra as the permafrost begins to melt. The emphasis of the Beijing conference was on the effect of climate change on agriculture.
Ben pointed out a number of problems which occurred during their trip. In particular: our Russian and Chinese participants encountered difficulties in obtaining Japanese visas, and unrealistic visa requirements for westerners led to train ticket problems after Novosibirsk. Such events are apparently common and make this sort of trip more difficult. There were also problems with the the live video link, which had been planned to take place during the SGR conference last year, and which had to be abandoned because the venue for the Novosibirsk conference had been relocated from the university to the city (this made it easier for more people to attend the event, but the disadvantage was that there were no Internet links at the new site). On the other hand, the satellite phone was great and proved an indispensable asset during the latter part of the train journey.
Once at the Kyoto Conference, the Climate Train had a conference display which was well positioned, and they took part in various protests, street theatre and even wrote their own Climate Song! The most important contribution they made was a statement delivered by Michelle Valentine to the Main Assembly, which was an honour few other NGOs were allowed. The full text of the statement is given in the published report, but its main thrust was the importance of making life-style changes to reduce greenhouse gas in, particularly, Western countries.
Ben concluded his talk by presenting a breakdown of the finances. SGR and its collaborators managed to raise $100,000 in funding which covered the project's expenses. He estimated that roughly a further $50,000 was donated in time and effort by individuals and organisations involved in the project. SGR made no money out of the project.
There is little doubt that the project was a big success, greatly contributing to awareness of the issue and the sort of action that needs to be taken to address it. Ben and Dani Kaye (SGR and Climate Train Press Officer) were in little doubt that the Climate Train attracted more publicity than any other NGO campaign, and SGR's role as main co-ordinator of the project raised our national and international profile considerably.
Now available for sale:
Report of The Climate Train
A Journey by Train, Boat and Bicycle from Europe to the UN Climate
Convention in Kyoto, November-December 1997
Compiled by Ben Matthews with assistance from Michelle Valentine
Published by Scientists for Global Responsibility, London, August 1998
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