Lancaster’s Time to Cycle to COP21

Aim: We are cycling from London to Paris for the COP this December to demonstrate how serious an issue climate change is and the need for action

Project Aim

This December we are cycling from London to Paris for the 21^st United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change Conference of Parties 21... Otherwise known as COP 21!

Our aim is to join thousands of other people to demonstrate how serious an issue climate change is, and emphasis the need for urgent action. We will collect messages on route to add to those collected during the Peoples Pilgramage around Morecambe Bay. We will learn about and showcase the positive solutions and power we have, to take action to create an alternative to our fossil fuel dependent society.

About the Project

In over 20 years of UN negotiations a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world, has not been achieved. We know that we need to cut global greenhouse gas emissions radically to keep the change in temperature since pre-industrial times below 2^oC. We need to act now in order to reduce impacts such as droughts, crop failures, sea level rise and species extinction and minimise the risks of unstoppable feedback loops.

We are cycling to COP21 to urge delegates to make strong commitments in Paris and stick to them.

We already know that the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions proposed to the COP21 are not sufficient to reach the 2^oC target (http://climateactiontracker.org/). We also know that the conference is sponsored by corporations with vested interests in the burning of fossil fuels...

But we also believe that we, the people, have the power to make the positive changes needed to reduce the impacts of climate change. We will use our journey as an opportunity to network with other grassroots groups to work on, share and learn about how we can take things into our own hands to find positive solutions. This will be a platform for the next stage of action to challenge the root causes of climate change.

Who are we?

We are seven cyclists from Lancaster; Anna Clayton, Anne Jarvis, Dennis Touliatos, Emily House, Iain Goddard, Lauren Walker and Nicolle Kulíšková. We will be joining a 5-day cycle ride from London to Paris organised by Time to Cycle! http://www.timetocycle.org/.

Time to Cycle is a voluntary organisation supported by Biketrain, Reclaim the Power, Campaign against Climate Change and The Otesha Project UK.

Route and Itinerary

• December 5th: Launch event in Holy Trinity church in Brixton, London.
• December 6th: Cycle from London to Brighton through Balcombe to visit REPOWERBalcombe, the renewable energy community project set up after their resistance to the fracking industry.
• December 7th: Cycle Brighton to Dieppe
• December 8th: Cycle Dieppe to Rouen Ride along part of the Avenue Verte cycle path. Night in an organic cider farm in St-Aignan-s/-Ry (near Rouen)
• December 9th: Cycle Rouen to the village of Freneuse via the Seine river. Activities around Climate Change with the local children who will be welcoming us.
• December 10th: Cycle Freneuse to Paris
• December 11th: day of action in Paris.
• December 12th: D12 mass mobilisation in the centre of Paris to have final word after the talks end. www.d12.paris. Critical mass ride around the Eiffel Tower. ‘Red lines’ mass action surrounding Le Bourget (the summit site). This action will highlight red lines crossed in making weak agreements. The red lines are the minimal necessities for a just and liveable planet, that our communities and ecosystems need to survive.
• December 13th: return to the UK by train

What will the funds cover?

• Launch event in London
• Accommodation in Brighton, Dieppe, Rouen, and Freneuse.
• Ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe
• Mechanics to support us on  the  ride
• Support vehicles
• Train ticket from Paris to London on December the 13th
• Transport of bikes back to London
• Public liability insurance
• Meals
• Train tickets between Lancaster and London

Additional money will help fund transport for others travelling from Lancaster to COP21 by coach or train and for accommodation in Paris (organised through People and Planet, Reclaim the Power, Global Justice Now,  Friends of the Earth and Coalition Climat21).

Events in Lancaster

Please come along to our Disco Soup fundraiser and join us for the following events that are happening in Lancaster in the run-up to the COP21:

• Wednesday 25^thNovember, 7pm, the Storey Institute, screening of Naomi Klein's film ‘This Changes Everything’ (Transition film group) followed by a discussion hosted by Lancaster Climate Action. 

• Thursday 26th November, 7.30pm -9.30pm, The Robert Gillow (upstairs). A social gathering for those planning on going to Paris for the COP21 To share what people are planning to do when there and what to expect from the main talks. How are we getting there? Where are we staying? Do we want to link up? What actions would excite us? What are our hopes and fears? Come along and meet others travelling from Lancaster. 

• Friday 27^th November, Critical Mass bike ride, meet 5.45pm for 6pm start from Dalton Square. 

• Sunday 29^th of November, Climate Carnival, Market Square, Lancaster midday until dark. The event is being organised by Young Greens, Lancaster Climate Action, People & Planet. It's part of the build-up to the COP21 talks in Paris and the Global Peoples Climate March which aims to gather people in cities across the world throughout the climate talks in support of those in Paris. There will be a vegan street feast; for which it would be great if anyone can bring food. A polar bear. Live music and more. The aim is to raise the profile of COP and climate change; highlighting local issues too (fracking, renewables, fuel poverty etc). More details on the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/890236207692419/ 

• Monday 30th Nov 2015, 12:00 – 13:00, Campus Climate Festival, Lancaster University Campus, More details on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/462030263988985/