Day out with the Climate Camp Caravan

See all Climate Camp updates.

Yesterday I joined the Climate Camp Caravan on their East London leg - from Tower Bridge to Greenwich Park. Unlike last year, when activists simply descended upon Heathrow to protest against airport expansion, this year protesters are walking from Heathrow to Kingsnorth coal plant in Kent. So yesterday morning I walked under Tower Bridge and joined the Caravan on the green opposite City Hall.

I knew I was at the right place at the right time when I heard music blaring from speakers. In amongst the carnival atmosphere of the caravan, police mingled and people came out into the street to watch us pass by. Activists had converted recumbent bicycles into pirate ships made of cardboard, and one climate camper had brought her kids along to enjoy the summer holidays in a carriage hooked to her bike.

I held a banner announcing the Climate Caravan to oncoming traffic who honked in approval - and didn't seem to mind us taking up a whole lane to draw attention to climate change. When we came across a Shell petrol station, we stayed for a little longer, making our arguments against Shell's greenwash attempts heard.

I think a Caravan to the Climate Camp is an excellent way to meet people along the way and raise awareness about climate change. This year, the focus is on asking the government to call off plans to build a coal fired power station in Kingsnorth, which will add vast quantities of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. If it succeeds, the government's aggressive pursuit of coal for energy will mean the chances are that we’ll miss climate change targets, and renewable energy won’t be given the priority it should have.