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Polar mass bike
ride to sweep through Liverpool on global day of Arctic action
AN Arctic-inspired cycling
parade led by a polar bear in rickshaw will stream through Liverpool
on 15 September 2013, as a millions-strong global movement to
protect the Arctic takes to the streets for the first time.
The event is part of a Greenpeace International's global day of
action to stop oil companies wanting to drill in the fragile Arctic,
which will see tens of thousands of people cycle and walk past
iconic landmarks in over 75 cities across the globe, from Bangkok to
Johannesburg, Toronto to Mexico City.
In the Merseyside city a white-clad crowd of Arctic supporters
including a 'homeless' polar bear riding a rickshaw will be
cycling from the Otters Café in Otterspool Park to Albert Dock.
At the same time in London a giant polar bear puppet named Aurora,
the size of a double-decker bus and weighing around three tonnes,
will be leading a parade through the heart of the UK's capital city,
hauled by 30 volunteers and operated by 15 puppeteers. The
fully-articulated giant marionette will carry in her fur the names
of over three million people who have already signed up to protect
the Arctic. The millions of names will be delivered to the UK
headquarters of Shell, the oil giant at the forefront of the race to
drill in the pristine Arctic.
The Liverpool Ice Ride initiative is part of the Greenpeace Save the
Arctic campaign, which has seen over three million people backing
calls to protect the Arctic from oil giants planning to drill in the
region, and from other polluting industries.
The event will happen around the time of the Arctic sea ice minimum,
the moment in late summer when the ice sheet around the North Pole
shrinks to its smallest size. Last year the extent of the sea ice
plunged to a historic low, and three quarters of summer ice, by
volume, has been lost since 1979. As the ice edge retreats, oil
companies like Shell are pushing their rigs further north to extract
oil and gas from areas of the ocean previously covered by frozen
water.
Commenting on the initiative, local Greenpeace volunteer Linda Bacon
said:- "The Arctic is not just a place of breath-taking
beauty, home to unique creatures like polar bears; it also plays a
crucial role in regulating the planet's climate by acting as a giant
air conditioner. If we allow our addiction to dirty fossil fuel to
destroy this region, we're all going to pay the price for it as our
planet keeps warming, sea levels rise, and the weather becomes more
extreme and unpredictable. That is why people in Liverpool
will join tens of thousands more across the globe who are taking to
the streets to demand that the Arctic be declared a global
sanctuary, so companies like Shell are stopped from playing a
reckless game of Russian roulette with this vitally important
region, and our climate." |
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North West girls
to 'walk the world'
SCHOOLGIRLS in the North
West are set to take part in one of the biggest UK charity walks
ever attempted. Manchester, Liverpool and Cheshire schools have
signed-up to the World Wide Walk, covering routes across the country
on International Day of the Girl, 11 October 2013. The walk will
raise money to help educate some of the world's poorest girls
through global children's charity Plan UK's Because I am a Girl
campaign.
"We'll be walking in solidarity with the 66 million school aged
girls around the world who are missing out on an education. Poverty,
discrimination and child marriage are among the many barriers
keeping millions out of school. Plan UK is using its campaign to
make a positive, lasting difference to the lives of four million of
the world's poorest girls." says Plan UK's chief executive
Tanya Barron.
The Girls' School Association is partnering Plan UK for the day,
with more than 30 schools already signed-up for synchronised walks
across the country.
Joining schools across the country are Withington Girls' School in
Manchester, Liverpool's Merchant Taylors' School for Girls, Alderley
Edge School for Girls and The Queen's School, Chester.
Each girl will walk 10km, adding up to more than 40,000km,
equivalent to the circumference of the globe.
Organisers hope to raise £250,000 through sponsorship (£50 each) to
help girls access quality education, healthcare and prevent abuse
such as early and forced marriage.
"We'll be walking side by side to raise awareness of and funds for
some of the world's poorest out of school girls. To walk the
equivalent distance of the circumference of the globe is a massive
undertaking, but 1 we're excited to be part of. We're proud to be
supporting Plan's vital work and hope world leaders hear our
message; that girls everywhere have the right to a quality
education." says GSA President Hilary French.
Plan's 'Because I am a Girl' campaign aims to support
4,000,000 girls to get the education, choices and support they need
to move themselves from a life of poverty, to a future with
opportunity. To find out more visit:-
becauseiamgirl.org.
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