A 22,000-mile 4x4 expedition to highlight the dangers of climate change has been criticised for “spreading the wrong message”.
The team of three green campaigners is travelling off-road in a brand new Land Rover Defender to visit remote communities in 31 countries and warn of the need to reduce carbon footprints.
The ‘Atlantic Rising’ expedition will circumnavigate the Atlantic Ocean by following the one-metre contour line, which scientists predict will become the new coastline in 100 years.
Organisers say the 15-month trek will be virtually carbon neutral because of offsetting measures, but critics say the required 1,500 gallons of diesel as well as the hundreds of tons of supplies and provisions is a “sickening waste” of resources.
Leading environment expert Kevin Smith, of Carbon Trade Watch, warned: “How can they travel all the way to these communities in Africa and South America to warn them of the dangers of climate change?
“These places probably have a neglible carbon footprint and yet we're pitching up in a 12-mile-to-the-gallon Land Rover to tell them to do more – I couldn't think of anything more hypocritical.”
Cambridge graduates Tim Bromfield, Lynn Morris and Will Lorimer are to set off at the end of this month on the expedition, which is part-funded by a £10,000 ‘Go Beyond’ Bursary awarded by the Royal Geographical Society and Land Rover.
They will travel to France, through Spain to Morocco, and then on to the Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea Bissau.
The team will carry on spreading their global warming message through Sierre Leone, the Ivory Coast and Ghana before a sea voyage across the Atlantic to South America.
They will start the American stage of their mission in Brazil before heading to French Guyana and continuing through Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Columbia and Panama.
Other stop-off points are scheduled in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatamala, Belize and Mexico before motoring through the US to complete the epic trek in Canada.
Organisers say the carbon cost of the mission is being mitigated through ClimateCare offset schemes.
But leading expert Kevin Smith, author of Hot Air and Snake Oil: The Top Ten Carbon Offset Upsets and leading researcher for Carbon Trade Watch, described the trek as a “glorified gap year”.
“Carbon offsetting is complete nonsense to make them feel good about themselves,” he said. “You can’t take carbon out of the atmosphere once it is in and the whole concept is just another way of greenwashing and not taking responsibility for carbon emissions.
“Land Rover, an inherently polluting company with an awful track record, is taking part in this to be labelled with undeserved green credentials.
“The notion of this seems distasteful, especially traveling around in a Land Rover. They are travelling around the world to educate people about climate change, when many of the communities have a tiny quantity of carbon emissions compared to us.
“Our emissions are skyrocketing and we need to address this in our own communities before lecturing others.”
But eco-explorer Will Lorimer said the expedition would have genuine environmental benefits for the dozens of schools they visit.
He added: "We are targetting the younger generation, who have grown up with climate change. Many 12 year olds are nearly in tears when you talk about climate change. We want to spread the message amongst children that the effects of climate change are happening now."
Lorimer said the team will be sourcing all their food and water locally and will be staying on a roof tent on the top of its Land Rover.
"We've measured the carbon footprint of our journey and it comes to around 11 and a half tonnes, which is a little bit more than one person living in the UK for a year,” he said.
"Land Rover has a huge PR department so obviously it is very prominent in the expedition. While we are grateful for the support it has given us, we are not spokesmen for Land Rover. We are doing this to spread the message about global warming.
"We're all very hard-working so we actually found the prospect of a year out the least appealing aspect of this. We had to justify the trip and forming the network allows us to do it.
"The effects of climate change are happening right now. There is an immediate need for action and we're pleased to be doing what we can."
Dr Rita Gardner, director of the Royal Geographical Society, said: “This project, made possible through our partnership with Land Rover, focuses on one of the most challenging issues we face – the potential impacts of climate change in coastal regions.
“As recipients of the Bursary, Atlantic Rising has been granted the opportunity to 'go beyond' its normal limits and boundaries and at the same time support one of the Society’s objectives, which is to promote the wider understanding and enjoyment of geography.”
inawe, So. California around 2 years, 9 months ago