'Protect the Earth' campaigners gather in Truro ahead of G7 Summit
Protesters want the G7 leaders to "act immediately" on climate change
Last updated 9th Jun 2021
Around 50 protesters are in Truro today as part of the 'Protect the Earth' walk ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall.
The campaigners are calling for the G7 leaders to acknowledge the climate change emergency and to "act immediately".
The walk started in Plymouth at the weekend and will finish outside St Ives on Thursday afternoon.
In total it's a six day, 84 mile, walk finishing at Carbis Bay.
“We are drowning in empty promises. The one thing the pandemic has proven is that governments can take decisive action quickly when they want to. We are walking in solidarity with communities around the world who are already suffering the impacts of our heating world and rising sea levels. We are highlighting how urgently global governments need to lead concerted, co-ordinated action. Soon it will be too late.”
Sylvia Dell, Protect the Earth
As a symbol of the threats that the planet faces, the activists are taking a model of the world which shows the impact of 2 degrees of heating above pre-industrial levels. This includes the drowning coastlines and much tropical land which is becoming too hot to grow food.
Today the Protect the Earth walkers met up with other climate groups and made their way to Carbis Bay for a march through the city to Lemon Quay to hear talks from Rob Hopkins (founder of the Transition Town movement), These Field Have Names (the roads protest group) and a young people’s action group.
The walk will conclude just outside St Ives on Thursday afternoon, where many of the walkers will take part in other peaceful actions during the G7 summit to highlight the need for action rather than promises.