Kim Nguyen interviews Matt Jones, just days before he sets off on his demanding and inspirational trek across the UK.
On July 26th 2010, the day the Bike-America.org riders arrive in Washington DC, young Englishman Matt Jones will be beginning a 1300 mile trek from John O’Groats to Lands End. Matt believes the trek from the top of Scotland to the bottom of England should take about 2 and a half months.
The trek will be as close to zero carbon as possible, with minimal reliance on the national grid and non-renewable energy.
Matt aims to stick to a few strict rules to minimise his impact on the planet. He will only be using a rucksack-mounted solar panel for charging his electrical equipment, he will camp wild every night and he’ll only use streams and waterfalls for washing.
His training has so far been fairly intense, with a 4000 calorie daily intake and 6-10 training sessions a week. From March to June 2010 Matt set off several small multi-day treks in preparation for his immense undertaking.
Matt aims to raise over £5000 for the UK charity, Solar Aid. Solar Aid is helping combat poverty and climate change by providing solar technology to some of the poorest people on earth. You can see what they are doing at solar-aid.org.
Matt says, “2 billion people in the world (are) devoid of access to electricity, but we take it for granted.” Access to renewable power will help improve health, education and overall well-being for some communities that will be hit hard in the climate crisis.
Matt asks you to donate what you can to the charity by visiting www.justgiving.com/EcoTrek2010. However, his trek isn’t just about fundraising. It’s about spreading the message of change for a sustainable future.
Kim Nguyen had the chance to interview Matt just days before he sets of on his arduous journey.
What made you decide to walk the length of the UK?
“I’ve always been a really adventurous soul, and having just graduated from a Geography degree I felt I needed to do something to satisfy my sense of adventure whilst also using my knowledge surrounding the issues of sustainability and climate change. I think the UK has a lot of under-rated landscapes, and I firmly believe that the best way to see a country sustainably is at walking pace. I think the added challenge of relying on solar power for almost three months will highlight the kind of future the UK, and indeed the world, needs to embrace.”
What do you think will be the hardest things about your travels?
“I’m anticipating a whole array of different challenges. Relying on renewable energy with a lack of infrastructure to facilitate it is an inevitably huge challenge. At a physical level, I’m fully expecting the 30kg rucksack and 20-mile-days to take a toll over the 10 weeks. Most of all though, I think the challenge of embracing solitude whilst shutting out any feelings of loneliness will be the main test of this solo expedition.”
Do you think safety will be an issue?
“It’d be brash to say no, but I do think the UK is a relatively safe place to trek. My route deliberately avoids all of the biggest cities, so as to allow wild camping every night and eliminate some of the main risks. I’ve definitely had to take extra safety precautions as I will be alone for such long periods.”
Where are you going to sleep and wash?
“This is where it gets interesting! For sleeping, I have a tiny ultra-lightweight one-man tent. In this, I’ll spend almost every night of the trip wild-camping. As for washing, both I and my clothes will be at the mercy of any lakes or rivers that I pass en route. As a wonderful planned respite, I will be staying at a friend’s 100% solar-powered house (complete with hot-tub!) when I reach Somerset, about 850 miles into the trek.”
What do you hope to achieve by doing the trek?
“Ultimately I just want to inspire others to act. By challenging myself to rely only on sustainable transport and sustainable forms of living for almost 3 months, I hope others realize that it is feasible to make small concessions in the way we live.
By completing the trek, I hope to see aspects of my home nation that I might otherwise never see, whilst also meeting people that I otherwise might never meet. I’m aiming to also raise in excess of £5000 for a brilliant grassroots charity called SolarAid, whose vision is the introduction of renewable forms of energy in the developing world. Lastly, I hope that this will be the start of a long-lasting career in adventuring and environmental campaigning, and also the start of a successful partnership with the Ride Planet Earth campaign.”
What actions will have an impact on people you meet or who hear about your journey? In what way do you think they will be affected?
“I truly believe in ‘inspiration by action’. I think the main thing I can do to impact upon the way people think about sustainability is to just try to get as many people as possible to notice what I’m doing. Needless to say, interactions with people I meet along the way, and interactions via the twitter feed and website are invaluable. I’ll be trying my best to engage people in sustainability issues en route, and encourage them to get involved with great campaigns like Ride Planet Earth.”
Do you think the people of the UK are environmentally conscious? If they are conscious, does that have a discernible impact upon their behaviour?
“As with any country in the world, there are inevitably a huge range of attitudes within the UK. There is a steadily growing green movement, but I personally don’t think that growth is quick enough. As of the moment, I don’t think the consciousness that is there has been successfully transferred into behavioural changes. This is what really needs to be addressed in the next few years.”
What do you think has to happen for the UK government, at a local, national and global level, to start taking real ambitious steps to stop climate change, in line with science?
“Realistically, things won’t change until the UK government starts to enforce changes. The simple provision of symbolic incentives just won’t cut it anymore. What needs to happen now, at a national level, is for politicians to stop selfishly thinking about 5-year political terms and start thinking in terms of generations. If politicians were less concerned about votes, and more concerned about a global future, we’d be in a lot better place right now. Globally, I think the UK needs to assert itself as a frontrunner in the mitigation of climate change, leading by example in the build-up to COP16 in Cancun.”
What do you think has to happen for ordinary people, in cities, in suburbia throughout the Global North, to start making the significant changes to their day-to-day lives that will stop climate change?
“In my opinion, this is a simple matter of attitude change, with the real tragedy being that for many wealthy people in the Global North, it may take a devastating effect of climate change to truly encourage a tangible degree of action. Obviously, this is a worst-case scenario, and what we need to collectively achieve is an inspiration of the masses. I think people respond really positively to seeing another’s passion in a cause. More often than not, this is the most feasible way of affecting change in others. I also believe that people need to be given a chance to change. A basic green infrastructure needs to be put in place and developed to the point that people don’t have the option not to act. Ignorance of climate change, and an unwillingness to contribute to its mitigation needs to rapidly become a societal taboo.”
What can we do as ordinary citizens to affect change?
“Predominantly, I think it’s a case of spreading the message. Ordinary people respond best to hearing about the issues from a friend. Obviously, action needs to be taken as well. This needn’t necessarily be drastic, at least not right away. You’re unlikely to be able to suddenly overnight switch to leading a completely sustainable lifestyle. Again, it comes back to attitude. People need to not overlook the small actions. If everyone washed their dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher; if everyone turned the lights off when they leave the room; if everyone wore an extra layer instead of cranking up the heating – it would cumulatively amount to a huge action.”
What would you like to add?
“Well, without deliberately sounding like a stuck-record, please do get involved and start making a difference. Ride Planet Earth is a great example of the amazing resources that are in place nowadays to help inspire and help facilitate.
Also, I’d like to say that if anyone did want to follow the progress of my expedition, the best way to do so is via my twitter feed (www.twitter.com/EcoTrek2010). Also, if you feel inclined to support the charity SolarAid, please feel free to donate at www.justgiving.com/EcoTrek2010.”
Kim Nguyen