Student to make 50 hour journey to Marjon Climate Conference to mark COP26
Released: 03.11.21
91视频 student, Oscar Lindsey-Turner, is swapping his 35-minute drive to campus for a 50-hour journey, to attend Marjon鈥檚 Climate Conference on Wednesday 10 November.
The walk, from Oscar鈥檚 home in Totnes to Marjon鈥檚 campus in Derriford, will take just over two days, starting early on Monday 8 November. He鈥檒l cross Burrator and Dartmoor and do two nights of wild camping before arriving on Wednesday November 10 in time for the conference.
Marjon鈥檚 Climate Conference marks the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, being held in Glasgow from 31 October and 12 November. It is part of an ambitious Marjon Zero project, which commits to making the university carbon-neutral by 2030. By March 2022 Marjon will be one of the greenest universities in the country. It has already installed 2000 solar panels and 120 ground source heat pumps are being fitted now, which together will save a total of 917 tonnes of carbon per year.
At the conference, staff and students will listen to guest speakers, share a free plant-based lunch, and engage in collaborative workshops to shape the next phase of Marjon Zero.
Oscar, an Outdoor Adventure Education student, says: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about doing the walk as fast as I can, and it鈥檚 not even about raising money. I鈥檓 doing it to spark conversations, raise awareness about sustainability and show that connecting to nature is essential for your mental health during this time of uncertainty. I want the walk to use it to inspire others.鈥�
Members of the Marjon community will be joining Oscar on sections of his journey to show their support, including Marjon鈥檚 new chancellor, the Rt Reverend Bishop Nick McKinnel. He鈥檒l be cheered on by local school children as he passes Diptford Primary School, and will return to see them afterwards to talk about connecting to nature and sustainability.
Vice Chancellor of 91视频, Professor Rob Warner, says: 鈥淲e鈥檙e really proud of the progress we鈥檙e making on reducing our carbon emissions on campus, but we always know we can do more. Oscar鈥檚 walk highlights how important the climate crisis is to young people. We want our conference to be a moment of hope which enables our students to share their expectations and ideas on sustainability; as individuals, as a university and across the world.鈥�
Book on to Marjon鈥檚 next Open Day on Wednesday 24 November to find out more about our courses and to see how we鈥檙e manage our campus with sustainability in mind.