DARREN CLARKSON
Our pledge an open letter
Let me know your thoughts – Darren Clarkson .
What will be your pledge ?
How will you travel for adventure ?
How will you buy ?
How will you promote a greener message ?
We cannot roll over and hide from this , we are all responsible , and if I had kids , I ’ d love for them to have a future .
I do not need another piece of plastic in my garage Every weekend hundreds , if not thousands , of kayakers drive the highways and byways in the UK and around the world , chasing the rain as it cascades as rivers and flows down the mountains and the valley below . Our sport is heavily petroleum-based and intrinsically linked to the fossil fuel industry .
We think we are eco-warriors , a stop the dam campaign , a local river clean up . That ’ s not enough , is it ? But it sure is a start . It sure is a way for action . We can make each small step towards a better adventure count . We can all make choices ; we can all mitigate ; we can all plan for a more sustainable future . These are just some avenues to consider , just some ways we can all make a personal pledge going forward .
“ As kayakers , canoeists , and river lovers , we are gifted a privileged perspective on our waterways , witnessing the wonders they offer first-hand , often in ways the bankbound can ’ t even dream of . But with that privilege comes duty . As well as seeing the beauty , we are first on the scene to see the threats our free-flowing rivers are under . From an individual ’ s trash to water companies using rivers as sewers , from agricultural run off to multinationals damming the flow in the pursuit of profit , we are uniquely placed to see the threats and their effects on the places we love . These threats have solutions , from grabbing that plastic bottle floating in the eddy to engaging our political figures in representing our wild places . Whatever your waterway , and whatever your sport , if you play , you must protect .” Tom Laws –
https :// saveourrivers . org
Perhaps we need to do more to protect our future . Perhaps , just perhaps , we can look at our footprint ( let ’ s use that word as we seem to understand it ) and how our participation impacts our environment . Our C02 ( e ) footprint is massive and getting bigger and bigger . I could write this article about the percentage and the numbers , but those that care will already know this or ask the right questions to the industry , and those in denial will skip past it anyway .
Can we wean ourselves off the want to get new gear ? Can we all make better choices in how we interact with the environment around us ? Can we make better choices in how we participate in our sport ? We are not separate from it ; we are part of it . I know I have taken flights around the globe . I know I accepted new boats and kit before my old stuff wore out when my sponsor sent me the latest colours / model . I ’ ve refused stuff over the last few years , refused flights , refused new . It ’ s a conscious choice that suits me – but may not suit others .
“ For sure , the paddlesport industry ’ s existence creates pollution ; the big question is how can we reduce it as much as possible ? Modern boat-making facilities are more efficient than older factories , this is a good step forward , but the heaviest pollution comes from transport ; how do paddlers get to the river ? How often do they drive , and how far ? This situation has got worse , not better ; how many paddlers take their car to the river and do not share lifts or , like in the old days , use a minibus and trailer to get everyone to the river ? Recently we saw eight paddlers from the same club arrive at a river two hours ’ drive away from their home town ; they arrived in eight cars . This is the easiest way we can cut carbon output right now .
“ Also , it ’ s important to make people aware of the situation regarding pollution and environmental damage ; this is why Spade Kayaks are a member of the “ 1 % for the planet ” movement . It means we are helping fund green projects and creating awareness with our customers that our sport creates an environmental impact .
“ Raising awareness , making boats efficiently and improving how we get to the river is key to doing what we can as an industry .” Hans Mayer – Spade Kayaks
If we are only to look at our boats , how often do people buy new plastic kayaks to make themselves feel better , without the skills making them better ? Does it make a difference to our skills and mostly our enjoyment if we paddle a kayak that is five or ten years old ? One we buy used ? Although I know some plastic becomes brittle with age – perhaps the industry can rectify this . Like we all are , I am aware that we have advancements in outfitting and cockpit sizes , with safety year in and year out – most of these are minor . It ’ s the trends that change . We drive our vehicles we burn fossil fuels . Do people run or cycle the shuttle ?
OK , I could be wrong about this – I ’ m OK to preach about the destruction of our planet in the CO2 ( e )