When you think about your reasons for walking 60km to a music festival, at some point the thought that you’re doing something epic is going to present itself. It’s adventurous, yes, but it’s more than just that. It’s the opportunity to join in the action for a good cause, by doing something adventurous. Sounded pretty good to me…
Now I can say that walking to Rocking the Daisies music festival in Darling this past weekend was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. Granted, I nearly ended it by taking part, but perhaps my survival (and the rest of the group’s) illustrates the message that was intended: extend yourself, do a little more for the environment.
If any of the 40 of us troopers were the slightest bit hazy about the message behind the walk, our confusion didn’t last long. They were words that resounded in our heads on the long and demanding stretches of road: 350.org.
350.org is a global campaign to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the scientifically-safe level of 350 parts per million (the current level is 390 parts per million) in our atmosphere. It’s the world’s biggest effort in clamping down on global warming. Representatives of the organisation assured us that our efforts for the cause were nothing short of “˜amazing’. I thought so too, initially, but now I don’t know. I think I would change that to: “˜necessary’.
There’s a lot of time to think during a two-day walk through some of the most pristine-kept open space you’ve seen. With the hot sun beating down on my skin for eight hours, I wondered what would’ve become of me if it was any hotter. I couldn’t help it. And I wondered what would’ve become of the landscape that I was falling in love with. I thought of all the other “˜amazing’ efforts taking place on 350.org’s 10.10.10 Global Work Party campaign: divers were doing day-long coral reef clean-ups, presidents were to install solar panels on the roofs of their homes, 850 universities across the globe agreed to compete in the Great Power Race, a clean energy competition. There were 7347 climate-changing actions taken in 188 countries on 10.10.10. And those were just the recorded ones. Some communities continue their efforts every single day, without fuss.
Greg Nicolson, pioneer adventurer of the event now sponsored by CultureTalent and Fruit & Veg City, probably didn’t realise the attention his initiative would receive when he walked with the first group to the festival three years ago. But the fact that it has gained attention helped put my experience in perspective. It was fun, incredible, challenging, exciting and beautiful. The people were all equally as fun, brave and appreciating of the opportunity. But through the fun, I still thought that perhaps it is necessary. Not to change the world at once, but to show people, especially keen partigoers, that it’s not impossible to give something back to, what I’m realising more everyday, is the only planet we’ll ever call home. And, following the Walking the Daisies mantra, that “˜you don’t need to destroy the environment to have a good time‘.
Thank you, Walking the Daisies, for putting the fun in changing the world one step at a time. Let’s get on to making the criteria for the most popular festival ticket of the year, “˜strictly walk-only’.
