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  Channel NewsAsia 8 Apr 07
Earth-Fire-Ice campaign to highlight global warming effects

LONDON: A South African man and his British friend have launched a campaign to highlight the fight against global warming. But instead of raising money, they are urging individuals to change their energy consumption habits.

To kick off their project, South African Ed Stumpf and his British colleague Sean Cornwell took part in the Sahara Marathon and will be running in the North Pole Marathon.

The Sahara Marathon may be the toughest race in the world, with the temperatures in the desert easily rising to over 30 Celsius even in the winter. But each year, a few hundred runners go to Algeria to compete for charity.

The race is held to raise money and awareness for the Saharawi people, refugees who were forced from their land in western Sahara 30 years ago. They continue to live in refugee camps.

This year, Ed and Sean were there in a bid to kick-start what they have called the 'Earth-Fire-Ice' campaign against global warming. Sean said desertification caused by global warming would mean that more people could find themselves suffering the harsh conditions endured by the Saharawi people.

But individuals in Europe and elsewhere could do something about it.

"There's a very common perception that only governments and businesses can make any difference in the climate change arena, that if an individual wants to make a difference, they have to make huge enormous sacrifices in their life, like 'I'm never going to fly again. I'm going to live in a hippie commune or something'.

And we're trying to show the opposite. Actually you don't have to make these huge sacrifices, and yet you can still have a significant impact," said Sean.

Sean and Ed have put around US$20,000 of their own money into the 'Earth-Fire-Ice' campaign. They have also attracted some sponsorship and hope more companies will support them. People can log on to their website at www.earthfireice.com to make a pledge to do their bit to fight global warming, and invite family and friends to do the same.

Ed is keen to stress that what the team really wants is not money, but action.

"75 per cent of the world's CO2 emissions come from the First World, and yet the effects are far and away. The most severe (effects are) in the developing world. A short trip, even our trip to the Sahara, was a kind of to push home that point. It's quite obvious. What would these people do if global climate changed?" said Ed.

Sean and Ed hope as many as one million people will join the campaign which they believe is the first to target individuals.

With one gruelling marathon behind them in the fiery desert, Ed and Sean face another on the ice. Both men will be running in the North Pole marathon this month.

While the two founders of Earth-Fire-Ice campaign are going to extremes, they are keen to stress that others do not have to in order to make an impact on global warming. - CNA/ir
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