Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I’m Jake Robinson, ecologist and PhD researcher.

In June 2020, I’m going to cycle from Sheffield to London
(300km) in 3 days. I will then shoot over to the Netherlands on the train/ferry and cycle to Amsterdam to attend a planetary health conference––not quite as impressive as Greta Thunberg’s epic transatlantic mission, I know, but please read on! :-)

Sure, it’s going to take longer than if I drove or caught a flight
(which I admittedly did too much of in 2019) but that’s okay. I’ve chosen unsustainable travel options in the past and on countless occasions, but I am trying to shift my perspective to better align my actions with my values. I’m adopting the view that it’s okay for travelling to take longer. The journey can be part of the adventure, instead of simply a means to an end. The journey could also bring some hidden personal and planetary health benefits…

My key aims are:

1. To raise money for an awesome not-for-profit organisation called Sustrans, which “supports people, in their communities, to have the opportunity and ability to walk, cycle, scoot or wheel”.
2.  To raise awareness of the benefits and importance of active and sustainable travel.
3. To reduce my personal (adverse) environmental impact, and align my actions with my values.

Many thanks for your donations – I am incredibly grateful!!

Please read on to find out more about why I chose to do this
fundraiser…

Sustrans create places that are walkable and
cycle-friendly, and they are a not-for-profit organisation. They support people, in their communities, to have the opportunity and ability to walk, cycle, scoot or wheel. Sustrans also work with decision-makers to create policies that make walking and cycling a more attractive choice (https://www.sustrans.org.uk/about-us/). All of these things help people to choose active travel,
thus improving health whilst reducing carbon emissions!

The current biodiversity and climate crises are putting the planet at great risk. Ecosystem health is the foundation for human health (the holistic philosophical term for this is ‘planetary health’) and yet we are driving the breakdown of our ecosystems through processes such as habitat destruction, and pollution via industrial practices and unsustainable transportation. The degradation of ecosystems (including all of the amazing biodiversity) is responsible for a large chunk of our global emissions––and to rub the salt in the wound, global emissions themselves are further degrading our ecosystems. All of these factors are detrimental to human health. It’s all connected in a complex web of determinants and processes that each one of us influence to some degree.

Choosing more sustainable travel options such as a train
instead a car (or an airplane) can help to reduce our impact on the environment with indirect benefits to human health.

Better still, choosing active travel (such as a bicycle, or walking) instead of using a car can significantly reduce our carbon emissions­­––and can bring more immediate benefits to our mental and physical health. This is a relatively simple action but with huge potential benefits for ourselves and the planet!

Sure, it is probably going to take longer to get to our destination by travelling by bike instead of car (unless you live in a city, in which case commuting by bike can be quicker than by car!), or by train instead of a plane. But the journey can be a far more enriching and valuable experience – we just need a shift in mindset to let the journey be part of the adventure, instead of simply a means to an end.

It may not always be possible, or even seem practical, but it may be easier than you think.

Let 2020 be the year you start choosing more sustainable and
healthy travel options, join activist groups and lobby for biodiversity and climate action!

Thanks for your support!

#2020biodiversity

#PlanetaryHealthCycle

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