zero carbon roadshow in the chaos

Thursday 14.38pm (Central European time)

Well we did it!!! I arrived in Brussels, bags packed waiting by the train door ready to pounce on a taxi, but the carriage door wouldn’t open so we all had to stand there hemmed in before we could shuffle back through a couple of the carriages behind us to get out. However, We made it!! I made it to the EU parliament just after noon and Gunnar arrived 20 minutes later. It was well worth the effort, our MEP host Jill Evans was so pleased to se us arrive. The guests had travelled a long way, and had waited patiently for an extra 3/4 an hour to hear us. I worked through the ZCB2030 report then Gunnar followed on with his scenario for the whole EU-27. We managed to get an hour’s extension on the room allocation so there was plenty of questions from the audience who included researchers, NGO’s regional planers and Greenpeace Europe. One of Jill Evan’s team took a photo, so I asked him to email it back to CAT, as it might be a while before I get to the internet. Around 2ish I took a taxi back to Brussels Midi railway station, I suspected things might be a little chaotic there, so I thought I might get in the queue early.

Thursday 14.35 pm (Central European time)

Oh my goodness! Its only snow, but it is amazing how quickly and easily the thin veil of modernity melts into the chaos of a human soup. The weather has thrown the Eurostar into turmoil; there are literally hundreds and hundreds of people in all sorts of queues and clusters. No one seems to quite know what is going on. Well over half the ‘homebound’ trains have been cancelled and apparently it’s snowing heavily in to the south of London. I think every one it playing it by ear and I wonder if I will get back tonight?

Thursday 16.50 pm (Central European time)

It’s almost two hours and a half on and I am still here. I asked around until I found the queue for people with tickets for the 18.59 train, as always there is texture in this chaos. Someone announced a train would soon be reaching us from London and would then be cleaned and ready for boarding for the return journey. There was another announcement, first in French, then German then English. They are only accepting tickets for the two trains before mine, so I must wait.

Thursday 17.37 pm (Central European time)

It is very humbling to queue, especially when you really need what you are queuing for. I really want to get back for the Campaign against Climate Change’s march, where I have been asked to speak.

Thursday 17.45 pm (Central European time)

I know I haven’t really been here all that long, just over 3 hours – but times such as these you gives a little tiny sliver of an understanding how it must be to live outside our safe, secure bubble – like out there in the real world where most people on earth live and where you might have to queue to get water, food or escape a war. It always amazes me how patient and honest people can be once the going gets a little tough. No one is losing their tempers, and Eurostar the staff are clearly working very hard under significant strain. But it does show just how vulnerable we all are and how a little weather can melt the veneer to close airports, stop trains and throw everyone into disorder. Few more days of this and the food would be getting a bit thin of the ground. I wish I had a camera with me…

Thursday 18.40 pm (Central European time)

It was well worth queuing patiently for three and a half hours. After all the 16.59 and 17.59 passenger boarded, here were a few spare places on the train that were finally opened up to 18.59 ticket holders and I was near enough the front to get one. I am now through to the departure lounge, but there has just been and announcement the train has been delayed and won’t be able to leave for another hour and a quarter. I wonder if it will go at all?? They are handing out free water, which is nice, but there’s no savoury food for sale and I am starving, I haven’t really eaten since my 6.45am breakfast. The waiting audience had devoured the buffet lunch, and all I got were a few little petit fours. Now I am surrounded by nothing but the Belgian chocolate and syrup waffles for sale in the station. A man cannot live on cake alone.

17.34pm (Central European time)

I am on a train, and it’s moving. It’s packed to the brim, there’s no food or drink (I am really hungry now) But I am on a train and it’s moving and I am very grateful.

18.12pm (Central European time)

To get the train in and out of Brussels as quickly as possible, they quite wisely didn’t bother re-stocking the bar. But its full of people drinking the free water that is the only thing being offered by the very helpful trains staff. Everyone is talking telling tales of how they would run the railway. This is my kind of bar.

20. 46pm (Somewhere between Central European & Greenwich mean time)

I am on a train, it’s under the channel tunnel and it has stopped moving. The train ahead of us has broken down. The plan is that we are going to cross over to the other, france bound track and over-take it.

21.26pm (Somewhat nearer Greenwich mean time)

We have just overtaken the broken train, but one of our two engines has broken as well now, but we are still moving, albeit very slowly and we should clear the tunnel entrance in a short while.

23.15pm (Greenwich mean time)

Back at St Pancras, my batteries are failing so I can’t write much more. A bag of chips then bed.