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"I just hope that my swim has brought home the message that we have to do all we can to tackle climate change." Lewis Pugh

News that environmentalist, Lewis Pugh has completed his challenge to swim the length of the Thames. I have been following this story for a couple of weeks now, and meant to post updates on his progress, however, he's finished before I have even started. Oops. This was the first reference I read about his endeavour to swim the length of the Thames, some 200 miles, in order to raise awareness about climate change, related to a WWF (see links) campaign. It's from about three weeks ago in the Independent.

British-born Pugh has completed several endurance swims, and was the first person to undertake a long-distance swim in each of the five major oceans earlier this year. This journey began in Kemble, Gloucestershire and opened on foot, running the first 19 miles, since there wasn't enough water to swim. He then travelled downstream, aiming to reach the North Sea at Southend- on-Sea in Essex.

On Thursday, he broke his journey in order to pop into central London to visit Tony Blair. Here's the BBC's article about his visit, describing his brief chat with the PM and the message he delivered. Blair restated his commitment to empowering people to reduce carbon emissions, however, Pugh suggested that the head should go to the poles to see first hand the damage being done: 'I told him I wanted him to come to the Arctic or Antarctic one day because I think a world leader shold go there. He said he would love to come.' This to me seems a rather dubious course of action in trying to reduce CO2 emissions: encouraging long-haul flights? I don't see any need for our policy-makers to see the damage first-hand. That's why we have elected scientists to inform us. In any case, Pugh also told Blair about how cumbersome his journey had been made by the unexpected drought and hot weather, not least of all the lack of water forcing him to walk frequently.

On finishing the journey today, he claimed that it was the toughest of all the endurance swims he's attempted. Here's coverage of that proud moment. Here's a link to his own website, this is WWF's page dedicated to Pugh's swim.