BIKING
FOR THE PLANET
Photo by: Pat Colognesi
Climate Ride puts environmentalism on two
wheels this fall to help raise money to find new sources
of sustainable energy and combat climate change . The
fundraiser and climate conference takes place during a
300-mile bike ride from New York City to Washington DC,
September 20- 24. Money raised through the Ride will benefit
two organizations: Focus The Nation (focusthenation.org)
a Portland based initiative to support clean energy, and
Clean Air-Cool Planet (cleanair-coolplanet.org),
an organization that finds and promotes solutions to global
warming.
Blake Smith, a gay travel expert and
guide will lead 120 cyclists on the 300-mile trip. Bikers
cycle about 60 miles a day and spend the night at campgrounds
where guest speakers will educate Climate Riders about
the ozone, the Kyoto accords, and all things related
to the science and public policy of the climate crisis.
Blake Smith is excited about the ride,
which is sponsored by Brita filters. He says, "I've
always loved taking people on adventures and showing
them a great time, but this is something completely
different. I'm a huge supporter of the 'green' efforts
that are sweeping the nation and I feel this event is
a great way to raise awareness about global warming.
The Climate Ride brings together two of my deepest passions:
saving the environment and cycling. Plus, I'm excited
to bring what I'll learn on Brita Climate Ride back
to my community in Palm Springs. www.climateride2008.org
[Published:
September, 2008]
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