Bozeman News

Bicyclists Fighting Global Warming

Pedal Power: Ride for Climate USA Rolls Across Country

By David Nolt, 7-19-07

Cyclists David Kroodsma and Bill Bradlee are riding across the country to raise awareness and action on climate change, and they will be making an overnight stop in Bozeman, 2,700 miles from their Boston launch on their Ride for Climate, USA.

Kroodsma and Bradlee are stopping along the way to present talks and facilitate discussion on climate change. They will be presenting at the Bozeman Public Library tonight at 5:30 p.m.

Kroodsma recently biked from California to the southern tip of South America to raise awareness on the global implications of climate change, and he says the U.S. tour is a way to get the word out in a country uniquely poised to address climate change.

“We have a special ability as Americans,” Kroodsma says. “Not only because we are the largest single producer of carbon emissions, but also because we are a world leader.”

Kroodsma earned a masters in environmental science from Stanford University. Bradlee, who holds a masters in environmental studies from Evergreen State University in Washingston, has 14 years of experience working for non-profits on climate change issues. While working in San Francisco, he heard about Kroodsma’s South American ride and the two eventually touched base while Kroodsman was in Colombia and began planning the North American trip.

The cyclists started their U.S. tour at the Old North Church—where Paul Revere began his famous ride—in Amherst, Massachusetts on April 21, 2007. They plan to pedal over 5,000 miles by the time they roll in to San Francisco in September, finishing the first leg of their tour. The second leg, still being planned, will go from San Francisco to the southern tip of Florida.

Bicycles were an obvious choice of transportation for the two cyclists, but Kroodsma says there is much more to their trip than just cycling.

“Yes, we are bicycling to make a statement about transportation, but it’s not the only reason…We are using bicycles as a way to see the country and talk to every town we can.”

Bradlee adds, “A major part of this is to understand the things that we are dealing with in this country. It’s a big, diverse country. We’re trying to figure out how we can come together on issues and figure out solutions that work for everybody.”

A recent stay at a Wyoming ranch proved to be a perfect opportunity to learn about the complexities of the problem of addressing climate change. The cyclists were able to discuss some of the issues facing western ranchers like drought and the continual need for fuel on the ranch. Bradlee says it was a great example of how solutions for fighting global warming cannot be one-size-fits-all and must involve broad groups of citizens from every facet of the country and economy.

Kroodsma and Bradlee focus on three main points in their talks on global warming:  science; impacts; and solutions. Kroodsma says even the simplest thing, like replacing every household light bulb with an energy efficient bulb, can affect big changes, both environmentally and economically. 

“You save $30 for every light bulb you change,” Kroodsma says.

The talks focus on “where you can get the biggest bang for your buck,” tackling what they say is a major misconception about addressing global warming. Though costs may seem high at the outset, they say better technologies, conservation and efficiency will pay off in the end.

“We are very clear that the science is in on global warming [and human-induced causes], but it’s clear to us we should be implementing these solutions anyway,” Kroodsma says.

Kroodsma and Bradlee both say, despite a well-funded corporate disinformation campaign, Americans are really beginning to understand the reality of the far-reaching implications of global warming and its causes. Nowhere is it more evident than in the homes and communities they are visiting along their trip.

“There is much more support for the actions we are talking about than I think people realize,” Bradlee says. “The solutions come more naturally once people have a basic understanding of the problem and impacts.”

“It’s a complicated issue,” Kroodsma says. “It requires changing a large portion of our economic system in the long run…We focus on three main things:  conserving energy; using energy efficiently; and supporting renewables…People need to contact their legislators. We need to ask for these technologies.”

Bradlee says, though the Bush Administration has not addressed the global warming, states like California are leading the way. California recently passed legislation setting a goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent of 2000 levels by 2050. “This was done by a Republican governor in the sixth largest economy in the world,” Bradlee highlights.

Kroodsma says he deeply laments the fact that people see global warming as a political issue, but he says the sea change of attitudes in the U.S. is evident in the 2008 presidential race.

“Every realistic candidate is taking it much more seriously,” Kroodsma explains.

The first leg of the Ride for Climate USA will conclude in San Francisco with a group ride across the Golden Gate Bridge on September 15, 2007. For the time being, Kroodsma’s and Bradlee’s focus is on Montana where they will continue to spread the word about what they feel is the world’s most pressing issue.

“This is an issue that humanity has never faced before, an issue of global scale,” Bradlee says.

You can find out about how to begin facing global warming and more about the Ride for Climate USA at www.rideforclimate.com. The Ride for Climate USA presentation in Bozeman is on Thursday, July 19 at the Bozeman Public Library at 5:30 p.m. Interested cyclists are also invited to ride along with Kroodsma and Bradlee when they leave Bozeman on their way to Helena (7/22), Canyon Creek (7/24), Ovando (7/25) and Missoula (7/26 & 27).

This article was originally published in the Livingston Weekly, Southwestern Montana’s only Alternative Newsweekly.  The Weekly is distributed Thursdays throughout Park and Gallatin Counties or online at livingstonweekly.com

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