SPIFY VIDEO PROMOTES NEXT YEAR'S EVENT

Climate Ride 2008, a Big Success

By Bill Schneider, 12-15-08

	Climate Ride 2008 converging on the Capital.

With the first Climate Ride under their Spandex and booked as a big success, the founders and organizers, two Montana women, are already working hard on the next year’s event.

To promote Climate Ride 2009, they did a spiffy video on five-day, 300-mile Climate Ride 2008. Be forewarned, though. This video might be beneficial to your health and the planet’s, too, because it will likely make you spring up from your computer and start training for next September’s sequel.

Click here to see the seven-minute video.

This September about 120 cyclists rode together from New York City to the U.S. Capital Building in Washington, D.C.  They rode from the skyscrapers of New York through the beautiful countryside in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, across the iconic Delaware River, along rolling hills in Valley Forge National Park, and spent a scenic day in Amish Country before converging on the Capital to show their support for efforts to address climate change.

Each evening, expert speakers met with Climate Riders to discuss the science, policies and issues surrounding climate change and renewable energy.  Upon the Climate Riders’ triumphant arrival in Washington D.C., they had the opportunity to meet personally with their senators and representatives.

Last year’s event raised funds for two nonprofits, Clean Air-Cool Planet (Connecticut) and Focus the Nation (Oregon).  This year, Climate Ride will once again benefit these two organizations.

According to a press release sent out by the founders, Geraldine Carter of Missoula and Caeli Quinn of Whitefish, Climate Ride 2008 was the first, multi-day group ride to address climate change and renewable energy issues.

“Climate Ride also endeavors to show that the bicycle is the ultimate carbon-free machine and a viable form of transportation,” they said in the release.  “Our riders pedal all day and then have the opportunity to hear from some the brightest minds in climate change and renewable energy in the evening.  Our riders finish Climate Ride with an in-depth understanding of climate issues and are inspired to rally friends and family to help resolve the most important issue facing humanity.”

If you read about the 100-rider limit for the 2008 ride, don’t fret; there will be no such limit next year, Quinn told NewWest.Net. “We hope the Climate Ride inspires 1,000 people to ride their bicycles to Washington,” she said. “Bring it on. We can handle it.”

For more on the Climate Ride and to sign up for next year, click here.

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