Brita Climate Ride Recap

Sometimes I’m not as lazy as some might think. Last week I participated, along with 100 other riders, in a 5-day, 300-mile bike ride from New York City to Washington DC to raise awareness about climate change and press for action. The 2008 Brita Climate Ride raised over $200,000 for organizations such as Clean Air Cool Planet and Focus The Nation that are on the front lines on these issues. Those of us who rode were a diverse lot. Environmental leaders like Randy Swisher of the American Wind Energy Association and Wood Turner of Climate Counts rode as did up and coming leaders from innovative organizations like 1Sky, 350, and PowerVote, all of which are heavily invested in inspiring our nation’s youth to participate in change. Non-activists of all ages biked too. In fact one woman, who was biking together with her daughter, celebrated her 60th birthday on the day we set out early from Valley Forge, PA and crossed through the Amish country in Lancaster County.

On Wednesday, when all 100 of us finally reached Washington DC and bicycled up Constitution Avenue past the presidential monuments and the White House and on to the Capitol building to call upon Congress to act on these issues, I felt proud (and immense relief) for having made it and such deep respect for my fellow riders as I reflected upon the brutal hills we had climbed and those early 5am wake-ups when we would pack up our tents and gear long before first light. Most importantly, the ride was super fun – a true celebration of possibility and I believe demonstrated that fighting for what you believe in can bring out your best and also be undertaken in a spirit of adventure. The ride will take place again, possibly this Spring, so there will be an opportunity for even more of us to become Climate Riders.

-- Josh