How was Brita Climate Ride 2008?

As leader of Team RTC, Kartik Sribarra blogged about the experience of Climate Ride on the Climate Ride blog. Below is his post after the final day.
 
Sept. 26 - Hard to believe, but Climate Ride 2008 is over - for us riders, at least. I'm sure the (outstanding) staff will still be going strong for the next several days. Plus, each rider has taken home a wealth of knowledge, experience and support to continue the fight well into the future until we succeed.

But for a moment, allow me to look back. I haven't been able to post from the road for the past few days, so let's catch up!

The total five-day ride was, in a word, spectacular. The riders were an extremely committed bunch, running the gamut from committed climate change advocates to those new to the movement but no less concerned about climate change. The conversations I mentioned in my last post continued on issues as diverse (yet clearly interrelated) as food, transportation and residential energy efficiency.

There was no lack of diversity in the formal presentations, either. We heard from MIT's Greenhouse Gamblers team of riders, who discussed the gambling wheel as a metaphor for the risks we are taking with our climate's solvency. Mike Tidwell, from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, gave a powerful call to action, relaying his own personal transformation from a freelance writer and world traveler to inspiring climate change advocate. Janet Larson of the Earth Policy Institute spoke about both the urgency and viability of addressing climate change.

And Keith Laughlin, president of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, explained why it's crucial that the movement to curb climate change include reform of the United States transportation system. He illustrated how we need to move from a car-dominated monoculture to a diverse system that provides Americans with a choice in how they get around most efficiently, be that by trails, walking or biking, transit and even the car.

Our ride and its message received a great deal of attention. The CBS Morning Show aired a segment of many riders preparing to depart New York on Saturday morning. Plus, Climate Ride co-founder Caeli Quinn, Wood Turner of Climate Counts, and Team RTC member Jim Rucquoi were interviewed live on a morning TV program in Lancaster, Pa.

	Top: RTC Team member Jenny Nordstrom and her companion polar bear start the ride in New York. Bottom: Matthew Modine with the Climate Riders.

Speaking of Team RTC - what a bunch! I'm honored to have met these great folks: Jenny Nordstrom from Washington, D.C., who effectively carried me to the finish line with her limitless energy that might just be the real alternative to coal-powered plants; Don Hess from Lancaster, Pa., whose quiet manner often kept us focused; Dave Hearne from Vermont, with his scientific mind, ever-present laughter and piston-like legs; Dan Sheesley, the sole recumbant cyclist on the ride who commutes daily on the Capital Crescent Trail and is working to provide a safe world for his grandchildren; and, of course, Jim Rucquoi who, at 70, was the oldest Climate Rider (sorry, Jim!), but whose youthful energy was not to be surpassed - and whose "Mother" (inflatable Earth ball) made a few cameos on the trip as well!

And finally, we arrived in our nation's capital. What a cacophony! Shouting, cheering, bells and horns ringing and honking, applauding, cars honking, police officers waving, and arms raised high as we completed the ride. We arrived on the Senate Lawn and, after many, many victory laps, we rallied behind Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas.) in their calls for strong climate change legislation.

So there you have it! The riding and views were spectacular, the hills were brutal, the people were inspirational, the message was urgent and the support was priceless.

Enormous thanks to Caeli Quinn and Geraldine Carter, Climate Ride co-founders, for putting on a great event. Their energy, warmth and vision resulted in an outstanding experience, the ripples of which will spread for months and years to come.

Climate Riders with founders Geraldine Carter, Caeli Quinn, and Team RTC leader Kartik Sribarra on the Senate Lawn after completing Brita Climate Ride 2008.