Bill Bradlee and David Kroodsma.
What work do you do? How does it relate to the environment?
David: Over the past 17 months, I bicycled from California to the southern tip of Argentina to raise awareness of the international consequences of global warming. I gave talks, visited schools, got in the media, and posted information in my blog, with the hope that Americans would look outside our borders and follow along. I was far more successful than I expected, appearing in the national media of almost every country I biked in, visiting about 60 schools, and having thousands follow me on the website.
I knew, though, that if I really wanted to make a difference about global warming, I would have to bike across the U.S. Via the internet and some referrals, I met Bill, who was interested in the same project.
What are you working on at the moment? Any major projects?
Some local press for Kroodsma.
Photos: rideforclimate.com
Bill: We have started Ride for Climate USA. It's a bicycle tour to educate about the science and impacts of global warming and encourage action. We'll be starting the U.S. ride on April 21 at the Old North Church in Boston, the same place where Paul Revere began his ride. We're giving presentations at businesses, schools, congregations, and other spots all along our route. We'll also be keeping a blog and coordinating some group rides. Here's the route and schedule.
How do you get to work?
Bill: We quit our jobs to take on this project because we feel this issue is so important and we're at a key moment to make change. We'll be bicycling to each talk. No support vehicle -- just two bicycles laden with 80 pounds of gear, including a laptop for our presentations.
What long and winding road led you to your current position?
Bill: When I started graduate school I got a work-study job with an amazing forest-canopy scientist who founded a nonprofit to promote education and conservation around forests. I worked with several other nonprofit organizations learning about the science and politics of global warming. Most recently I learned about reaching out to the faith community through my work as managing director of the Interfaith Power & Light project.
David: During my senior year in college, I studied abroad in Chile and was shocked by a developing economy. I've spent a lot of time since then thinking about how 6.5 billion people can share this planet. I returned to Stanford and got a master's of science in Earth Systems studying global warming and the carbon cycle, issues that I see as central to this question of how we will live on this planet. Afterwards I worked in a lab for my adviser on a project that attempts to figure out the potential effects of global warming on grassland ecosystems in California.
Who is your environmental hero?
A long slog uphill for climate.
Bill: My environmental heroes are the scientists at Real Climate. Scientists often don't interact well with the public or policy sphere. But times are changing and we live in a world where global environmental issues require all of us to better understand the science behind them so that we can make informed decisions. These guys help break through the ivory-tower barrier and explain the science of climate change to those who can't spend all day reading scientific journals.
My other heroes are every person out there who lives a simple, joyful life. They get no recognition for it, but they are great role models for the rest of us.
David: I have to agree with Bill, and especially on Real Climate. Visiting their site always makes me feel good -- they are people trying to communicate as clearly as possible what we know.
What's your environmental vice?
Bill: Exhaling carbon dioxide, but I refuse to give it up for another 40 years or so.
David: Small portable electronics. I'm not sure exactly how it's bad for the environment, but I feel like something about it is unsustainable.
What's your favorite meal?
David: Anything with lots of calories -- after a few hours of biking, nothing beats a liter of chocolate milk.
What's your favorite place or ecosystem?
Bill: The lichen- and moss-festooned Western red cedar and Western hemlock forests of the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, the Elwha region of the Olympics, which used to be home -- and may be again someday -- of 100-pound salmon.
David: The redwood forests between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. There are windy one-lane roads that let you bike right next to the giant trees.
If you could institute by fiat one environmental reform, what would it be?
Bill: Every product over a certain dollar amount must have a sticker like a nutritional label on food. The sticker helps show the true ecological costs of the product. It could list things such as the energy used around shipping and production, where the raw materials came from, etc.
David: Repeal all subsidies for fossil fuels.
Who was your favorite musical artist when you were 18? How about now?
Bill: When I was 18: Pink Floyd. Now: independent musicians who don't have an advertising budget but have unbelievable talent. Groups like Session Americana and The Resophonics out of Boston, and singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey out of Milwaukee, who will be doing a music tour by bicycle this fall.
If you could have every InterActivist reader do one thing, what would it be?
Bill: Ride your bicycle! And also support your local bicycle-advocacy organization, because they help make sure bicycling is a safe and viable form of transportation.
David: Yes, there is something wrong about a place where it's not safe to bike. What if we all supported bike lanes and bike use?
How do I get people to stop making excuses and start riding bicycles instead of driving? -- Ben Martin, Wallingford, Conn.
Bill Bradlee and David Kroodsma, Ride for Climate USA.
David: The best advice is probably to get involved with your local bicycle-advocacy group and push for infrastructure for bicycles. Small changes will make people feel much safer on the road, and all it takes is some organization and some people to show up to the town meetings. It has little to do with weather or topography -- San Francisco is a hilly city, yet has great bicycle advocacy and bike lanes. In Amsterdam, The Netherlands, it can be cold and rainy, yet over one-third of the people commute to work on bikes. It is possible, but we need to make it safer and easier.
Bill: As David said, working with your local bicycle organization -- donating, volunteering -- is a good way to help make bicycling better and more accessible in your community, and also to make it more visible. And you might try frequently asking about the price of gas and then casually mentioning that you were just wondering because you never go to a gas station.
I love what you're doing and would like to send a donation. Where can I send you guys money? Also, will you come to Vancouver? -- Erica Frank, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
David: Thanks Erica. You can donate via PayPal, or by sending a check to David Kroodsma, 36 Kettle Pond Rd., Amherst, Mass. We do need donations to help us, especially if we are going to do the return trip across the southern U.S. -- that part of the trip will require financial support because we'll be out of money at that point.
Bill: If you donate, you'll get listed on the website alongside a lot of generous people who have already helped out. We are a small group of volunteers and none of the money goes to paying salaries or office space. We're trying to cover most of the costs of the trip itself -- outreach materials, cell-phone bills, web hosting, and lots of carbs -- and anything we don't cover comes out of our savings.
I would love to bicycle to Vancouver. On this trip we can't get quite that far north, but maybe that could be Ride for Climate Canada!
I am leaving within the month for a partial cross-America bicycle trip. Any hints as far as necessities that I may have forgotten, especially as pertains to desert night riding? -- Steve Sutton, Costa Mesa, Calif.
David: I would recommend desert night biking only when there is no traffic. The best desert riding is when you can turn off the lights and use the moon; I did this across parts of the Atacama desert in Chile, and this was some of my favorite riding. As for what to bring crossing the country: I have seen so many different styles of bike touring, from those who carry just a credit card to those who carry everything including an axe to split wood for a campfire. You need to figure out what suits you best. I recommend a down sleeping bag, a lightweight tent (our sponsor Tarptent has my favorite), and a soda-can alcohol stove to keep your bike light.
Bill: I keep asking for people's No. 1 suggestion. A few I have received are waterproof socks or shoe covers, a long-sleeved white wicking shirt for sun protection even in heat, and plenty of chamois butter.
What are the most bike-friendly cities you've come across? Least bike-friendly? -- Jessica Case, Phoenix, Ariz.
David: In my trip from San Francisco to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, I biked across Los Angeles; Mexico City; Bogota, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; Manaus, Brazil; Lima, Peru; La Paz, Bolivia; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The best city to bike was Bogota, where there are over 100 miles of dedicated bike routes. Bogota also has excellent new public transit, and, one day a year, they celebrate a "day without a car," when no one uses a personal vehicle. You can see what I wrote about Bogota on my blog.
The worst city to bike was Los Angeles. The cars were larger and drove faster than any other city, and finding secondary routes was extraordinarily difficult. Following the "bike route" I was more scared than most non-bike routes in Latin America. Here's one blog entry on Los Angeles, and here's another.
Bill: Where's Laurie David when you need her?
Can you tell me more about bicycle-advocacy organizations, like how to find one near me or how I can get involved? I get depressed by the resistance of the money-grubbing, non-bike-riding white men who plan my state's streets and highways. -- Name not provided
Bill: Thunderhead Alliance is a good resource because it lists bicycle-advocacy organizations by state. To get involved, you can volunteer your time or donate money. You can also do things like write letters to the editor of your local newspaper.
Some other good bicycle websites include the Biking Bis blog, Adventure Cycling Association, Bikes Belong Coalition, and League of American Bicyclists.
Where is the most beautiful place you've ever biked? -- Michael Stout, Claremont, Calif.
David: On my past journey, some of my favorite places to ride include Baja California in Mexico, Gran Sabana of Venezuela, the Cordillera Blanca of Peru, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, and the Carretera Austral in southern Chile.
Bill: There used to be a semi-paved road that led into the Carbon River Valley entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. Alongside the road are huge old-growth trees. It's an amazing spot, but I think the road washed out from extreme weather events last winter. You can't blame any single weather event on global warming, but if I were taking bets ...
First off, you're both a true inspiration. It's always been a dream of mine to do something similar to your current trip. Can you describe the route you're taking (including average daily mileage) and some of the natural surroundings along the way you think will most easily demonstrate the impacts of global climate change? And can interested cyclists join up with you for a leg of the journey and provide any organizing support around that? -- Andrew Burkhalter, Seattle, Wash.
Bill: We're planning to highlight places and people along the way that have been (and will be) impacted by global warming. We have some ideas, such as visiting glaciers and wind farms, but we also want to talk with people along the route and see where they lead us and what they have to say about it.
David: A good day of bike touring is between 50 and 60 miles, which we will do on most full days of riding. Our route is best shown here. You can zoom in on the map and get a feel for where we are stopping, and then look at our events to see when we plan to be in these places. We will be biking across the northern U.S. from Boston to San Francisco and, if we get help, we'll return along the southern end of the country.
We are fairly hesitant to have people join us for long stretches, as we'll be staying in people's houses and can't have a big group. However, we are working with organizations to plan a number of organized rides into and out of cities. We have a group of people joining us to bike out of Boston Saturday morning (meeting at North Church at 8:45 a.m., if anyone's interested), as well as group rides in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Amherst, Mass.; New York City; and Chicago. If we're biking into your city, look to see if there is a ride or help us get one together! We want to work with organizations to coordinate big group rides in West Coast cities too. If you're interested, contact us.
And, finally, if it's your dream to do something similar, figure out how to do it!
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