Olympic athletes are so darn disciplined, where do they get it from?! I managed to get myself in to a contest with my friend and Olympic silver medalist Dave Calder, he’s a rower from Victoria, BC. It’s not a rowing contest, I’m not that crazy, it’s a contest to see who can accumulate the most carbon friendly transportation km’s among our friends….and he’s already in the lead

So I need your help! Project Blue Sky has a beautiful widget (look to the right to see it in my blog) that you can use to track the number of green km’s you travel, for instance biking, walking, or transit’ing.

If you don’t do it for climate change, then maybe you can do it for my ego by going to Projectbluesky.ca, signing up, joining my team named “Alternative Approach”, then entering your km’s in the cool km tracking widget, be sure to enter my team/group name ALTERNATIVE APPROACH when you do so.

I chose that team name because I’m technically classified as an alternative sport athlete, and taking transit or riding your bike to the store/work/school is an ‘alternative’ approach to driving solo in your car.

Dave is already in the lead, and I only have one week to show him how transportation saavy my friends are.

Ride ON!!

Earlier this Summer, I spent a day filming to help out with some promotion for the new Sea to Sky Trail. This multi-use trail is already open in sections and will ultimately run from Squamish to Whistler to Pemberton, and on to D’Arcy. Pretty sweet! Working with Jack Christie is always a delight, and getting to hold a boom mic for Dr. David Suzuki was an honor The team that put this promotional film together did a fantastic job. The purpose of this film is to generate interest and support for the completion of this important project; so please check it out, and picture yourself exploring by foot, bike, wheelchair, or even unicycle,  this spectacular part of the world.

We have a great program in Canada designed to get old cars off the road, and now it will help to add more bikes on them with the support of bike companies such as Norco; the initiative is called Retire Your Ride.

The President of Norco, John Williams shared recently:

“…This is a joint program with The Bicycle Trade Association of Canada, Government of Canada and The Clean Air Foundation.  Essentially anyone in Canada who scraps a pre-1995 vehicle is eligible for a $300 federal rebate that can be used towards the purchase of a new bike.  Norco has also agreed to supplement the discount on a range of bikes through participating dealers. This may get some media attention as the federal government is sponsoring this program with $92 million committed over four years.” Very cool! And if you live in the lower mainland, don’t forget to add the benefits of the Scrap It program for an extra $1200 toward a new bike, whew!!

The other item of note, locally here in Vancouver anyway, is the test trial of the conversion of a car lane on the Burrard Street Bridge to a dedicated bike lane. There is a little write-up about it on the VACC website. Of course there is some controversy; but my biased opinion sees way more positives than negatives. Lots of good news in the bike world these days!

I’ll keep this post short and sweet….

BC Bike Race:

The most beautiful, challenging, and well run adventure mt bike race in the world is happening in BC this week. On Friday, July 3rd, I’ll be doing a show at the Squamish Stage at 2pm. 

Port Moody Trials Park Grand Re-Opening:

If you live close to Vancouver and would like to try riding trials, come out on July 4th at 10am to the Port Moody Trials Park under the Murrey Street Overpass. Bring your bike and come ride some new obstacles, learn from the local pros, and eat some free food.

Yogathon:

Come join thousands of people at Thunderbird Stadium (UBC) on July 11th to raise money for kids impacted by HIV so they can go to Camp Mooba, a weeklong Summer Camp. Before and after the largest yoga practice in Canada, I’ll be doing some trials demos. Should be an incredible atmosphere! I actually just visited the kids at the camp which is close to my home in Port Moody to teach some yoga and do a trials show. They’re having some great adventures and making some good friends, smiles all around. 

Project BlueSky:

The official launch of Project Blue Sky will be happening next week, and I’m glad to be endorsing and helping spread the word. I’ll talk more about how great this project is soon, but feel free to click on the link for now…

Norco’s 2010 product launch is coming up in a couple weeks, should be a blast. Then I’m off to the Yukon for a mountain bike adventure with the Ride Guide Mountain Bike Show.

Ride On!!

Welcome to Bike to Work Week 2009!

What a fantastic time of year to be out on the road, path, or trail, riding your bike. The weather (in BC anyway) is perfect for riding, the spring flowers are in full bloom with their fragrance’s blowing in the wind; delightful in every way…well, it’s actually pouring rain this morning

May 11-17th is Bike to Work Week, a celebration to thank all the dedicated bicycle commuters and a promotion to recruit and convince potential cyclists to give it a try.

For all those folks who don’t need to commute to work every day (students, self employed, parents, or pro athletes), we’re not leaving you out, this week is still for you because you still need to go places—to get groceries, mail a letter, pick up a movie rental, or visit a friend. So why not hop on the bike this week!

Are you training for a race or do you work out at a gym?  If so, then save some time by getting your training in while you ride to work or as you ride to get all your errands done! Or, if you ride to recreate, then do it while en route to your family’s house instead of driving there. It just makes sense in so many ways!!

Now, for all the existing commuters, I think it’s safe to say we’d love to see more bikes on the road; but often when we’re racing to and from work, we enter in to battle mode, righteous bike against evil car. It’s so important to create a positive reputation for cyclists, so please obey the rules of the road, don’t blast through red lights and pull sketchy moves that freak out vehicle drivers. These may be potential cyclists, or people with political power (actually that’s all of us), so we need to be responsible; a nod, wave, or smile can go a very long way (for both the driver and you for that matter).

But sometimes vehicle drivers are irresponsible and ignorant, putting cyclists at risk. As a vehicle driver, I have been guilty of this myself—so I would still suggest that you maintain good form and trust that as long as they see you (or you make yourself noticed), that they’ll register their mistake and hopefully not do it again; but if instead you started waiving your finger, banging on their vehicle, and yelling profanities, it may trigger their road rage and possibly put them in the camp of belief that cyclists don’t belong on the road in the first place. Cycling advocacy groups don’t need any roadblocks in their already uphill battle for better cycling infrastructure! We need everyone on our side!!

Many cities have bicycle commuter stations set up along popular riding routes this week with free coffee, mechanical support, advocacy information, and general good cheer. In my own locale, Norco Bikes, Caps Westwood, and Secret Cycle will be on hand to help out at both the Port Moody and Coquitlam stations. The local VACC committee will also have fresh baked goods to share….I’m a sucker for baked goods! 

So please take advantage of Bike to Work Week (or month) and spread the good word; this officially dedicated week gives you an excuse to start a conversation with your friends, family, co-workers, and yet-to-be-involved city councils. Share your experiences and speak about the myriad benefits that come along with a cycling lifestyle. Amen to the bicycle. Ride safely. Have Fun!!

Getting youth on bikes. That’s key. You get them on bikes at a young age, and it’s in their blood forever. Bikes are a huge part of the future, whether that be for transportation or fun. Once a cyclist, always a cyclist. That’s the mission of the Sprockids program, and it’s being relaunched and rebranded in hopes of spreading to as many schools as possible. 

So I spent the last couple days visiting some schools in North and West Vancouver doing a short demo and telling them about Sprockids. Brent Martin, the man responsible for the relaunch wants to see that this 19 year old program, created by Doug Detwiller, in as many schools around the globe as possible. It’s no easy goal, but so crucial in inspiring todays sedentary youth of a life full of health, fun, and environmental stewardship. I’m sure you’ll hear more as things progress and grow.

All the best,

Ryan

Hey Folks,

The David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) is putting the pressure on John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC), to make the 2010 Winter Games carbon neutral. I recently added my signature, along with 70 other athletes, to reinforce the incredible importance such an action holds. Now it’s your turn…

When I dream of the future, there is no issue of greater concern than that of climate change. VANOC has an opportunity to inspire the world by taking action, and frankly responsibility, for the immense carbon footprint such an event leaves in it’s wake.

I am certain that in hindsight, such a decision will seem obvious to them; lets make sure they don’t have any regrets. Taking responsibility for the environment is of utmost important, and we need to let them know we believe this, and feel strongly about it. So please follow this link, and lend your name to the cause, then pass it along to your friends. It’s simple, it’s fast, and if acted on, will have a long lasting and far reaching effect on the world.

Ryan

Just trying to figure out what this coalition between Liberals and NDP is all about. Turns out it could mean some fantastic things for all Canadians, and as a progressive voter, I want to spread the good word. Please watch this video to make some sense of the situation:

Now go to the the Canadians for a Progressive Coalition website and sign the petition

For further details, check out this message from Elizabeth May of the Green Party.

If you want to do more, the Green Party is in desperate need of funds, especially now that Harper is trying to eliminate federal funding for federal political parties. Click here to donate, even if it’s just five bucks! Here’s the intro to the e-mail I recieved from the Green Party about the subject of federal funding:

Today Jim Flaherty announced that the Tories will cut the public subsidy to all federal political parties. It is disguised as a response to the economic crisis. It is actually a scheme to destroy Harper’s political opponents. It is an assault on fair financing rules brought about through sweeping reforms. These reforms were designed to eliminate the power of Big Money in our elections. Harper wants that power back… 

This petition won’t take long either, please make the time, and lend your name. If not, corporate interest could blind the Canadian public in future elections. Please click here for the petition!!

Our democracy isn’t in full working order, and Harper is  trying use the strong arm which will make it a lot worse (except for the minority of greedy conservatives).  It’s bad news all around if we don’t act now!

Sept 11, (forgot to get this posted when I landed in Vancouver from Europe)

Airtime…what do I do when sitting for ten hours on a plane? Some may think it’s a huge bore, a waste of time, which pretty much makes it a countdown to the future. This ironically and unfortunately is how many of us conduct our daily lives, always looking forward to the next moment impatiently. But the present holds tremendous opportunity no matter where you are, and it doesn’t even matter whether you have an iphone in your pocket with wi-fi reception!

So what did I do on the flight? Here’s a quick list:

• Finished reading “Zen in the Art of Archery“
• Started reading another Ken Wilber book
• Listened to some Xavier Rudd music
• Listened to the Thom Hartmann Podcast
• Listened to the Living Dialogues Podcast,
• Ate a couple specially requested vegetarian meals (a free option for any flight with food)
• Watched “The 11th Hour” on my computer (because of course no on board plane entertainment would feature such an important film)
• Had a couple short naps
• Had a bunch of silent ‘zone out’ sessions while watching the clouds below
• And did a little writing on the computer, as seen below…

I don’t want to be entertained for the sole purpose of passing the time. Time is the most precious resource we have, though most don’t take advantage of it due to the wicked consumerism cycle. What we choose to do with our spare time (and money) is more important today than ever before. Like one quote from “The 11^th Hour”, and it was actually the closing quote from film, “The Earth has all the time in the world, but we don’t”, – Oren Lyons.

How do you want to spend your time? Stuck in traffic, working long hours to pay for the car that’s bigger, the house that’s bigger, the extra stuff you have to put in it not to mention the time it takes to find and buy all that stuff. Do you want to spend the down time you do have worrying about all the stuff you have accumulated and the possibility of losing it? How do you want to spend your time? What is really important and do your actions reflect it? Maybe you’ll have “time” when you retire, if you can just make it another 3, 10, or 30 years, then it’ll all be good – big house paid off and time to travel and finally enjoy life. Yes? …NO!!!!

I am increasingly becoming tired of our cultures rampant material lifestyles and the negative effects it has. I have been as guilty as anyone, but coming to terms with the charge is the first step, and owning this truth encourages automatic right choice. 

We have to move from the black hole of Well Having to the light of Well Being!!

Watching “The 11^th Hour” has really rattled my heart, and in a great way. I can’t say how many times this happened recently as I learn more about our human predicament. My goals are being re-shaped quite rapidly, and the more I learn, the more sure I am of the direction I would like to go, and the more I am convinced that the role I play can make a difference, as can everyone in their own unique way.

Viewing this film may be scary to some, as it was for me at times, but the feeling I have is one of elation and excitement; it’s a sense of purpose I feel that I think we all can join in on. Our generation will decide what life will be like for generations to come, and it can go either way; is there a mission that is any more important than that? Where do we start though?

I would suggest simplifying and reducing our material consumption so we can afford to buy the products that are necessities, and to use that consumer power we have to send the message that we as individuals are serious about change (buying smaller houses), serious about our health (buying organic), and serious about the planet (not buying disposable ‘stuff’ we don’t need). The majority of the stuff we buy has a cradle to trash lifecycle, instead of a cradle to cradle lifecycle which needs to be the new goal.

We do have power as individuals. The power to vote when we go to the store…and of course the power to vote politically. We have an election going on here in Canada which requires great attention, as does the roller coaster American Presidential race. The potential new American V.P., Governor Sarah Palin, denies that humans have anything to do with climate change, she is as far right as it gets; can you imagine if McCain gets elected? Scary. Please do the research and don’t rely on the media because they’re poised to gain financially if the republicans win. Yes this is a rambling post, and yes I’m battling to write this all before my battery dies, but I think we’re living in a very exciting time with huge possibilities for some beautiful transformations. There is reason for optimism, but we have to start acting now.

Our way of thinking must change before action is taken, that’s the challenge we face; action based in old paradigm thinking, no matter how well intentioned, could just make the situation worse (this is a confusing concept). Pico Iyer articulated it nicely with this quote, “Action without reflection is what got us into this mess in the first place, and the only answer is not action, but, first, clearer reflection.” 

Another example might be those acting out of fear, this has been a common response for many after “An Inconvenient Truth” was released. In a recent audio program, I heard Ken Wilber say “one of the strange paradoxes is that eco-centric thinking is often ego-centric thinking, and unfortunately Gaia is the One that suffers.” So we have to be careful. Perhaps more time needs to be devoted to expand on these concepts, so I’ll save it for another time.

In conclusion though, I will be doing everything I can to help raise that awareness and educate (both myself, then others), I will strive to spread the good word of hope. It is an important time to be alive, but we must act with intelligent haste.

Much love friends

WIRED magazines latest headline is as follows, Attention Environmentalists: Keep your SUV. Forget organics. Go nuclear. Screw the spotted owl.

Whew! Just wanted to share a few thoughts that might unwire a few of these front cover claims (although the big corp might have won my dollar by buying the magazine, I won’t necessarily buy all the jargon claimed by it).

There are ten instructions to action suggested by the magazine, I will comments on each. There are many great points, ones I am in total agreement with, but in general these are shortsighted, cut carbon at all costs solutions that will perhaps benefit the current generations, but may leave the future ones in a jam.

1. Live in Cities

The current suburban model in North America, and many other countries who are following in our footsteps, just does not promote a sustainable way of living. Check out this map representing the amount of CO2 emitted per househould in the greater San Francisco area. I think it paints a pretty clear picture.

I’ll let Alex Steffen use his words to firm up the point, “Billions more people living in suburbs and driving SUV’s to shopping malls is a recipe for planetary suicide. We can’t even afford to continue that way of life ourselves.” Ahh the American Dream. But perhaps if everyone traded their grass lawns for vegatable gardens, and took their grid dependant homes off the grid with sustainable energy technology that is now available, we’d be going in the right direction, the extreme commuting is another story.

2. A/C is OK

This is an interesting analysis, and important to consider. Generally what they are hinting at is that it takes more energy to heat a home than it does to cool one with A/C. Good point, but don’t run with it, be conscious, whether you are heating or cooling; a few degrees either way makes a big difference.

3. Organics are not the answer

After the catchy title above, they go on to wisely say ,Organic produce can be good for the climate, but not if it’s grown in energy-dependant hothouses and travels long distances to get to your fridge. What matters is eating food that’s locally grown and in season. The other point under the organic is bad heading is that of the cow. First regarding dairy. “So it takes 25 organic cows to make as much milk as 23 industrial ones. More cows, more emissions.” It is a valid argument, but many other things must be taken in to consideration. I will still stick to buying local, organic milk sold in glass jars, over drugged up industrially produced milk from far away sold in plastic jugs. The third point is that of beef, again they say organic is worse. Perhaps they are right, but please do the homework for each situation. A local chunk of hamburger is much greener than those industrial patties that are raised on farms where tropical rainforest used to live, then shipped overseas to your belly. Increasingly, I am leaning towards the vegetarian route, not because of the poor little cow, but because of a myriad of environmental reasons; WIRED gave the interesting stat that meat eaters produce 1.5 tons of greenhouse gas per year more than a vegetarian. Hmmm, good healthy food for thought.

4. Farm the Forests

This is the first point that really made me cringe. The basis of the argument is that trees begin to lose the capacity to absorb as much carbon at about 55 years of age. If that fact is taken without any other considerations, then the math seems intriguing. But as Alex Steffen, from World Changing commented, “But even if WIRED’s math were correct, this would still be a crap fix for climate change. Chopping down forests causes massive soil erosion and leads to desertification, making repeated tree plantings a dodgy prospect. As monocultures, tree farms are far more vulnerable to pest infestations. And batches of trees planted at the same time are more susceptible to wildfires, causing the carbon they’re supposed to be sequestering to go up in smoke. I think the cut carbon at all costs attitude needs a little adjustment before all the trees are killed.”

5. China is the solution, Not the problem

My knowledge is somewhat limited on this one. Wired states that 35% of the world’s solar cells are manufactured in China, and that they may be banking big on the green energy revolution. My suggestion, is that whatever product you are purchasing, consider a locally produced one over the Made in China stamp.

6. Accept Genetic Engineering

Again, my knowledge is too limited to comment on this one.

7. Carbon Trading Doesn’t Work

Tricky one no doubt. First off reduce (by far the most important of the 3 R’s), then if you still pollute from frequent travel, offset using high quality, gold standard offsets. That is the route I will continue to take until the better route WIRED suggested is a reality, which is a tax on fossil fuels.

8. Embrace Nuclear Power

Again Steffen said “That’s short term thinking. If we invested the money that we would spend on new nuclear facilities more wisely (and eliminated subsidies on fossil fuels), alternatives like wind, solar, hydroelectric, and wave power could deliver a clean-energy future more cheaply and probably sooner, without any of the security and or health risks of nuclear plants”. Consider Thom Hartmann’s argument in his book, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, “power producers have argued that they can label nuclear power as green, since, they say, it produces no air pollution. (This overlooks the fact that it takes 18 years of continuous operation before a nuclear plant begins to generate new electricity” the first 18 years it’s just producing an amount of energy equal to that used to mine and purify and transport its uranium fuel and to construct and maintain the plant itself.) He also adds this statement which is the true crux of the situation, “What happens when the oil runs dry, when we no longer have stored up ancient sunlight? Where will the solar cells (or uranium) come from? This is a problem that environmentalists need to research and examine seriously.

9. Used Cars, Not Hybrids

“A new Prius would have to travel 100,000 Miles to achieve the carbon savings that come from driving a 1998 Tercel.” The math here in WIRED makes good sense; we unfortunately can’t buy ourselves out of the situation. But be careful, WIRED suggests you should “Keep your SUV”, now that doesn’t mean that you can go run off and buy one!! My worry is that this article will be glanced over by most, and not critically examined enough to make informed decisions.

10. Prepare for the worst

WIRED, “62 years before atmospheric carbon will reach critical levels even if drastic steps are taken now.” Creating fear among the people will never work. I want to finish this post with a quote that is near the beginning of a book I’m reading right now called The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, by Thom Hartmann. “The reason most solutions offered to the world’s crises are impractical is because they arise from the same worldview that caused the problem. As you’ll see in this book, recycling won’t save the world, birth control won’t save the world, and saving what little is left of the rain-forests won’t save the world. Even if all those good things were fully implemented, our fundamental problem would still remain, and will inevitably be repeated. Even cold fusion and the elimination of the need for oil, with free electricity for everybody, will not save the world. Nothing but changing our way of seeing and understanding the world can produce real, meaningful, and lasting change…and that change in perspective will naturally lead us to begin to control our populations, save our forests, re-create community, and reduce our wasteful consumption.” A hint at what is involved in this perspective change is suggested in this last quote from Audrey Kitagawa, “it means that what we must do as global citizens aware of what is going on in the global landscape, and we must turn that searchlight inwards, to do the ceaseless, fearless, self examination to see not only what must be changed, but how we must change.”  (my italics).

I’d love to hear your comments…everyone has a different point of view, and they’re all important to consider.

Much love folks…