Cycling for a better tomorrow
On Friday, July 9, cyclists who are currently making their way across the United States will roll their way into Iowa at West Lake in Buffalo. West Lake will mark their 2,645th mile. The cyclists, known as Climate Riders, began their cross-country trek in Seattle and when they end in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 28 they will have logged a whopping total of 3,743 miles.
Sponsored by The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions, these 17 cyclists are taking their lessons on the road, hosting Community Townhalls at five stops along their journey and streaming virtually. The message they carry with them is simple: working to rebuild our climate through thoughtful conversations and peacebuilding with the church community.
That’s just how the idea found its way to St. Paul.
An important mission of the St. Paul community is the care and wellbeing of the Earth and thus began The Environmental Team. While St. Paul has had a longtime focus on the care of the planet, the Environmental Team was started in 2010 after world-renowned environmentalist, Bill McKibbon, spoke on the impact of global warming.
“The team works to help St. Paul reduce, reuse, and recycle,” said Duane Haas, one of the original members of The Environmental Team. “We’ve had some pretty good successes. Matt Spencer and Todd Byerly have replaced all of the fluorescent fixtures with energy-efficient fixtures. We replaced the heating system which was a 1950 boiler system. It was replaced with energy-efficient boilers that should have increased the reliability to be at least 80% efficient.”
The team’s impact goes beyond updating the facilities. There is the Make It Yours Neighborhood Cleanup, volunteers at Lenten suppers and special events can be found handwashing dishes and collecting food items for composting, a recycling initiative, and more. So it only makes sense that an event promoting clean transportation would catch the eye of the team.
“Cycling positively impacts the environment,” said Duane. “There is always more to be done.”
The community is invited to participate in the local leg of the bike tour. If you are interested, you may contact Peter A. Pettit, ppettit@stpaulqc.org.
