We would like to welcome the following new beneficiaries that will round out the exceptional list of organizations that riders can select to support while riding in Climate Ride! You can view the full list of 56 beneficiaries here.
Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law organization dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. Climate Ride’s contribution will help Earthjustice safeguard public lands, national forests, parks, and wilderness areas; reduce air and water pollution; prevent toxic contamination; preserve endangered species and wildlife habitat; fight the causes and effects of climate change; and defend the right of all people to a healthy environment.
Interfaith Power & Light: The Regeneration Project works to deepen the connection between ecology and faith. Through our Interfaith Power & Light Campaign (IPL) we help congregations address global warming through programs that achieve tangible environmental results. These include helping congregations shrink their carbon footprints and educating hundreds of thousands of people in the pews about the important role of people of faith in addressing this issue. IPL also brings the voice of the faith community into the policy-making arena, working to advance clean energy and to limit carbon pollution. IPL is working to support policy change at the local, state, and national levels.
The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter engages its members and the public in a range of activities to make Los Angeles and Orange Counties more livable. Volunteer activists organize campaigns around everything from land preservation and public transportation to air quality and sustainable consumption. The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter supports more than twenty conservation initiatives supporting the following conservation priorities.
- Preserving open space and promoting land protection to prevent and curtail poorly-planned commercial and residential development.
- Protecting natural resources to promote water conservation and protect local habitats and native species.
- Promoting sustainability to address sustainable energy, smart development and transportation policies, energy efficiency, and livable communities.
The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition is dedicated to:
PROTECTING the rights and safety of New Jersey bicyclists and walkers
PROMOTING bicycling and walking for fun, fitness, and transportation
EDUCATING bicyclists, walkers, and drivers about our rights and responsibilities
CONNECTING our communities with a smarter transportation system
NJBWC is working to pass a combined Safe Passing Law/Vulnerable Road User Law, also known as the “3 foot law”. New Jersey has the second worst fatality rate in the US for bicyclists and pedestrians, at 26% of all road fatalities. NJBWC is working to reduce this number first by getting this law passed and then by creating education programs for motorists based on this law.
For over 15 years, TransForm has been working to protect the environment while improving the lives of all people by creating world-class public transportation and walkable communities in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. TransForm was founded by environmental and social justice groups who recognized how the quality of life and environment in the Bay Area were at risk due to poorly planned development and a transportation system focused solely on cars. Over the years, TransForm has won billions of dollars and groundbreaking policies in support of public transportation, smart growth, affordable housing and bicycle/pedestrian safety.
Posted in Announcements, Beneficiary Profiles, Ride News
This week we're highlighting Green America, Climate Protection Campaign and Marin County Bicycle Coalition and we have some BIG news.
Exciting news from Green America - thanks to the support of more than 40 organizations and to funding provided by Climate Riders, on August 2nd the Clean Energy Victory Bond bill was introduced in Congress.
And as of today, the Library of Congress has published the Clean Energy Victory Bonds Act of 2012, the culmination of several years of hard work at Green America, and the support of clean-energy advocates across the country.
Just like World War II era victory bonds enabled ordinary Americans to raise billions of dollars for the war effort, these new bonds are projected to raise enough money to generate 1.7 million new jobs manufacturing, deploying, and maintaining renewable energy projects. This bill ends the financial uncertainty around current federal programs, extending the imperiled Production Tax Credit for wind energy -- and other renewable energy incentives -- for as long as a decade.
Our friends at Green America need you to take action to get this bill passed. Click here to learn more and to find out how to call your representative and support the bill.
And we're excited to report that we'll have staff members from both the Climate Protection Campaign and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition on the upcoming Climate Ride California to share knowledge and best practices.
The Climate Protection Campaign works to inspire, align, and mobilize action in response to the climate crisis. CPC partners with business, government, youth and the broader community to advance practical, science-based solutions for significant greenhouse gas emission reductions. Funds from Climate Ride support the Sonoma Clean Power initiative: a public-private partnership to aggressively develop local renewable energy, which will in turn create new businesses and jobs, stabilize electricity prices, and keep energy dollars local.They are also helping to develop a new smart phone app that links rider and drivers into carpools.
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) promotes bicycling for everyday transportation and recreation. MCBC has been steadily improving our county’s road and path facilities for walkers and bikers since we formed in 1998. MCBC developed the Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) program and former Executive Director, Deb Hubsmith, now heads the national SRTS, which serves all 50 states. We’ve seen the impact of our advocacy efforts in each of our towns: permanent bike racks, bike lane striping, bike route signs, road resurfacing, ‘sharrows’, and much more. Since 1999 weekday cycling trips in Marin increased 172%, while cycling collisions declined 34%.
Posted in Beneficiary Profiles
If you thought NYC-DC was awesome, just you wait for redwoods, California's rugged North Coast, the famed Russian River Wine Country, and the triumphant crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco! Fascinating speakers, epic cycling, and four nights of camping with new friends all come together in the Golden State. We know that it can be a challenge to fundraise twice in one year, so we want to make it easier for you: we're offering 25% off when you register for Climate Ride California 2012. That's right! You would only have to reach a fundraising minimum of $1900 to participate in the ride from Eureka, CA to San Francisco, September 9-13, 2012. Just register through for the ride and enter discount code NYCDC12.
If that isn't enticing enough, your fellow NYC-DC rider Marcus Kenny is 2-timing Climate Ride, joining us for the California coast. Here's why:
"I ride because sustainability is my passion. We engage in a consuming culture and often without a complete understanding of the consequences from our impact. Being a part of the Climate Ride NYC-DC was an incredible experience. Every rider and volunteer shared the passion of sustainability and cycling, but advocated solutions from such unique and different perspectives. I left the Climate Ride feeling more motivated, committed, and inspired than ever before. This is why I'm riding again in California."
Posted in Beneficiary Profiles
