Thanks to the donations of our 2008 Climate Riders, Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) is charging ahead, providing remarkable educational opportunities for young climate leaders. Thanks to you, Clean Air-Cool Planet was able to provide competitive, real-world Fellowships for eight college and university students in the Northeast. These students worked on a variety of challenging and catalytic projects, including inventorying greenhouse gas emissions in southwestern New Hampshire, creating a New York State climate change toolkit for community governments, and customizing a version of CA-CP’s Climate Change Backpack® educational tool for young people in the Mid-Atlantic states. One inspired Fellow said that (more...)

PORTSMOUTH, NH – Susan F. Tierney, one of the founders of Clean Air - Cool Planet and immediate past chair of the Portsmouth-based climate non profit, will be named as deputy secretary of the US Department of Energy according to reports from sources close to the Obama transition team. Tierney was assistant secretary of energy for policy in the Clinton administration and more recently an energy and economics consultant with Boston-based Analysis Group. “It speaks well for the intentions of the Obama Administration to tackle the climate issue that someone of Sue Tierney’s caliber is named to a top position (more...)

In addition to our regular bloggers (see right sidebar), we are inviting a few Climate Riders to share their perspectives. Today's piece is from Evan O'Neil, who works at PolicyInnovations.org, the online magazine of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. Also, here is his blog. The following is a little background about my motivation for doing the Climate Ride, how you can get involved and go green(er), and why it's critical that we act now. There are also some very concrete outcomes I hope to achieve (no, I'm not talking about my thighs). (more...)

The Brita Climate Ride is a five day bike tour from New York City to Washington D.C. to promote solutions to global warming. But it is also much more. The ride is a fundraiser for the non-profits Clean Air – Cool Planet and Focus the Nation. Clean Air – Cool Planet works with cities, campuses, and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Focus the Nation partners with legislators and colleges across the country, and recently staged the largest national teach-in in history. Both organizations understand the urgency of the problem, and our need for immediate action. Our riders will support these non-profits by asking their friends, family, neighbors, and themselves to donate. Each rider will raise $2,250. The ride is also a scenic five-day bike tour that will challenge and reward our riders. From September 20th to 24th, our riders will cover 320 miles, pushing themselves to show what is possible on bicycles. We at the Brita Climate Ride are thrilled how scenic our route is. There are excellent low-traffic roads linking our nation’s largest city and our nation’s capital. The route passes through rural New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, passing through wooded rolling hills, equine estates, and the pastoral scenes of Amish country. (more...)