Biking Against Global Warming

I rode my bike to work on Friday. I did it to lower my CO2 emissions. I know it might seem like a pitiful little step, and do I really think my riding my bike to work one day, instead of driving, will make any difference? I guess I do; because I believe that if every single one of us starting making little changes that reduces our personal CO2 emissions, the effects can add up.

The weather being so warm this December has bummed me out. I absolutely believe the climate is changing, and that global warming is real, and that we humans are bringing about this climate change.

Doing nothing about something that really concerns me doesn’t sit well with me. It’s December and we skiers are desperately hoping for snow and cold temperatures to arrive and stay, and give us a winter with wonderful skiing. At least that’s what I’m desperately hoping for. So, I’m going to try to make some changes personally, and try to be part of the solution.

Last night Howie and I watched Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth.” I didn’t need to be convinced that global warming is real. But I respected the movie, found it interesting and alarming. And in the end, somewhat hopeful, because at the end Gore talks about how we CAN reduce our C02 emissions. We CAN change the direction we’re headed in.

The movie provides a website to go to: www.climatecrisis.net. On that website there is a page called Take Action (or something like that). I went to the page, and it lists lots of steps individuals can take, to lessen our carbon emissions which are causing the earth to warm up. Riding one’s bike to work, in place of driving, is on the list, as are many other suggestions--many which are less demanding.

Please, check out this site. Maybe we can keep cross country skiing a viable sport in New England well into the future.

Sue Wemyss

12/16/06

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Re: Biking Against Global Warming
by Sparkplug on Dec 17th 2006, 8:51 pm

Sue, Thanks for your entry. It's always good to hear/see people doing what they can to lessen their emissions! As you said, if we each do something little it can add up... while I'm not a biker and work too far away to walk, we do have compact fluorescent light bulbs in our lamps at home; we buy organic when we can; we have one hybrid car; we recycle, etc etc. All these little things matter! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for "winter" too, so keep up the biking :-) -Sparkplug

Re: Biking Against Global Warming
by Mr. Opti Mistic on Dec 18th 2006, 2:51 pm

It's too bad more people can't make just one or two small changes in their lives, it'd make a big difference. Maybe we'll just have to wait until there's a perment smog over the whole world and everything dies and we spiral into an internal winter; at least that'd be better then our present situation.

Re: Biking Against Global Warming
by readytoski on Dec 19th 2006, 11:37 am

So... with this global warming and general lack of snow cover, I need a new winter sport to try. Does GGT have any of those Nordic (ice) Skating rigs to rent? If there is not enough snow to ski around Durand Pond, maybe there is enough snow free ice to skate on the pond. I might as well put my ski boots to use somehow...

Re: Biking Against Global Warming
by Howie on Dec 19th 2006, 10:01 pm

Not a bad idea, those clapper skates or whatever they're called. Maybe we should invest in them, that would probably cause the snow to start falling! I remember the winter of '77 - '78 or somewhere around there when there was no snow at Christmas but the ice skating on Conway Lake was truely awesome - a frozen glassy surface for miles on end. Hmmmm, I think I'd rather see it snow. Rode my studded up mtn bike to work this morning, that was kinda cool but I have no need to make a regular habit of it! Howie

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