Why I’m Riding

I’m one of the dozen or so young people riding our bikes from New York City to Washington DC. We’re a motley crew, with diverse backgrounds and athletic abilities. But we have one thing in common — we’re riding for the climate. To us, riding for the climate means riding for our future. We don’t have kids and we don’t have much invested in the stock market, but we do have ambition. On the one hand it’s the selfish desire that the planet look much like it does today by the time we’re octogenarians, and on the other it’s the unfettered passion to make the world a better place.

Our generation, and our moment in history is a critical one — it’s filled with hope and opportunity, despite the peril that we face. We have two paths to choose from — one that leads to further destruction of the planet and the people who live on it, and the other that leads to prosperity, health and happiness. That’s the path we’re choosing — a clean energy economy that provides jobs that can’t be outsourced, clean energy, and a healthy environment that ensures a prosperous, stable economy.

As we bike from New York City, the cradle of the world economy, to Washington DC, the capital city of the free world, we’ll be pedaling down that path towards our own prosperous, safe and healthy future. We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines during this critical time, and that’s why we’re saddling up, donning spandex and sunglasses, and moving for the movement. By the time we arrive in Washington DC with five full days and more than 300 miles under our belts, we will have shown the world, and our leaders, that the solutions can’t wait — that climate change isn’t in the future, but happening here and now.

It’s with hope and determination that we’ll set off on the ride tomorrow morning, knowing that with each pedal revolution, we’ll be a little bit closer to the solutions we want and the future we deserve.