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Cyclists take to road, gather speed on environmental issues
Jun 07, 2009 (Billings Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
What better way to stimulate a discussion on the environment than by bicycling across the country and stopping along the way to listen and learn?
That's the goal of a group of cyclists who began their trek May 18 in Seattle and plan to end in Washington, D.C., on July 26.
"We're convinced that a clean energy future should not be a partisan issue, and we're excited to talk to diverse communities across the nation to help spread that message and garner support for a new green economy," said ride organizer J.P. Kemmick, who grew up in Billings.
Eight riders started out on the adventure branded the Trek to Re-Energize America. The eight come from diverse backgrounds, Kemmick said, and they hail from around the country: Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, Oklahoma and Washington. They're picking up another rider, Pari Kemmick -- J.P.'s cousin -- in Billings. Another 37 cyclists who signed up for the trek will join them along their route.
When they get to Washington, D.C., J.P. Kemmick said the riders intend to meet with members of their congressional delegations to relate the many stories and concerns they hear along the way.
"I've been to D.C. and I've lobbied," he said. "I don't know how impactful it is when we fly in for a day. Hopefully, spending two months meeting with people along the way will be more meaningful."
The group stopped in the Billings area on Friday and Saturday and will take off again this morning. They joined in a fundraiser Friday night at the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co. to collect money for their trip.
On Saturday, a rest day, they gave themselves a break and went by car to visit the Shepherd farm that's home to the eco-friendly firm Floating Island International. That's just one tour the cyclists have taken since they began pedaling.
On their route through Washington, Idaho and Montana, they met with representatives of the Pacific Biodiversity Institute in Winthrop, Wash., the Sandpoint Transition Initiative in Sandpoint, Idaho, and the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership in Bozeman.
They also learned about the Bozeman Bike Kitchen, which recycles bicycles, and when they stopped in the library in Columbus to connect to the Internet, the librarian there told them more people are planting gardens in this economically challenging time.
"These are real people we're meeting along the way," Kemmick said.
Kemmick, who graduated from Senior High, earned a degree in creative writing from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash. He worked for the past year for the Sierra Club on climate issues and explained that it's no surprise he is drawn to working on sustaining the environment.
"I tell people I have a mother who taught me to do right and a father who took me outdoors," he said.
From here, the cyclists will ride through North Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, West Virginia and then on to Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
The trip totals about 3,600 miles, with an average day's ride 55 miles. As far as Kemmick is concerned, it's a ride into the future.
"If we don't fix the way we're farming and getting around cities, our kids are going to be fighting these same issues," he said.
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