ride for renewables

“SEVEN ACTION-PACKED WEEKS IN OUR NATION’S CAPITAL” (Wednesday, December 8, 2010 – Sunday January 30, 2011) – PART TWO

WINTER TRIKING & POLAR BEAR PLUNGES

The bitter cold limited my riding days in DC, but on the days I managed to get out, I usually made for the National Mall, ready made for bikes, where the excited reactions from tourists to seeing the trike never seemed to end. My favorite DC ride day was when Jo Reyes pedaled his hybrid electric bike down from Takoma Park to ride with me on the bike path to Old Town Alexandria and back (thanks for the lunch, Jo!). Another day, I came across these residential-scale wind turbines on display at the U.S. Botanic Garden, which I later learned were indeed generating electricity for the building:

Strange as it might sound, one of the most enjoyable activities during my stay in DC was the annual Polar Bear Plunge, sponsored by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. Along with Sierra Club board member Jim Dougherty, my friend, Charlie Garlow (dressed as a wind turbine), and about 200 other intrepid souls, I plunged into the icy waters of the Potomac River at National Harbor on one of the coldest days of winter. At 22 degrees, the air outside was even colder than the water, which had ice on the shoreline and slush at water’s edge.

The speech by Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD) imploring us to protect future generations from the ravages of a heating globe was inspiring enough, but then she outdid herself by plunging into the river with the rest of us. That’s what I call political leadership! She was joined at the event by San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who expressed interested in my ride and support for its goal.

After the speeches, we hurried over to the changing tents to don our swimsuits, then made our way down to the shore. As I waded into the river, I just kept repeating to myself: “This is not a problem. This is not a problem…” before finally diving underwater to fully experience the big chill. After swimming around for a few seconds, with EMTs in waterproof gear hovering nearby (in case of heart attacks or hypothermia, I presume), I began wading back to shore. Still in the water was an elderly woman in a one-piece bathing suit, leaning on a cane, slowly making her way over the rocks. At that moment, I didn’t feel so tough. I gave her a hand, then a big hug of admiration. That is the spirit that’s going to help us turn the tide on the global climate crisis here in America.

DC TELEVISION COVERAGE

There’s probably no tougher media nut to crack than the Washington, DC media market, but you just have to keep at it. My friend and fellow electric vehicle advocate, Charlie Garlow (http://www.evadc.org/about_us.html), had tipped me off to a reporter at ABC News who was new on the environmental beat and was looking for green tech stories. So I pitched him on the ride and he was able to convince his editor to let him cover the story. We spent about an hour together filming, with the story running on the evening of the State of the Union address. You can watch the 2-minute clip here:

http://www.tbd.com/articles/2011/01/man-bikes-cross-country-to-attend-state-of-the-union-47588.html

With the help of my friend Jon Stout in Boulder, I also connected with the producer of the Thom Hartmann television show, which resulted in this great 6-minute piece. You can watch it here (the interview begins at 37:05 into the show):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNyxeFhDEGE

OBAMA SPEAKS OUR LANGUAGE IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

On the day of Obama’s State of the Union (SOTU) address, I spent the afternoon and early evening circling the Capitol until the hordes of security made it impossible to maneuver. Hand-made signs affixed to the back of the the trike read: “Congress: Renew America with Renewable Energy!!” and “Congress: Coal-Fired or Future-Generation Inspired??”

Our message is clearly getting through to the White House, as evidenced by the President’s remarks during his SOTU address. I’m not suggesting the “Ride for Renewables” was the only inspiration for the President’s “Sputnik moment” speech, but check out how closely these passages from his speech line up with central themes of the “Ride for Renewables,” broadcast widely through the media, and on the internet, in the months prior to his talk:

  • We’ve been calling for a modern day, green energy moon shot for America.
    • President Obama: “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.”
  • We’ve been calling for 100% renewable electricity for the U.S. by 2020
    • President Obama: “By 2035, 80 percent of America’s electricity will come from clean energy sources.”
  • We said we don’t want America to become a second rate economic power.
    • President Obama: “I do not accept second place for the United States of America.”
  • We said the American people have a deep hunger to be part of something greater than themselves – and want politicians to set party label aside and put the American people first.
    • President Obama: “…each of us is part of something greater – something more consequential than party or political preference.”
  • We’ve been calling for quick action to reassert our global economic competitiveness.
    • President Obama: “We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.”
  • We said it’s time to once again unleash America’s unique entrepreneurial, can-do spirit.
    • President Obama: “What we can do — what America does better than anyone else – is spark the creativity and imagination of our people.”
  • We’ve been calling for shifting tax breaks and subsidies away from fossil fuels and nuclear power to energy efficiency and renewables.
    • President Obama: “And to help pay for it, I’m asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies.”
  • We said America is about doing great things.
    • President Obama: “We do big things.”

The good news is the White House is finally listening to Main Street, America. The bad news is the President did not mention the global climate crisis once in his speech, despite 2010 being tied as the hottest year on record. Ignoring this gravest of threats to America will not magically make it go away. Every leading national scientific academy in the world has concluded that human activity is changing the climate.

Worse yet, he intentionally muddied the waters between dirty energy sources and truly clean energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal by trying to redefine mythical “clean coal,” radioactive nuclear power and polluting natural gas as “clean energy.” The American people have come to expect this kind of subterfuge from polluters afraid of progress, but it should not be emanating from the White House. This is shameless government greenwash and must not stand. We will know the President is serious about meeting the expectations of our children to protect their futures when he declares a global climate emergency and places it at the top of his policy agenda.

PUBLIC TALKS & PLOTTING NEXT STEPS

In addition to a series of individual strategy sessions with Lester Brown, Brock Evans and Brent Blackwelder, I gave a number of public talks while in DC, including a lunch presentation to Lester Brown and his staff at Earth Policy Institute (thanks, Les); a lunch presentation at the Woman’s National Democratic Club (thanks, Alice); an evening reception at The Green Commuter bike shop in Takoma Park (thanks, Charlie & Jo), the annual meeting of the DC Electric Vehicle Association (thanks again, Charlie); a lunch gathering with one of my ride sponsors, Cooper Roark (a star – he raised nearly $2000 for my ride), and some of his classmates at St. Albans Academy; and a well-received community gathering at the Brookmont community church (thanks, Jody).

I want to thank again Alice & Lincoln Day, who generously provided a cozy apartment for me to base out of during my first month in DC. Providence does provide. I also want to extend a special thanks to my friend, Christin Engelhardt, for tolerating me as a houseguest during my final three weeks in Washington. Christin and I first met in 1987 working on Paul Simon’s Iowa presidential campaign and have been close friends ever since. Even better than all the great meals, and the laughter, was her company.

ROLLING HOME ON THE RAILS

After changing my ticket several times to extend my stay in DC, I finally boarded Amtrak’s Capitol Limited – described as an “all-American journey between America’s heartland and the nation’s capital” – for the 36-hour ride home. As fate would have it, the train’s route covered some of the same ground I had pedaled to Washington, DC. As we rolled out of DC, I could see outside my sleeper cab window, mere yards away, the very same C&O Canal bike trail I had pedaled two months ago, now covered in snow.

As the hours drifted by, a host of memories flooded in. I was reminded of an informational plaque I saw in Akron, CO describing how in 1890, “fast trains whisked passengers through Akron on the Chicago and Denver route” at speeds as high as 112.5 mph. Don’t get me wrong. Rolling home at 75 mph definitely beats pedaling as far as making time, but what happened to America? We’ve gone backwards, while the Europeans and Asians are racing to the future on high-speed bullet trains. One can only hope the President really meant it when he said during the SOTU, “There’s no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains…our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail.”

As I finished a hearty breakfast in the dining car, the train rolled into Denver’s Union Station, right on time.

From there, I caught the bus up to Boulder.

Then I walked the few blocks from the depot to my friends’ house with just a few things on my back.

The “rocket” has landed. The sacred journey has come full circle.

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“SEVEN ACTION-PACKED WEEKS IN OUR NATION’S CAPITAL” (Wednesday, December 8, 2010 – Sunday January 30, 2011) – PART ONE

I didn’t think I’d be in Washington, DC seven weeks after the conclusion of the ride, but nothing happens quickly in this city. If you want to make an impact, you have to stick around and seize opportunities as they present themselves – something to consider as we gear up to protect our childrens’ futures in the nation’s capital. “Lobby days” and “lobby weeks” are simply no match for the legions of K Street lobbyists swarming the halls of Congress round-the-clock. It will take an army of determined citizen activists responding in kind to bring some climate sanity to what NASA scientist James Hansen colorfully describes as a “well-oiled” and “coal-fired” Congress.

CONGRESSMAN PRAISES “RIDE FOR RENEWABLES”

Shortly after arriving in DC, I pedaled my rocket trike over to Capitol Hill, where I received special permission by the Seargent at Arms to bring the trike into the building. After being swept by a bomb-sniffing dog at one security gate, then clearing another at the loading dock, I managed to just fit the trike into the freight elevator and ride up to the office of U.S. Representative Jared Polis. Congressman Polis was so taken with it, he asked if he could sit in it. He then asked if he could ride it, and proceeded to take it for a spin through the halls of Congress. I followed suit, enjoying by far the smoothest ride of the entire trip rolling over Congress’ hard, marble floors. You can watch both videos here:

We then met for ten minutes or so to talk about the need for congressional leaders to push for a green energy moon shot. When Jared had to excuse himself to speak on the House floor, I continued the conversation with his very interested environmental legislative aide, until we were interrupted by a gun threat warning, directing everyone in the building to lock their doors (they called off the lock-down several minutes later – false alarm). We agreed to meet again soon. Jared made the following statement to the press: “Our nation has a serious addiction to fossil fuels,” said Polis, “and it’s going to take innovative initiatives like Tom’s ride to break the habit and turn our country around. By moving to renewable forms of energy we will create millions of jobs, turn around our economy, and improve our environment and public health all at the same time.”

I then rolled the trike down to the Longworth Cafeteria for a lunch meeting with one of my best friends, Joel “Heart of the Hill” Segal, a senior legislative aide to Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). But I had tarried too long. The snow I’d seen starting to fall outside the window of Congressman Polis’ office was now 2 inches deep on the ground, and I had never ridden the trike in the snow. Time to go. You can see what that was like here:

Having not succeeded (yet) in getting a face-to-face meeting with the President and First Lady, I eventually settled for faxing the “100% by 2020” petition – with the names, cities and states of those who signed it – to the White House. For good measure, I hand-delivered a copy to the White House’s office of Council on Environmental Quality. I also personally delivered copies of the petition to the offices of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid; House Speaker John Boehner; and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. They have been put on notice – more than 40 states were represented on the petition. I want to extend a very special thanks to everyone who signed it!!

SEIZING THE INITIATIVE

But I hadn’t pedaled 2,400 miles across America’s heartland to leave things at that. More had to be done. I just hadn’t quite figured out exactly what yet. Then I saw an article in The Washington Post announcing Chinese President Hu Jintao’s upcoming visit to the White House for a state dinner. It was the opening I was looking for. The plan came together a few days prior to his visit over a series of phone conversations with my good and great friend, Paul Alexander. We weren’t about to let this moment pass – the presidents of the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitting nations meeting together at the White House – without demanding some accountability.

Working closely with Lester Brown, I drafted an open letter calling on Presidents Obama and Hu to place the global climate emergency at the top of their policy agendas. The letter also called on both leaders to embrace a goal of reducing carbon emissions to 350 parts per million (the level top climate scientists say is safe for humanity) by committing to 80% carbon cuts by 2020. By now, we were only two days out from Hu’s arrival, so I emailed the letter to some key allies, asking for a sign-on response within 48 hours.

Anticipating protests by Free Tibet and China pro-democracy activists during Hu’s visit, I thought I had better do a dry run to the White House to scope out the scene in advance. An ice storm had hit DC the night before, so this is what I woke up to:

The protesters I had anticipated were there, just not in the numbers I had expected. And White House security officials I spoke to indicated I would be able to bring the trike to Lafayette Park (directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House). Satisfied, I pedaled back to Capitol Hill to make some final recruitment calls and send a press advisory out to my media contacts. By the time I had shut down my computer for the night, nearly two dozen prominent environmental, business and religious leaders – including the head of the Sierra Club – had signed onto the open letter. Never in the history of the environmental movement had so many major organizations gone on record calling for 80% carbon cuts (based on 2006 levels) by 2020. It was an unprecedented display of climate leadership. A new line had been drawn in the sand.

The following morning, I rolled over to Kinko’s to pick up the banner I had ordered the night before, which read: “Presidents Obama & Hu: It’s Time to Declare a Global Climate Emergency.” After faxing the open letter to the White House from there, I pedaled from Capitol Hill down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Armed with copies of the letter for the media, I held a 5-hour vigil outside the White House gates. Joining me over the course of the afternoon to lend their moral support were two deans of the U.S. environmental movement, Brent Blackwelder and Brock Evans. Their presence was deeply appreciated.

Here’s Brent Blackwelder, President Emeritus of Friends of the Earth, at the White House:

Here’s Brock Evans, President of the Endangered Species Coalition, at the White House:

I read the open letter here:

True to form, no DC media outlets covered the event or the release of the open letter, but it did get picked up on some blogs and websites, just not enough to give the story “legs.” With no word that other groups had sent it to their media lists, I felt compelled to drop another $300 for a national media distribution. As luck would have it, Environmental News Service, which also has a news arm, was looking for an environmental hook for their story on the Obama-Hu meeting, which the open letter conveniently provided. Between this, and Paul Alexander personally forwarding the open letter to many hundreds of media, environmental, energy and other organizations, blogs and leaders in the coming days, the story got picked up on hundreds of websites worldwide and has taken on a life of its own. That is the true power of the internet. We can’t always break through to the traditional media, but we can create our own media.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2011/2011-01-19-03.html

The following afternoon, I received a phone call from actor and activist, Daryl Hannah, asking if it was too late to be added to the letter (she hadn’t seen the email due to her computer being in the shop). I promised her she would be included on all future distributions, the final version is below:

Open Letter to President Barack Obama & President Hu Jintao

January 19, 2011

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20003

Dear President Barack Obama & President Hu Jintao:

It is time to publicly acknowledge that the continued burning of fossil fuels threatens the survival of civilization. The science is incontrovertible on this fact, yet the response from government is business as usual. Our two nations dominate world carbon emissions.

No civilization has survived the ongoing destruction of its natural support systems, nor will ours. It is with a deepening sense of dread over the fate of future generations that we call on you to acknowledge the severity of the global climate emergency by placing climate stabilization at the top of your policy agendas.

According to NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, 2010 tied with 2005 as the hottest year in recorded history. Last year was also the wettest on record in terms of global average precipitation, according to the Global Historical Climatology Network, with devastating impacts felt across the globe. Estimates by the World Health Organization are that the Earth’s warming climate contributes to more than 150,000 deaths each year. Here’s what else we’re facing:

• Crop-withering heat waves
• A melting Greenland ice sheet that threatens to raise sea level 23 feet
• Fires transforming carbon-storing tropical rainforests into carbon emitters
• Ocean acidification imperiling the base of the seafood chain
• Melting glaciers in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau threatening the dry season irrigation water supplies – and food security – of hundreds of millions of people
• Ever-deadlier storms creating growing numbers of climate refugees
• Scientists predicting 1/5 of living species being driven toward extinction by mid-century

This is just the beginning. Nature tells us time is running out, but we can’t see the clock. As we blindly reach critical climate “tipping points,” things promise to get worse, much worse. Central to the solution is a wartime-like mobilization by the governments of the United States and China to cut carbon emissions 80 percent (based on 2006 levels) by 2020. This is required if we are to reduce carbon emissions to 350 parts per million in the atmosphere, the level top climate scientists say is safe for humanity.

There is no more important measure of presidential leadership than living up to the expectations of our children to protect their future. Every day our respective governments fail to act, their future grows more perilous. We await your response.

Sincerely,

Lester Brown, President, Earth Policy Institute
Rev. Sally G. Bingham, President, The Regeneration Project & Interfaith Power & Light
Brent Blackwelder, President Emeritus, Friends of the Earth
David Blittersdorf, President/CEO, AllEarth Renewables, Inc.
Jan Blittersdorf, President/CEO, NRG Systems, Inc.
Michael Brune, Executive Director, Sierra Club
Lisa Daniels, Executive Director, Windustry
Brock Evans, President, Endangered Species Coalition
Ross Gelbspan, Author
Daryl Hannah, Actor & Activist
Paul Hawken, Author
Randy Hayes, Executive Director, Foundation Earth & Founder, Rainforest Action Network
Courtney Hight, Co-Director, Energy Action Coalition
Julia Butterfly Hill, Co-Founder, The Engage Network*
Chuck Kutscher, Former Chair, American Solar Energy Society & Principal Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory*
Eric Lombardi, Executive Director, Eco-Cycle
Bill McKibben, Founder, 350.org
Erich Pica, President, Friends of the Earth
Phil Radford, Executive Director, Greenpeace
Kieran Suckling, Executive Director, Center for Biological Diversity
Rebecca Tarbotton, Executive Director, Rainforest Action Network
Mike Tidwell, Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network
James A. Walker, Former President, American Wind Energy Association**
Tom Weis, President, Climate Crisis Solutions

*Institutional affiliation listed for identification purposes only
**My apologies for any confusion: the American Wind Energy Association does not support the views expressed in this letter.

The January 19 open letter to Presidents Obama & Hu marks a new chapter in the history of the planetary protection movement. Never before have environmental groups as diverse as the Sierra Club, Earth Policy Institute, Greenpeace, Center for Biological Diversity, 350.org and the Endangered Species Coalition joined forces with businesses and religious leaders to call for a “wartime-like mobilization” to stabilize the Earth’s deteriorating climate. It is worth noting that the final sentence in the letter to both presidents was: “We await your response.” But you know that President Obama is really awaiting ours, to see how serious we are. I’ll never forget how struck I was by the words of a climate skeptic a few years back. They read something like this: “I’ll believe it’s a crisis when the people who keep calling it a crisis start acting like it’s a crisis.” How profound, and true.

SEEKING SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

While in DC, I sought out sources of inspiration for the fight that is to come for our collective future. As the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass once famously said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” In particular, I wanted to pay tribute to two of humanity’s greatest leaders, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., both practitioners of non-violence who saw resisting oppression and discrimination as their personal duties. Imagine my delight when I discovered a beautiful statue of Gandhi outside the Indian Embassy mere blocks from where I was staying on DuPont Circle. There are few people in history I admire more than the father of India, who led a tireless mass movement of peaceful civil resistance to free his people from tyranny. He described how he persevered in this famous quote: “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” Long a deep source of personal inspiration for me, Gandhi personified leading by example. One of his most famous quotes was:“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” His message to the world: “My life is my message.”

Later I read in The Washington Post that the memorial to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., long in the planning, was finally nearing completion, so one afternoon I pedaled my trike down to the Tidal Basin to see what I could. The statue itself is shrouded, as the sculptor applies the finishing touches, but the memorial site is coming together beautifully. It will be officially unveiled this summer on the anniversary of Dr. King’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech. What a glorious day that will be! I just wish I could be there, as no one has inspired my life more than Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s not just what he achieved during his brief time on this planet that inspires me, but how he fearlessly achieved it. The words that he spoke in 1964, upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, could just as easily apply to the global climate crisis we’re facing today: “Here and there an individual or group… rises to the majestic heights of moral maturity. So in a real sense this is a great time to be alive… Granted that the easygoing optimism of yesterday is impossible… Granted that we face a world crisis… But every crisis has both its dangers and its opportunities. It can spell either salvation or doom…” Our future clearly hinges on finding the “moral maturity” Dr. King saw from the mountaintop.

And then there is one who does not have a statue in Washington, DC, but should: the late, great David Brower. No one in the environmental movement has influenced me more than this man, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times for his tireless efforts to protect the planet. David helped define the contemporary environmental movement through the groups he founded, and by the principled philosophy he embraced: “We are to hold fast to what we believe is right, fight for it, and find allies and adduce all possible arguments for our cause. If we cannot find enough vigor in us or them to win, then let someone else propose the compromise.” I had the good fortune of befriending David during the final years of his life. Despite battling cancer, he was eager to join me in my quest to inject a sense of environmental urgency into the 2000 presidential primary campaign. He rallied his frail body to travel in the dead of winter to the early caucus and primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively, for a series of campaign rallies and events. He fought to the very end of his life, which was illuminated by a Goethe quote he lived by:“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” It was the daily reminder of this quote on my office wall, more than anything else, that prompted me to launch this ride. I asked myself more than once during the ride what David would do if he were alive today. Someday, he will be properly honored in our nation’s capitol.

Of course, no trip to Washington, DC would be complete without a visit to the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. And while it lost much of its luster for me after the 2000 election debacle, there’s also the Supreme Court.

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“REFLECTIONS AFTER 2,497 MILES ON THE ROAD” (Monday, December 6, 2010)

Spent today holed up in a hotel room finalizing the press release, updating the website and making media calls for tomorrow’s ride conclusion at the Jefferson Memorial. The DC media market is a notoriously tough nut to crack, but will do my best. Felt strange knowing the ride is almost over, and like a good time to share some final reflections.

Looked back at the past 10 weeks and determined that about six were actually spent pedaling, with about four weeks forced down time. Not a bad cross-country pace for a middle-aged guy who’s never biked more than 100 miles at a stretch in his life. So there’s some satisfaction in accomplishing such a physical feat, but that’s not the half of it.

I can only describe the past two and a half months on the road as an amazing journey. I’m so glad I listened to my heart and did this, and would not trade the experience for anything. There’s nothing like putting it all on the line to stand up for what you believe, and sharing that dream with the rest of the world. Before I left Boulder, I thought I would find some level of support for the “100% by 2020” renewables goal I was promoting, but nothing like the near-unanimous support I found on Main Street America. To me, this is the great, untold story of the ride, and something to which President Obama and members of Congress are totally oblivious.

Some of these Americans I met are motivated by the state of the economy; others by the desire for green jobs; others by global economic competitiveness; others by the desire for energy dependence; and still others by the severity of the global climate crisis. But all are united in their belief that America has lost her way and that the path back involves us leading a worldwide green industrial revolution. Something else the President and Congress do not seem to grasp is how hungry the American people are for a generational mission, and how badly they want to see America once again accomplish something great. It was incredibly heartening, and reaffirming, to hear this from so many people, of every political stripe.

Most of the people I met on the ride also shared my thinking that the two major political parties are more interested in fighting each other than for the American people they were elected to represent. Many view the partisan bickering as a sick game, cynically orchestrated by corporations, to divide the American people against each other, so we don’t pull together. Well, I have news for the Democratic and Republican parties: this is not about you. It is about America, the planet, and our childrens’ futures. A tidal wave of sentiment is building across this land for Congress and the White House to set party label aside and put the American people first.

There’s a reason why I chose the Jefferson Memorial as the location to end my ride: I believe we need to get back to the ideals this great nation was founded upon. Thomas Jefferson penned the timeless words that declared our independence from the tyranny of King George III. Today, we need to free ourselves from the tyranny of corrupt special interests that have hijacked our democracy and are running America into the ground. The list of culprits is long.

At the top of the list are powerful, greedy corporate CEOs and their minions who don’t seem to care about anything other than themselves, and are determined to maintain a status quo that enriches them at the expense of the rest of us. Here I’m talking about the fossil fuel, nuclear and defense industries. Also high on the list are Madison Avenue front groups for these same polluting industries – and their proxies in Congress – that spend millions sowing the seeds of doubt in the minds of the American people about the reality of a global climate that is undeniably spiraling out of control. I’m willing to bet one of them, U.S. Senator James Inhofe (who infamously characterized global warming as a “hoax”), would have flacked for the Flat Earth Society back in the day if his salary depended on it.

These special interest lobbies could be overcome by a president with the personal and political courage to stand up to them and issue the call to renew America with renewable energy. But it will not happen with half-steps, and timid goals like 20% renewables by 2020. It requires bold leadership and a vision that will inspire and bring out the best in the American people: a modern day, green energy “moon shot.”

When President Kennedy challenged the nation to land a man on the moon in ten years, he didn’t say we would fly 1/5 of the way to the moon and back. He said, “We choose to go to the moon!” The American people would rally around such a great president, forcing Congress to get in line. But no president will take this step until we unify our voices to demand it. Democracy, as the saying goes, is not a spectator sport.

I was reminded daily on my ride that we are a great nation, of great people with great, big hearts. There is nothing America cannot do if we set our minds to it. But we must choose to turn this crisis into opportunity, before it is too late. This requires each of us taking our own personal stands for the future of life on earth. Our real job is to do what we were uniquely put on this earth to do.

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“END OF THE PATH” (Sunday, December 5, 2010)

Up with the sun and early start today for the final 17 miles. First rode a couple miles down the trail to Great Falls, which was a sight to behold, particularly after all the recent rains.

As the mile markers ticked down, a flood of thoughts that have been accumulating over the past 10 weeks ached for expression, so did a few short videos to share them. Here’s one.

Seconds after finishing this video, was approached by some hikers on the trail asking about the trike. One of their voices sounded vaguely familiar, but it wasn’t until I looked at his face, then looked again, that I recognized who it was. I said, “Bruce?” Former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt seemed surprised when I told him who I was, not recognizing me in this foreign context, and proceeded to ask about my ride. What I didn’t think to tell him, but should have, was how he helped germinate the idea for this ride 13 years ago through an impassioned speech he gave on the global warming threat at the University of Colorado at Boulder. To this day, I rank it as one of the best speeches ever given on the topic. Yet Bruce and I had locked horns pretty severely years earlier over how to best protect the Everglades. The Universe works in mysterious ways. Below is another video I did a short while later, on overcoming the forces of greed.

This final video takes us to near the end of the towpath, which ended shortly thereafter. It’s been a wonderful 320 miles on nothing but bike trails from just south of Pittsburgh all the way to DC.

From there, pedaled up the road to a hotel for a much-needed shower, shave and some rest.

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“FINAL NIGHT ON THE TRAIL” (Saturday, December 4, 2010)

Lows in the mid 20s last night made for a cold morning packing up. These sled dogs passing me as I left the campsite were a poignant reminder that it’s time to dock this rocket.

A mile or two down the trail, came upon the ugly sight of the Dickerson coal-fired power plant belching out emissions. This 853 MW coal plant has been the target of legal challenges by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and other planetary protection groups.

Thanks to Kelly & Tom at the “Great Falls Tavern” Visitor Center for helping finding me an affordable hotel room in town tomorrow to make final preparations for my arrival into DC. Including the 4 mile round trip from my campsite at Swain’s Lock to the visitor center to refill my water bladders, pedaled 30 miles today. Here’s a shot of the swollen Potomac River.

Trail conditions made for some tough sledding today, but speed is no longer an issue. Only 17 more miles to DC.

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“THE SPIRIT OF THOMAS JEFFERSON” (Friday, December 3, 2010)

As I was packing up my campsite this morning, Bill Moore and Patti Miller from nearby Dargan, MD walked up to say hello, telling me they had seen me on the news (really appreciate the “lunch money,” guys). Was really taken with Bill’s incisive description of what ails our political system today.

Made it to Harper’s Ferry, where I locked up the trike and walked across the bridge to pay tribute to anti-slavery insurgent John Brown. The National Park Service describes this historic site as where “John Brown and his men struck their blow against slavery, heralding new birth for the nation and new freedom for all its people.”

Then headed up the hill to Jefferson Rock, where Thomas Jefferson once stood and praised the view as “perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature.” I’ve always felt a special bond with Thomas Jefferson. Other than making the point that it’s time for America to get back to the ideals that birthed our nation, I’ll let the video speak for itself.

Made it 24 more miles down the C&O Canal bike trail today before setting up camp at Indian Flats Campsite.

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“PRESIDENT LINCOLN‘S EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION” (Thursday, December 2, 2010)

Saw an ugly coal plant in the town of Williamsport, so decided to pedal down Main Street. Stopping into River City Bicycles, ran into City Council Member Larry Jessop (thanks for the mocha, Larry), who told me he’s very eager to see that “eyesore” of a coal plant go away.

Including side trips and a 6-mile, circular, hilly detour that felt like it would never end, traversed 58 miles today before setting up camp on the banks of the Potomac. Biggest challenge of the day was avoiding being impaled by branches littering the towpath that seemed to gravitate to the “Fred Flintstone” holes in the bottom of the trike. Kept me on my toes all day. Also had to maneuver this tricky aqueduct crossing.

At another aqueduct, rolled under this small archway just for fun.

Near the end of the day, discovered a cave right off the trail that some say was used to hide runaway slaves seeking freedom. Seems likely, given that the Underground Railroad ran through this part of the country.

Today was the day I rode past the Antietam National Battlefield, site of the first major battle in the American Civil War and the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. About 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after 12 hours of fighting on September 17, 1862. Although the battle proved tactically inconclusive, it was enough of a victory to give President Lincoln the confidence to announce his Emancipation Proclamation. I wonder what will give President Obama the confidence to fight for the future of civilization.

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“NEWS VAN VISITS 4 LOCKS ROAD” (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)

Woke up this morning to a driving rain, which later turned to sleet. Was grateful to be warm and dry in Lockhouse 49 updating my blog and website. Will be interesting to see how muddy the trail is tomorrow. Called local NBC affiliate WGAH late morning, which was interested in doing a story on the ride. Just a few blocks from the lockhouse, the news van encountered a tunnel it couldn’t clear with the satellite dish on top, then got stuck in the mud backing up to turn around. So I triked down 4 Locks Road to do the interview there.

http://your4state.com/fulltext?nxd_id=150466

Skies started clearing in the late afternoon, so it’s back on the trail tomorrow. I’ll sure miss this place. Will also miss all the home cooking I’ve been enjoying (Bob & Sue brought up dinner again tonight – thanks, guys!). Tomorrow it’s back to freeze dried dinners and sleeping in a cold tent. Tonight I’m enjoying Bob’s homemade blueberry wine.

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“RIDING OUT THE RAIN IN LOCKHOUSE 49” (Tuesday, November 30, 2010)

Rained all day today, but was cozily holed up in Lockhouse 49, catching up on emails and drafting the DC arrival press release. When the rain slowed, did a little exploring of some of the historic buildings and structures at Four Locks.

Bob came out and picked me up again around dinnertime, swinging me by Fort Frederick to see this historic site from the French and Indian War, where Union troops were also stationed to guard the C&O Canal during the Civil War. Have always been fascinated by forts.

Were later joined at dinner by their friends, Kenny and Barbara, two other Lockhouse 49 Quartermasters. Really appreciated the great food and company tonight. Flash flood watches and warnings are in effect for tonight and tomorrow, so expect I’ll be spending another day at Four Locks, which, in its heyday was a thriving little community big enough to support a post office, two warehouses, two stores and a one-room schoolhouse. Today, it’s just little ‘ol me.

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“DESTINATION: LOCKHOUSE 49” (Monday, November 29, 2010)

Woke up this morning to frozen water bottles and frost covered gear, meaning no drinking water until Hancock seven miles down the trail.

A few miles later, came across these historic limestone kilns, used to make cement for construction of the canal.

Had heard about a bakery in Hancock, so rolled down the path to Weaver’s Restaurant & Bakery, despite having been told it wasn’t open. Picked up the aroma of home cooking as I rolled past and pulled up to the curb to check for myself. Just then, the owner (Penny Pittman) happened to walk out the door and told me they weren’t open for another 30 minutes. But she not only proceeded to invite me in to warm up with a hot cup of coffee, she also called the local newspaper to let them know I was in town. Five minutes later, I was sitting in her restaurant doing an interview with The Hancock News.

The food, and company (thanks for the wonderful service, Diane) was so good there, I ended up staying a full 3 hours, using the opportunity to recharge my laptop and phone and catch up on some emails. Enjoyed turkey, potatoes and gravy as a late Thanksgiving meal. When I tried to pay my bill, I was told it was “on the house.” Thanks, Penny! If you love homemade pies, and appreciate down home cooking, do yourself a favor and check out Weaver’s in Hancock, MD.

With heavy, steady rains forecast for the next two days, and being as I hadn’t yet passed Lock 49, decided to call Bob Steine and check on availability there for the night. Good news: it was not only available tonight, but the next several nights, if I needed it. Better news: Bob called the staff at the C&O Canal Trust (www.canaltrust.org), who manage the property, to explain the purpose of my ride and they very generously offered to waive their standard accommodation charges. Thanks so much, guys!

So rolled 15 more miles down the trail to 4 Locks, where I couldn’t believe my eyes. Built in 1839, historic Lockhouse 49 is a beautiful, old brick home with historic age furnishings. There’s no running water, but it has heat and electricity, making it the perfect base to ride out the rain, before making the final push to DC. Bob came out and opened up the place for me, then kindly invited me to his home in Clear Spring for a spaghetti dinner with his family, along with a much-needed hot shower and chance to do my laundry. Thanks, Bob and Sue for your warm and generous hospitality! Their sons, Sam and Joe, rode back out with us later that night to check out the trike.

Before drifting off to sleep in the comfortable bed upstairs, I read about some of the fascinating history of working and living on the C&O Canal locks. What a unique opportunity these restored lockhouses provide travelers to step back into history.

Rode 25 miles today. Counting a short detour, only 115 more to go.

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