It takes a team to make a bike ride a reality. Here are some of the team members who are in on the ground level making it happen.
The Riders
Mindy Ahler of Edina, MN is Co-Director of Cool Planet, creating neighborhood fun and action for our planet. She is also a Regional Coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby, creating the political will for a livable world. Mindy is an avid bike commuter and long-distance rider. She has ridden over 15,000 miles on her bike and craves opportunities for long rides that combine her passion for climate change education with her passion for pedal power. Mindy’s concern for the climate stems from her social justice background and involvement with people around the world. Last fall I completed a 3800 mile cross-country LowCarbon Crossings bike journey touching 14 states and hosting 32 community climate conversations and talking with hundreds about climate solutions. I continue to be inspired by the people I met and filled with gratitude for the overwhelming kindness and generosity of the people we met along the way. I’m excited to be heading off for our Minnesota tour – although shorter, I expect it to be just as inspiring and rewarding.
Paul Thompson lives in Edina. He is Co-Director (and co-founder) of Cool Planet and a Regional Coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
For me, biking is a symbol for the transition to sustainable living. It’s the future that humans must adopt to calm our ‘out of control’ climate of today. When an idea’s time as come, it’s time to listen carefully….and take the actions needed. I love the challenge and teamwork of our LowCarbon Crossings bikers.
Michael Orange served the City of Minneapolis as a city planner and environmental manager (1976 to 2006). A highlight of his career was managing the Minneapolis-St. Paul CO2 Reduction Project (1989-93), a groundbreaking effort through the United Nations that resulted in the first citywide carbon baseline assessments for the 13 participating cities from around the world. After leaving the city, he formed his own consulting company, ORANGE Environmental, LLC. Among his clients are 30 local governments for whom he has prepared carbon baseline assessments, sustainability analyses, and plans to manage the Emerald Ash Borer infestation. He also teaches a graduate-level course, Sustainable City Planning, at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
After serving with the Marines, Michael described his experiences in his book, Fire in the Hole: A Mortarman in Vietnam (https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Hole-Mortarman-Michael-Orange/dp/0595160034).
Michael is an avid bicyclist, and for 25 years, he made his 12-mile work commute by bike. He and his wife, Cynthia, have been riding tandem for most of their 44-year marriage.
Participating in the Low Carbon Crossing 2017 is a perfect fit for his love of challenging biking, his four-decades-long commitment to environmental progress, and his desire to learn about climate challenges to rural and small town communities.
Support Team
These journeys are not possible without the support of many people who jump in and take on coordinating, hosting, media outreach, planning, etc. We can’t possibly name all who have helped but are eternally grateful for all the volunteers who help in this and other journeys!
LowCarbon Crossings 