Pump up your tires cyclists, because bike riders around the world are preparing for the International Day of Climate Action this October 24. From Vietnam to Egypt, people across the globe will be hopping on their bicycles to take action for 350. In Hanoi, a bicycle ride is planned around two of the iconic lakes in the center of the city, while in Cairo, organizers will cycle out to the Pyramids for a big action photo. And in just a few days, the "Ride 350" team in USA will begin a 350 mile bike road down the coast of California to build support for the campaign.

Some cyclists are really taking it to the max. Reed Olsen of Albany, New York will be attempting to ride 350 miles in less than 24 hours! You can check out the article below. (Organizers outside the US, take note — 350 kilometers is going to be an easier way to go).

Few things could make us happier then seeing so many cycling actions. Bicycles aren’t just a great and eco-friendly way to get around — they’ve also played a key role in the 350.org campaign from the very start, whether it’s helping our staff get to work on time or featuring in our very first 350 Animation! If you’re still looking for a way to take part in Oct 24, why not get your friends together and hop on your own two-wheels for the day? Don’t worry, we won’t expect you to ride 350 miles — maybe try 3.5 to start.

Reed Olsen will attempt to bike 350 miles in a 24-hour period to raise awareness of global warming.

CAPITAL REGION — Reed Olsen will test his limits Saturday, riding his bicycle night and day and then night again to raise global warming awareness.

The 22-year-old Union College graduate plans to ride 350 miles in a single day, expressing his support of lowering the level of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere to 350 parts per million, about 10 percent below current levels.

“There’s a real sense of urgency,” Olsen said. “Let’s make changes now while we can rather than when we’re forced to by environmental change.”

Olsen’s cycle ride is happening a week earlier, but is connected to the Oct. 24 “International Day of Climate Action” being organized by 350.org. He has a family commitment that will keep him from riding on Oct. 24.

The group 350.org believes carbon dioxide levels need to drop from their current levels to 350 parts per million to prevent further global climate change.

A number of events and activities will be taking place in the Capital Region on Oct. 24. The events include a bike ride for 350 people in Albany on Oct. 24, to be followed by a rally outside the State Capitol.

The goal of the international series of actions, organizers said, is to build pressure on world governments to reach agreements on lower CO2 levels at the Copenhagen conference on the environment coming up in December.

The current atmospheric CO2 level of 386 parts per million is contributing to the earth’s warming, according to many scientists and the 350.org campaign’s organizers.

Olsen, like others involved in the movement, believes climate change will slip beyond human control if dramatic measures aren’t taken quickly to lower carbon dioxide levels — measures to get the world economy off reliance on burning petroleum products.

“I’d like to see my ride as a metaphor for 350 — it really is a race against time, and I may not finish it in 24 hours,” said Olsen, who lives in Eagle Bridge, Washington County.

Olsen plans to start riding at midnight Friday night in Glens Falls and follow a circuit through several communities in Saratoga County to Amsterdam, then to Schenectady, Albany, Troy, Cambridge and finally back to Glens Falls. He will do that circuit twice, taking only brief breaks for water and energy foods.

Olsen, who works on a sheep farm in Salem, was a high school and college athlete and is an experienced endurance biker: He’s ridden from Saratoga to Boston in one day, about 150 miles, and in the summer of 2007 he bicycled with two friends from Saratoga Springs to Seattle.

For people who like the idea of biking for the environment but don’t even want to think about around-the-clock endurance, there will be a 12-mile ride in Albany on Oct. 24, starting at noon at the Empire State Plaza. The goal is to get 350 or more participants.

“People who don’t want to ride 350 miles but still want to do something can join us,” said Eric Randall of Albany, an organizer of the Albany ride.

The ride will be followed by a rally in the Capitol’s West Park at 2 p.m., at which speakers will include state wildlife pathologist Ward Stone and Steven Leibo, a professor at The Sage Colleges.

“There is no question that the climate is changing, the planet is warming, and many species are threatened, including ourselves,” Stone said.

Randall said there’s been a strong public response so far, with 50 people signing up to ride after a Facebook page was started, at Albany 350 Bike Ride ‘Round the Capitol.

“There are a lot of people who care about the environment and enjoy a good bike ride,” he said. “I think a lot of people have a visceral sense that the way government is handling this is not right.”

Anyone who wants to sign up for the Albany ride can do so on Facebook, through the www.350.org Web site, or by e-mailing Randall at [email protected]. Helmets are required.

Among other events in the Capital Region on Oct. 24:

u Students at Union College in Schenectady plan a demonstration that will include forming a human “350” on the college lawn. “Our event is being coordinated with events all over the world. It will show that people are united on this issue,” said Erin Delman, a Union sophomore and one of the event organizers.

u At the Jonesville United Methodist Church in Clifton Park, there will be a “100 Mile Harvest Dinner,” with all the food grown within 100 miles of Jonesville. It will be from 6-8 p.m.

u In Johnstown, Bill Kitchen is calling his contribution “350 Piles of Moose Poop.” He’s encouraging people to take 350 Adirondack hikes that day, and report back any evidence they find of moose — or even moose sightings. Many people regard the return of moose to the Adirondacks in the last 15 years as an environmental victory.

Interested people can learn more about the CO2 issue and local Day of Action events at www.350.org.

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