FIETSPAD MAGAZINE

As she bikes over the vast Green Mountains of Vermont, Emily Colin, co-founder of PEDAL (People for Environment, Diversity, Action and Learning), tries to imagine what it will be like doing the same climb, except 10,000 feet higher in the South American Andes.  In a little over four months, Emily, along with her partner Rayna Weiss and a few other friends will embark on a 6 month tour of South America by bicycle.  Out of breathe and slightly dizzy, Emily had a moment to sit with us and talk about this exciting new project that hopes to create a bridge between those who are working and living in sustainable and holistic ways with the land to the youth and students in the United States.

Can you tell us how the idea for “PEDAL” came about?

To be perfectly honest, PEDAL began because Rayna and myself wanted to bike from Ecuador to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. Though we realized that we are not the first to tour the world via bicycle, we wanted to prove to people that traveling and seeing the world is not only possible on bike or foot, but also more enjoyable and a life-altering experience.  The idea grew and progressed into developing community, collaboration, and environmental learning because these are all things we believe will help change the world for the better. One thing we realize completely, is that we are extremely privileged.  We have had the opportunity to travel outside the US and spend significant amounts of time learning about cultures around the globe. We believe our drive to help initiate change…change in the way we live our lives, change to be more sustainable, and change to be more environmentally conscious overall has stemmed in part from this global perspective.  We want to act, therefore, as a feed to others as we attempt to initiate change, and that is how the classroom communication aspect of our movement came about.

Tell us about that part of your project; the classroom communication part.  How will PEDAL plug into students and classrooms?

An aspect of our project is partnerships with classrooms throughout the United States.  Currently we are partnered with two classrooms in Colorado and we are working on 4 more in Vermont.  Like I said previously, our goal with these classrooms is to help students relate environmental issues they see every day to those across the globe, and thus broaden their global perspective.  We hope to act as a feed for them, help them to see the issues they are studying first hand.

I think its valuable to realize that with privilege comes responsibility, and it seems that you are using your privilege in a great way by trying to leverage it to allow those that are often ignored have a voice. Why do you think something like “PEDAL” is important in today’s environmental and global context?

In our minds, the most important things related to environmental issues and environmental change today are community collaboration and connectivity, stewardship, education, and awareness.  The youth of the world is the generation of change for tomorrow.  They (we) are the ones with the most potential for change within ourselves, our communities, and our lives.  We all need to be stewards to the environment and it starts with an awareness and appreciation for our surroundings.  This respect can only be complete when our perspectives are broadened beyond ourselves and expand to a global recognition.  The mission of PEDAL and the South American journey is to encompass and accomplish global collaborative environmental awareness through community and the students of the United States.

It’s interesting that you say that it is the youth that have the most potential for change.  I have seen examples of this, but I have also seen the older population being leaders through change, of embracing new ideas.  Do you think that certain expectations and preconceived notions will be tested during your trip?

I would say yes, we will be testing some of our presumptions.  We do believe that everyone has the potential to change, and we do believe that everyone has the opportunity to live their lives more sustainably and more simply.  This project is geared towards youth not because they are the only ones who can promote change, but because they are the age group who is just now learning about how important change is.  This age group has not even begun to live their lives on their own, they have a million options in front of them, and we hope they choose the greener path.  If they decide they are going to dedicate their life in such a way from the get go, the majority of their choices will be oriented in this manner…and they have long lives to live!  We may learn, however, that it is an older, wiser population that is inspired from our journey and in that case, yes, we will be testing what we do and changing what we do for our future journeys.

How do you feel that the bicycle touring aspect of your project relates to the overall theme of environmentalism and culture awareness?

Above all in an environmental sense, we are travel on a carbon-neutral basis.  Most importantly though, is that bicycling slows everything down.  On a bike, one becomes very in-tune with his/her surroundings…notices sounds, smells, and sites that we would otherwise be blind to on an airplane or even on a bus.  The perspective and awareness I have spoken about as being so vital is epitomized by the ability to notice these aspects of our environment.  Additionally, this slow-paced travel allows us to connect with people.  It is much easier via bicycle to stop and speak with anyone and everyone we desire to learn from.

I have experienced this during my travels through Japan and Europe on bike, and even on the daily basis of bike riding.  Plus, the simple aspect of being on a bike makes you seem much more interesting to others.

In what ways do you hope “PEDAL” will raise awareness and affect significant change?

Our efforts are geared towards fostering global environmental awareness within United States high school classrooms.  We hope that the students we work with will live vicariously though us, learn how issues within South America correlate to those the students face locally, and be inspired to foster changes within themselves and their communities.  Our goals are to instill sustainable living methods, environmental collaboration principles, and an ambition to build global relationships.

The goals and objectives of “PEDAL” extend beyond this first project in South America.  Can you tell us about what the plans are for “PEDAL” after this first project, and how biking might be incorporated?

During our South American journey, we will be filming the landscape, capturing environmental detriments we encounter, interviewing individuals regarding these issue, and recording the PEDAL members learning skills from locals.  At the end of the journey, a year will be dedicated to making the footage into a documentary.  The second project PEDAL is looking to plan involves cycling across the US, showing the documentary to the partnered classrooms from the South American journey and others, and working with students on local environmental service projects.  Beyond the US cycling trip, we plan to travel to other parts of the world, cycling and learning as we did in South America, and we plan to continue and broaden classroom partnerships throughout the US.

Your goals are certainly ambitious.  I imagine that with something as broad and sweeping as your project that there has been a lot of learning as you move forward.  What are some of the hurdles that you have faced so far in your organizing?

While the brevity of our ambitions has challenged us in many ways, the most difficult things we have faced involve the creation of our non-profit and our sense of planning.  We are two girls with A LOT of passion and no idea how to start a movement.  Our drive continues though, and with the never-ending push of knowing, “everyone began somewhere.”  To be honest, in starting all of this we didn’t know what we were doing at all.  Pretty much every decision we have made has been backwards, and the order in which we chose to name our non-profit, apply for grants, and plan the route was opposite from what it should have been.  But like I said, we have passion and we have drive. We want to do our part to make a difference and do it in a big way.  We started this project with ideas for change and pretty much nothing else, but with good friends and believers in a cause, we will make this dream into a reality…no matter how round-a-bout the way of getting there is.

Finally, can you share your views on biking and its relation to being a tool for social change?

Today we live in a fast-paced world where technology and the simplicities of invention run our lives.  Socially, we are very much more disconnected from not only the environment, but also one another.  Via text messaging and email we don’t even need to speak to have conversations. Cars and airplanes have allowed us to live thousands of miles from our family members, creating a disconnect from the sense of home and the community of family.  Though I very much want to change and am working slowly to do so, I myself am subject to this lifestyle just as much as most of the people surrounding me.  Riding a bike not only slows things down as previously mentioned, but also simplifies movement and promotes a healthier life style.  Though a bicycle is a machine, it is one our bodies work; and we respond to how much it works our bodies just as much as it responds to us pushing down on the peddles.  The bike creates a physical connection to the earth and a visual connection to the land.  This perspective is unattainable from any other vehicle or invention.  It is a tool for social change because of the simplicity it brings to life; thus, one who bikes, notices more, breaths more, observes more, learns more, takes more time, leaves more time, has the ability to connect to others more, and needs less to do so.

And so, with a push off Emily pedals into the setting sun.  The 4,000 ft Green Mountains of Vermont might not be the grand South American Andes, but with the vision and passion that Emily and the entire PEDAL team has, they can certainly make them be.

To help this movement and learn how you can get involved, check out the PEDAL website www.pedalforchange.org.

You can buy a special Sonadei designed t-shirt to show your support!