In the words of Bill McKibben, “the time has come to get mad, and then to get busy."

On October 10th 2010 the planet is getting to work on climate change with over 2800 events in 150 countries. 350.org, founded by renowned author and environmentalist Bill McKibben, is calling for a 10/10/10 “Global Work Party” with emphasis on both 'work' and 'party'. “In Auckland, New Zealand, they’re having a giant bike fix-up day, to get every bicycle in the city back on the road. In the Maldives, they’re putting up solar panels on the President’s office. In Kampala, Uganda, they're going to plant thousands of trees, and in Bolivia they’re installing solar stoves for a massive carbon neutral picnic.” (350.org)

Here in Minnesota, the Will Steger Foundation is excited to partner with two local organizers and cyclists on the ‘350 Solutions Revolution’ bike tour and 10/10/10 Twin Cities event.

Solutions Revolution is a cross-country climate ride from Portland Oregon to Washington DC. Minnesota organizers Paul Thompson (retired public school teacher and Volunteer Educator for YEA! MN) and Reed Aronow (Midwest delegate with WSF’s Expedition Copenhagen and current WSF Climate Champion) will join riders Katherine Ball and Alec Neal when they arrive in Minneapolis. Together the team will bike on to Washington DC and then travel by train and boat to participate in the international climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico (COP16). The team will be filming as they go, documenting the solutions local communities are creating across the U.S. to address the climate crisis.

Goals for the ride as stated on the Solutions Revolution website include “shining a light on bicycles, trains, boats, and hybrid electric vehicles as alternatives to flying; highlighting innovative local solutions to climate change in a documentary film; building an inclusive climate movement by connecting youthful energy with the wisdom of elders and honoring the participation of diverse ethnicities, genders, preferences and classes”

The Will Steger Foundation will be providing media support and visibility for the ride and is partnering with Solutions Revolution on a Twin Cities 350 10/10/10 event to be held at Mill Ruins Park, south end of the Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis from 2-5 PM. The event will include a mass bike ride through Mill Ruins Park, a 350 march across the Stone Arch Bridge, an activities and climate solution resource fair, and live music.

For more information visit: www.solutionsrevolution.org and www.350.org