Planet Pedals to Burlington for Kyoto Plus

CROSS-CANADA CLIMATE CHANGE CYCLING TOUR
ARRIVES IN BURLINGTON, ONTARIO

For immediate release
28 August, 2009

Burlington, ON – A welcome event for cyclists riding in Pedal for the Planet will be held at 2pm on September 1st at Burlington Civic Square in front of City Hall. The event will include speeches by local and national campaigners and there will be an opportunity to meet the cyclists. Pedal for the Planet is a unique cross-Canada bike relay encouraging individuals and organizations to speak out on climate change and sign a national petition demanding that Canada do its fair share to fight global warming.

“It’s a really engaging, positive way for people to show our government that citizens are seriously demanding climate change action – serious enough to bike across the country!” says Emma Cane of Sierra Club Canada, Ontario Coordinator for Pedal for the Planet.

A new international climate change treaty will be signed next December and the final negotiations are happening now. But Canada is blocking progress. Pedal for the Planet is a chance for Ontarians to send a clear message to Ottawa: we want our country to make us proud and start acting like a leader in global efforts to confront climate change. Cyclists from across the country will converge on Parliament Hill on September 15th.

Pedal for the Planet is an initiative of KYOTOplus, a national, non-partisan, petition-centred campaign for urgent federal government action on climate change that is supported by more than 70 health, environment, labour, youth, women, development, peace and social justice organizations.

Pedal for the Planet riders will hit cities across southern Ontario over the next two weeks, visiting Members of Parliament to ask them to sign the KYOTOplus pledge. “We’re hoping to get as many signatories as possible,” says Cane. “Canada is one of the last industrialized countries opposed to targets for deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This is an opportunity for everyone to join together to call for federal government action on climate change.”

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Follow Pedal for the Planet cyclists as they share their stories at:
http://kyotoplus.ca/pedal/