Andrew Ference is a National Hockey League (NHL) superstar with the Boston Bruins, and a leader in the fight to reduce carbon emissions. He spearheaded a partnership between the NHL and the David Suzuki Foundation, forming the Carbon Neutral Challenge to inspire over 500 hockey players to offset their carbon emissions from travel. More astounding still, is Andrew’s personal dedication to change; he bikes to work every day to reduce his environmental impact.
Andrew recognized the impact every action makes; short distance motor-vehicle trips are the least fuel-efficient and generate the most pollution per kilometer. Motor vehicle emissions represent 31% of the total carbon dioxide emissions polluted, and a short bicycle ride keeps 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air.
Biking instead of driving helps mitigate ozone depletion, air pollution, smog, and noise pollution. The actions of offsetting and finding alternative ways of moving around have major positive impacts on our air, our climate and the future of our planet. Take action now to exercise your pedal power and do something good for the environment and your body!
"The macho thing about hockey is respect…that’s how I view changing your lifestyle and doing the right thing. It’s about respecting your kids and about the future generation. The most powerful thing to do when you want change is just to lead by example."
– Andrew Ference
• Take a refresher course on cycling to get you comfortable and back on the road.
• Join a bike co-op and learn how to fix your own bike, for free.
• Have a car free day party on September 22 and curb your car.
• Start a bike to work day at your office.
• Become a fan David Suzuki Foundation, Bikes without Borders and Bixi Toronto on Facebook.
• Follow David Suzuki Foundation and Bixi Toronto on Twitter.
• Twitter Contest Alert: Enter the GreenHeroes.tv Twitter contest to win a GreenHeroes t-shirt!We want to hear how you stay chic and cool while biking to work! Be sure to include @greenheroestv in the body of your tweet! Winner will be selected at random from entrants.
• Join the 30 days of biking challenge
• Become an advocate for cycling in your community – Get in touch with your city councillor to support cycling infrastructure in your neigbourhood (if you live in Toronto, here is a contact list).
• Donate to Bikes without Borders to change a life with the gift of a bike.
• Tell 10 friends that motor vehicle emissions represent 31% of total carbon dioxide emission (Clean Air Council), and that a short, 4-mile round trip bicycle trip keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air (WorldWatch institute).
• Share Andrew Ference’s GreenHeroes webisode using our neat Sharelizer widget. You can share GreenHeroes.tv videos on your blog or website by simply following the directions on our site.
Remember – in the battle to save the planet, exercising your pedal power is key. Enter our contest to nominate a bike riding hero, highlighting the challenges they faced and what they did to overcome them. Or, let us know of bicycle innovators, using bike-powered solutions to change the planet. By entering you’ll be eligible to win a prize! Contest details and more information can be found here.
You can either register for a contest profile, enter your personal information to the left, or sign in with your Facebook account by clicking the button below.
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I am a huge supporter of cycling to work, and love that cities are starting to really consider the infrastructure required to support cycling. I worry about folks in rural areas, however, and their reliance on fossil fuels to get food brought in, and to often go long distances to and from work and school.