"We ride our bikes to help fight climate change ", 100 cyclists declared today while gathered in the Constitution Square in Bucharest. The event was part of Ride Planet Earth, a project where cyclists worldwide go out in the streets to make their own statement regarding their desire to take action against climate change.

The message of the Romanian cycling team has been registered and, along with several individual interviews will be turned into a 5-minute movie that, according to Raluca Teodor, representative of "Europe Active", will reach the negotiations tables in Copenhagen.

The smallest participant in the ride action today was Harold, six y.o. kid. "I ride my bike to work, 22 km, every day. I purchased my son a bicycle for sport reasons and he’s doing very well, "said Helmut, the father of the little boy cyclist.

"We are in December, it is hot outside, there's no snow and we can ride our bikes without making it an act of heroism. Why is this ride even possible?" wondered rhetorically George Culda, president of" Bata saua sa priceapa iapa ", suggesting the obvious evidence of climate change. He explained that the action today wants to emphasize that Ride Planet Earth project, initiated by Australian Kim Nguyen, is a priority for everybody.

Kim Nguyen (image via Ride Planet Earth)

Kim Nguyen started the bike ride 16 months ago from Brisbane, Australia, on his way to Copenhagen, Denmark, also passing through Bucharest. The purpose of his trip is to gather messages from people concerned about protecting the environment and concerned about the impact of climate change. Messages collected during the trip will be presented during COP15 to persuade world leaders to take immediate action on an agreement on global climate problem.

Romania’s Planet Earth Ride coordinators have two major objectives. One of them is aimed at promoting our country's position towards pollution caused by emissions. This will be achieved by recording a video message from the participants, handed to Kim Nguyen to be added along the rest of the messages he gathered.

Furthermore, the project initiators want to persuade Romanians that cycling can be an enjoyable and fast means of transport to work, school, shopping, or even for holiday, and can successfully replace a car.

*translated and adapted from Green Report