Bill McKibben Joins Cool Planet Skiers

Celebrated author and founder of 350.org Bill McKibben will be joining the Cool Planet Skiers Feb 20-24 for 3 presentations and to ski in his 2nd American Birkebeiner Cross Country Ski Marathon from Cable to Hayward, WI.

McKibben recently completed his “Do the Math” tour to sold out audiences in 21 cities including Madison, WI and Mpls MN. The focus of the post election road trip was to educate and inspire college campuses and communities to begin the process of moving investments and endowment funds away from the fossil fuel industry and towards clean renewable energy sources.

McKibben, a long time cross country skier, will be joining Paul Thompson, co-founder of Cool Planet and 32 time finisher in the “Birkie” and over 30 other Cool Planet Skiers and supporters to bring the 350 message to the largest ski event in North America.

Paul at his first Birkie

The American Birkebeiner is in it’s 40th year of existence and already has closed registration at 10,000 skiers doing either the 50 or 54 km Birke or the shorter Korteloppet at 25 km.

Cool Planet and SPEAK UP!! organizer Paul Thompson recently said:

“Winters are getting warming and more snow free in recent years and cross country skiers will be among the first to experience the loss of the sport they love if business as usual continues. Science tells us that 350 ppm of CO2 in our atmosphere is the redline for stability. We are approaching 400 ppm with few signs of slowing our dependence on the burning of fossil fuels. As athletes and citizens we need to come together to call a halt to our current way of using and producing energy.

At the same time we need to point the way towards a sustainable, healthy way of living which cross country skiers exemplify with their focus on training, nutrition and doing what they love.”

In addition to McKibben’s skiing he will be presenting “Celebrating and Preserving Winter” 3 times while in MN and WI. Feb 20 at the University of St. Thomas, Feb 21 at Macalester College and at 7:30 pm on 2/21 at the Park Theater in Hayward WI

Visitors to our web site can participate in many ways:

1. Contribute to Cool Planet and other organizations working to slow climate change here. (use the donate button on our homepage)

2. Join the Cool Planet Skiers team and ski, skate, snowshoe or hike in your own favortite event or on your own and help to fund our work. Contact Paul at 952-920-1547 or ptflydisc@aol.com

3. Take the next SPEAK UP!! training March 10 and get educated about the urgency of our changing climate and the possibility of creating climate solutions ion your neighborhood. Register on our web site.

THANKS FOR VISITING AND TAKING ACTION!!

YOU ARE THE KEY TO A HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE AND OPEN HEARTED FUTURE