Peace Pedalers is a "Worldwide Invitation to Ride". We took two-seat tandem bikes on an around-the-world adventure through 81 countries. But we did iPt a bit differently--We rode on the front seats and left the rear seats open to invite people . We brought extra riding clothes, helmets and camping equipment ready to share with strangers that soon become friends once they made a few pedal strokes on the tandem! Over 1,000 strangers accepted the invitation to ride, proving that language, cultural and religious boundaries can be crossed by anyone, anywhere. Inviting total strangers we met to share a slice of life and enjoy the cycling experience was our small gesture of peace, trust, acceptance and unconditional love. If they needed some financial assistance we offered to pay their food, accommodation and bus ticket back to their home town for extended tandem adventures. Each day was a mystery--who we would ride with, where we would eat and sleep, and what we would learn about these exciting new cultures. ( less )

This Fireside Feature tells the story of the non-profit, Revision International... as its co-founders gear up for an incredible bike ride across two continents. The Revolution ride is dedicated to finding new ways to protect our planet and its people. ( less )

World Bicycle Relief provide Zambian school goers (70% girls)distribute bikes to provide access to education, knowledge, confidence and power. ( less )

Take a mini-tour on a bamboo boat along a Bangladeshi river with Natasha and meet the undernourished women whose main meal is rice, salt and chilli. Little Shaheeda is so hungry she doesnt wait to get home but tucks in at the nutrition centre. To see the latest On the Road, go to http://www.wfp.org/on-the-road?utm_so... ( less )

This social and cultural EVOLUTION is taking root in hundreds of cities across the planet and showing little sign of losing momentum. In Zucotti Park(NYC), site of the first OCCUPATION, there are inspiring stories emerging. At every corner of the park is the exchange and the fomentation of ideas. Over the coming months, One Pack Productions and Seismologik Media will showcase some of the amazing people who are creating actions which can inspire people to practice being the change they wish to see in the world. The Impact Our aim is to educate and empower a broader public on sustainability issues and solutions through the medium of film, photography and the written word. Over the course of the coming weeks, we will create a series of short films which will focus primarily on sustainability topics such as: alternative energy, bike power, recycling, composting, farming+food, localization, creative reuse, alternative economic models, urban gardening, bee keeping, natural building, greywater systems, and biodiversity. We want to bring you the knowledge and the stories of many human beings, who are deeply committed to people care, planet care, and fair share. These films will be made available to the public on an open source website currently in development. A longer term goal is to have these films shown in classrooms across the country. They will become a vital addition to sustainability and science education. With more than 7 billion people living on a planet with finite resources, it has never been more important than NOW for us to create healthy new systems, which are sustainable for humanity, and all other living species on EARTH. We hope to inspire people, young and old to create the change they want to see in the world. ( less )

From Youtube user QuitGas : Backyard project to create a form of local transportation WITHOUT burning gasoline. Since I work within 5 miles of my home and do a lot of local running around, the idea was to leave the car at home and commute with clean, quiet electric power as much as possible. Have been on the road only a few weeks -- still in the testing/adjusting phase, but so far it looks like this: Bike has a lot (too much) low end torque so it is pretty quick from a standing start. However, the top speed right now is about 45mph. Since I started with a low 6:1 gear ratio, I have plenty of room to change gearing for more top speed -- however, since I use this locally (mostly on 35mph city streets), I don't really need much more speed. Also, I chose the Alltrax controller because it comes with free software so I can plug my laptop into the bike and adjust motor power, throttle curve, etc. I'm currently using four 12 volt batteries for a 48 volt bike. Since this was an "experiment" and my first EV, I used the cheapest batteries I could find (Wal-Mart 85 ah Marine batteries at about $45 each). They are, however, working out well for now. Plugs in to any standard 120 volt household outlet and takes about 6 hours to charge (not really sure since I plug it in at night and it's ready in the morning). The math says the range would be about 30 miles on a charge, but it's looking like much less than that right now. Again, actual numbers coming as soon as I complete testing and adjusting. Total cost to build is about $2,800 which includes the cost of the original bike, the (all-new) motor and electronics, new tires, etc. Cost to run (electricity) should be about 2 cents per mile. Some Details : D&D SepEx Motor (about 45 ft-pd torque at 2000rpm) 400 Amp Alltrax Controller with PC link Four 12 volt deep cycle marine batteries (Wal-Mart) Four on-board battery chargers More details coming soon. . . . . . GO GREEN ! Thanks to Nancy Avalos -- garage help, photographer, food runs! Andy Limon (the "Rocket Scientist" from Street Tuner Challenge) -- advice and encouragement! ( less )

Lusaka, Zambia (CNN) -- In rural Zambia, a bicycle is one of the most important possessions someone can have. At one school, when they were given out to pupils by World Bicycle Relief, the roll increased from 300 to 867 pupils. Headteacher Michael Gogolola explained: "Bicycles in Africa, especially in this part of Zambia, they are more valuable than a vehicle, because they use them even for grinding mill, they use them for transport to the hospital, to the clinic and to the school. "When we came to this school, the enrolment was 300, now when the World Bicycle Relief came with bicycles, even the girls who had left school, just because they heard about the bicycles, they came back to school." Bicycles in Zambia are more valuable than a vehicle. --Michael Gogolola, headteacher Not all the 867 pupils have bicycles, but those who do treasure them as a lifeline in an impoverished country and a powerful incentive to stay in school. World Bicycle Relief is a Chicago-based organization which began by providing bicycles in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami. In 2006 it moved on to Zambia, where it began distributing bicycles to healthcare workers helping people living with HIV and AIDS, and in 2009 started giving them to schoolchildren as part of its Bicycles for Education Empowerment Program. World Bicycle Relief has so far supplied 30,000 bicycles in Zambia, as well as training a network of maintenance mechanics. Dave Neiswander, World Bicycle Relief's head of Africa operations, said: "It's connecting people with education, it's connecting people with healthcare, it's connecting people with their own economic development. It's a tool to help themselves." The bikes themselves had to be designed to cope with the rough ground and heavy loads that many people need to carry. "Our bicycle is designing to withstand the difficult terrain of Africa," said Neiswander. "The rack can withstand 100 kg, that's ideal if you're taking produce to market or someone to clinic. We use heavy duty rims and spokes, reinforce the tires, it's basically a tank." World Bicycle Relief administers its program in partnership with the Zambian Ministry of Education, community organizations and several other international NGOs. http://worldbicyclerelief.org/ +info: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/index.html ( less )