This is a matter of urgency and national security...[but] it is not only a problem, it is also an opportunity...We have the opportunity now to create jobs all across this country in all 50 states to repower America, to redesign how we use energy and think about how we are increasing efficiency to make our economy stronger, make us more safe, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make us competitive for decades to come -- even as we save the planet.

-President Barack Obama

     As our new president said, we are facing one of the greatest opportunities in US history. We are now measuring the amount of time before human impact on the atmosphere has pushed it into a state that is out of our control in years, not centuries. This trip is not powered by fossil fuels, but by the opportunity for a better future, by the energy that comes from the realization of the fierce urgency of now, that tomorrow is today, and that climate change is not a problem in the distant future, but knocking at our doors right now. We are channeling this "realization energy" into the pedals of our bicycles for an epic journey across the United States.

"When the people lead, the leaders will follow,"
-Gandhi

Would you like to join this movement of movements? Check out or route, book a workshop in your area, read our blog, see how you can take part, and please contact us if you would like to take participate in any way.

The Urgency of Now is fundraising for a new initiative called

 

Consumer Roots.

Consumer Roots is a new online initiative designed to give conscientious consumers the power to access and share information about the far flung effects of their purchases. In a world of ever increasing complexity, we are no longer connected to how products are grown, extracted, assembled, transported, and ultimately made available to the consumer. Consumer Roots will allow people, from farmers to assembly-line workers to shoppers, to share what they know about products, places, and companies, with a specific emphasis on ethics and sustainability. It is a not-for-profit initiative and is set to launch in August '09.