As we’ve all heard, the spirit of progressivism is strong in the Dutch.  For over a year, since July of 2010, Joost Nootenboom and Michiel Roodenburg – Dutchmen, both, in case you couldn’t guess – have been progressing through the North and South American continental masses, on bamboo bikes.  Their cause?  Clean water.

They began at the northern-most tip of Alaska, and they’ll end at the southern-most point in Argentina.  To add to the symbolic heft of the journey, they collected a bottle of Alaskan water, at the start, which they’ll dump into the ocean, in the end.

But there’s a much broader goal at work while they’re between the two points:  Michiel and Joost have been speaking at universities along the way, educating audiences about the seriousness of the water crisis.

And, in general, a long bike tour like this one brings its bikers into contact with a considerable volume of people along the way, no doubt allowing for serious educational opportunities on both sides.

The bikes that Joost and Michiel have been riding are bamboo, because they’re concerned with saving energy and reducing their carbon footprint, even on…their bikes.  Will this represent a new movement toward sustainability in Dutch bike culture?

From the looks of their blog, the boys are mid-Amazon right now.  Watch this short CNN piece for a bit more information, or visit their website:  www.cycleforwater.com.

https://vimeo.com/23788256