As we\u2019ve all heard, the spirit of progressivism is strong in the Dutch.\u00a0 For over a year, since July of 2010, Joost Nootenboom and Michiel Roodenburg \u2013 Dutchmen, both, in case you couldn\u2019t guess \u2013 have been progressing through the North and South American continental masses, on bamboo bikes.\u00a0 Their cause?\u00a0 Clean water.<\/p>\n
They began at the northern-most tip of Alaska, and they\u2019ll end at the southern-most point in Argentina.\u00a0 To add to the symbolic heft of the journey, they collected a bottle of Alaskan water, at the start, which they\u2019ll dump into the ocean, in the end.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s a much broader goal at work while they\u2019re between the two points:\u00a0 Michiel and Joost have been speaking at universities along the way, educating audiences about the seriousness of the water crisis.<\/p>\n
And, in general, a long bike tour like this one brings its bikers into contact with a considerable volume of people<\/em> along the way, no doubt allowing for serious educational opportunities on both sides.<\/p>\n The bikes that Joost and Michiel have been riding are bamboo, because they\u2019re concerned with saving energy and reducing their carbon footprint, even on\u2026their bikes.\u00a0 Will this represent a new movement toward sustainability in Dutch bike culture?<\/p>\n From the looks of their blog<\/a>, the boys are mid-Amazon right now.\u00a0 Watch this short CNN piece for a bit more information, or visit their website: \u00a0www.cycleforwater.com.<\/p>\n