Group promotes biking to solve traffic, climate change

MANILA, Philippines - Thousands of cyclists and advocates will gather for the 16th Tour of the Fireflies tomorrow to call on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders to integrate bikes in sustainable solutions to problems on transportation and climate change.

Organized by the Firefly Brigade, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of bicycles for clean air and sustainable communities, the cyclists want to promote bicycling as one of the long-term solutions to traffic congestion, air and noise pollution and other environmental problems.

“Together with bicyclists from all over the Philippines, the 16th Tour of the Fireflies 2015 calls the attention of the region’s leaders to urgent action on the grave consequences of climate change on vulnerable economies and its people. We urge them to integrate non-motorized transportation in effective and sustainable transportation plans,” said Jack Yabut, Firefly Brigade president.

Scientists have identified climate change as one of the century’s greatest challenges, affecting vulnerable nations like the Philippines, and creating impacts like extreme weather events and rising sea levels.

Also addressing the concern is the yearly Conference of Parties (COP), under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will meet in Paris in December to come up with an agreement to help resolve the climate issue.

Shubert Clencia, Oxfam Philippines’ policy and campaigns manager, said the country was listed by Germanwatch, a non-profit organization based in Bonn, as the most affected by extreme events in the year 2013.

“We must pressure world leaders meeting at the Paris climate summit this December to provide us with funds to cope with floods, typhoons and droughts. We ask everyone to sign our petition campaign #TRaysikelToParis and make sure the voices of the people being hurt by climate change are heard in Paris,” Oxfam said.

Oxfam is one of the organizations supporting the 16th Tour of the Fireflies: The B.I.G Ride.

They will gather signatures during the ride and present this to ASEAN leaders so they, in turn, can pressure other world leaders to help developing nations adapt to climate change.