Meet Team Greenbelt Alliance. This year we are privileged to have 12 riders representing Greenbelt Alliance on Climate Ride 2012. Between Aug. 29 and Sept. 8, we’ll profile each of the riders (in their own words) on Team Greenbelt Alliance. Follow @gbeltalliance and like us on Facebook to get updates from our Climate Ride team during the ride on Sept. 9-13.
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Motivation … I’ve been concerned about the environment since I was in 8th grade when I read Silent Spring. Since I had always spent a lot of time in the wilderness I was terrified at the possibility of the natural world being destroyed. I still am.
In 1972, I went to Sweden to work on an environmental studies seminar with students from Beloit college. I ended up living there for 28 years, raising my kids, and working as a naturopathic physician. I returned to the US 2 1/2 years ago since my kids had all moved here and my mother needed help. Six weeks after moving back I went on a 2-month electric 
bike ride from California to Washington D.C. with my brother. We called ourselves “the green riders” and discovered an encouraging number of truly inspiring people who were working with sustainable solutions to help preserve the planet. Part of our ride also consisted of participating in many environmental events along the way. For more information visit www.thegreenriders.org.
So for me the climate ride is a way to continue my commitment to working for a healthy planet while having a lot of fun. The best thing about last year’s ride (other than the wonderful humid weather) was all the great inspiring people doing the ride with me.
I was born in Berkeley of German and Austrian parents, moved to Switzerland till age 3. Then San Francisco and then Palo Alto where I grew up (though I am still waiting to feel grown up). I’ve lived in 5 countries, gone to 6 universities,speak 4 languages and feel at home anywhere and nowhere. Presently I’m taking care of my mother, amusing the neighborhood with a large front-yard vegetable garden and working with inner city kids trying to help them connect with nature and grow a garden in their school yard.
Why Greenbelt Alliance? Our destruction of the planet is so massive and overwhelming to me that I easily lose hope. I learned about the work Greenbelt Alliance does last year and it impressed me because you work with so many aspects of helping to make the bay area sustainable. I also like supporting local groups and last but not least, I was impressed by members of the Greenbelt Alliance who I met at the Climate Ride meet-and-great in San Francisco last month.
Read about Greenbelt Alliance on Climate Ride.
