I recently received an email from Mark Retzlaff of the Portland Peace and Justice Center concerning their Sustainable Energy in Motion Bicycle Tours.

As I understand it, the Peace and Justice Center is currently an evolving idea. They hope to have a phsyical space in the future. But their first program is well underway . They organize bicycle tours in Oregon through which paying participants learn about sustainability through hands-on service projects and visits to such sites as organic farms and Native American communities. Their hope is that participants will return to their own communities equipped with the knowledge and motivation to launch their own projects based on principles of sustainability.

This is their mission statement:

Through a focus on solutions and pro-active models, to facilitate social change by empowering activists and inspiring formation of innovative grassroots projects.

I decided to post something about this project as I believe efforts to promote an understanding of sustainability need all the help they can get, and this appears to be a novel one. I’ve not investigated the program in any depth, but from what I can see their focus is unusual and commendable, and the trips just might be the choice for someone looking for an active summer trip enriched with education in aspects of ecological sustainability. Their website provides the details.