Announcing the Nationwide ‘I Ride Green’ Sustainability Campaign

Oct. 26, 2011 - PRLog -- The Green Education Foundation (GEF) and Amtrak are mobilizing children and adults to make a concerted effort to Ride Green. According to the Department of Transportation, 28% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are due to transportation. Transportation is also the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.  To combat the trend to rely on vehicle transportation, GEF and Amtrak have partnered to bring the I Ride Green campaign to students and communities nationwide.

“According to the U.S. Department of Energy Transportation Energy Yearbook (2010), Amtrak is a more energy efficient travel mode compared to air and automobile travel per passenger-mile,” said Roy Deitchman, Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety.  “We are excited to be part of this campaign encouraging more people to consider the environmental benefits of train travel.  We also hope to receive valuable feedback from the participants about their experiences in the campaign.”

Together, GEF and Amtrak are developing standards-based I Ride Green lesson sets with the goal of educating and encouraging people to travel in a more sustainable way, or Ride Green.  Riding green is simple, yet has the potential to significantly reduce tons of toxic fumes polluting our air with the added benefit of promoting good health. GEF is seeking the support of parents, children, and sports teams to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by making a concerted effort to ride green to work, school and all after school activities.

The program asks that participants pledge to do at least one of the following:

•   Walk, bike or skate to local destinations whenever safe and practical
•   Advocate for the installation of safe sidewalks and bicycle paths to schools and other local destinations
•   Carpool, travel by train, or take public transportation when motorized transportation is essential
•   Reduce auto emissions by shutting off engines when wait time is 20 seconds or more

By participating in the program, your efforts will be counted and measured along with those of participants across the country. GEF will track the number of individuals who pledge to ride green on its website with the goal of reaching one million participants. For more information on this campaign as well as the details on how to sign up to be an I Ride Green participant, please visit GEF’s website.  

All I Ride Green enthusiasts are also encouraged to enroll their schools in National Green Week 2012, an environmental public awareness campaign mobilizing one million students, scheduled for the week of February 6-10, 2012. National Green Week 2012 will prove that by working together students, parents and communities can institute personal and systemic environmentally-sound practices that have measurable and sustainable impact on global environmental issues. Enroll your school or organization today at: www.NationalGreenWeek.org    

About Green Education Foundation (GEF)
GEF is a non-profit organization committed to creating a sustainable future through education. GEF offers free school programs that provide curricula and hands-on activities to excite and inspire K-12 students and teachers to think holistically about global environmental solutions.  Our mission is to empower a new generation of environmental stewards while preparing them for the new 21st century clean energy economy. Visit www.greeneducationfoundation.org to become a member.

About Amtrak®
Celebrating 40 years of dedicated service as America’s Railroad® Amtrak is the nation’s intercity passenger rail provider and its only high-speed rail operator. A record 30.2 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2011 on more than 300 daily trains – at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kph) – that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces. Amtrak operates trains in partnership with 15 states and four commuter rail agencies.  Enjoy the journey at Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information. Join us on facebook.com/Amtrak and follow us at twitter.com/Amtrak .

About Green In Action
In conjunction with GEF’s flagship program, National Green Week, Green In Action Awards are granted to schools, classes, or groups of green keepers who demonstrate their environmental project, weigh-in, activity, community service project, or green team program through photos, videos, and artwork. Submissions are uploaded to the National Green Week site. For more information about GEF and its programs please visit www.greeneducationfoundation.org.