Brita Climate Ride Returns for Second Year

New York City (PRWEB) April 16, 2009

The Brita Climate Ride will return for its second year this September, and registration is now open to 250 cyclists. This "climate conference on wheels" and fundraiser is designed to raise awareness of climate change and renewable energy. This year's event will take place September 26-30, 2009, and will once again see hundreds of cyclists pedal beautiful country roads from New York City to Washington, DC. Participants can currently register online at http://www.climateride.org.

Caeli Quinn, co-founder and director of Climate Ride, said the ride is a positive way for people to express their concern about climate change. "With the COP15 Climate Conference around the corner, we need to see a significant commitment to dealing with climate change and increasing renewable energy options in the U.S.," Quinn said. "This year's Climate Ride will see hundreds of riders, backed by the thousands of people who sponsored them and made this historic journey possible."

Last year, on September 24th, 2008, during Brita Climate Ride 2008, more than 100 exuberant cyclists rode en masse to the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. This was the thrilling end to a 300-mile bike ride that began in the heart of New York City and meandered through beautiful countryside in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

Each evening, expert speakers met with Climate Riders to discuss the science, policies and issues surrounding climate change and renewable energy. Upon the Climate Riders' triumphant arrival in Washington D.C., they had the opportunity to meet personally with their senators and representatives.

This year's event raises funds for three hardworking non-profits, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (DC), Clean Air-Cool Planet (Connecticut) and Focus the Nation (Oregon). Climate Ride is the first multi-day, multi-city bicycle ride to address climate change and renewable energy issues. Climate Ride also endeavors to show that the bicycle is the ultimate carbon-free machine and a viable form of transportation.

Climate Ride is especially unique because of its expert speaker series, says co-founder and director, Geraldine Carter. "This is the first climate conference on wheels. Our riders pedal all day and then have the opportunity to hear from some the brightest minds in climate change and renewable energy in the evening. Our riders finish Climate Ride with an in-depth understanding of climate issues and are inspired to rally friends and family to help resolve the most important issue facing humanity."

Brita Climate Ride is the first bicycle tour where pedal strokes help raise money and awareness of climate change and hope for a future powered by renewable energy and a green economy. The ride offers people who share a passion for green living and cycling a chance to journey toward making a difference. Like the Climate Riders, Brita, once again the title sponsor, is dedicated to making the Earth a greener place. Thanks to Brita, there won't be any empty bottled water containers along the route; the riders are supplied with Brita filtered water in special FilterForGood bike bottles. Each Climate Rider fundraises at least $ 2,400 to participate in Climate Ride 2009.

About Climate Ride

The Climate Ride organization was founded by Caeli Quinn, 33, (Whitefish, MT) and Geraldine Carter, 33, (Missoula, MT) to raise money for innovative organizations that are working to educate Americans about the impacts of climate change and engage them in the possibility of a renewable energy-based economy, and to mobilize politicians to enact meaningful climate change and energy policies. In 2008, Climate Riders represented 30 states and a variety of cycling abilities from novices to competitive cyclists. For more information, please visit http://www.climateride.org. Videos, photos and blogs can be viewed at http://www.climateride.org/blog. For more information or to support a participant, please visit http://www.climateride.org or call 406.871.5477.

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Onion Creator Returns Jim's Journal to Comics

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) April 25, 2011

Before The Onion, there was Jims Journal. The cult-classic comic strip returns today on GoComics.com, the online comics portal from Universal Uclick.

Scott Dikkers, founding and longtime editor of The Onion, found his first national success with the feature, which ran in more than 200 college newspapers in the 1990s.

The Chicago Tribune called it "fabulous," and described the offbeat strip: "There are no punch lines, no sight gags, just quirky observations and a series of unrelated events." The character was so low-key that when he praised something highly, it was always just "pretty good."

Among the strips continuing fans is Rich Dahm, executive producer and head writer of The Colbert Report. "I like to read Jims Journal every day," he says. "Its pretty good."

Fans loved the daily diary of Jims remarkably quiet college adventures except for those who didnt. At Kansas State University, the comics pre-Seinfeld brand of "humor about nothing" sparked such rage that a "Kill Jim" campaign was launched, including protests and t-shirts. Other colleges loved it so much that students held Jim parties and dressed as the character for Halloween.

Jims Journal initially ran in The Daily Cardinal, a student paper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, starting in 1987. After the creation of The Onion, it appeared there and in six book collections that hit the bestseller list. It was named by Rolling Stoneas one of readers top favorites. Some of the book titles went through five printings, and the treasury edition regularly sells on eBay for prices topping $ 150.

When Dikkers retired the beloved feature in 1997, The Tech, the student paper at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted, "When a distant star goes out, it can take many years for its light to stop reaching us."

For many years, Dikkers resisted reviving the Zen-like comic strip, though fans constantly asked him to do so. Ive done so many other things, and I dont usually like to look back, he says. "Its funny. I did The Onion, I made some movies and a ton of viral videos. I started an animation company. But people still come up and say, 'You did 'Jim'? I love 'Jim'!"

The revived feature will make use of the original strips, but will include roughly half all-new material. It begins again as a prequel, with Jim ready to graduate from high school, wondering about his future.

In the end, says Dikkers, he didnt revive the comic strip because of its staunch fan base, though he appreciates the enthusiasm. "People so often told me they thought of Jim as their friend," he says. "Hes my friend, too. And I kind of miss him! I want to see what hes been up to."

Jims Journal returns Monday, April 25, on GoComics.com. For more on Scott Dikkers animation studio, visit http://www.dikkers.com.

Editors: Scott Dikkers is available for interviews. Additional art is also available, including a photo of Dikkers. Additional background at:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-09-26/features/9409260016_1_slacker-comic-strip-funny

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim's_Journal

About Universal Uclick

Universal Uclick is the largest independent syndicate in the world and a leading digital entertainment provider of humor, comic strips, political cartoons, and other content for print, web and mobile devices. Universal Uclick provides editorial development, licensing and other distribution services for iconic brands like Doonesbury, Dear Abby, and some of the most significant comics in history, including Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, Garfield, Peanuts, Dilbert, For Better or For Worse, Cathy, and Ziggy as well as recent hits Lio, Cul de Sac and The Argyle Sweater. Effective June 1, 2011 Universal Uclick will assume management of syndication services for United Feature Syndicate which includes the properties Pearls Before Swine, Get Fuzzy, Marmaduke, Frank & Ernest, The Born Loser, Big Nate and Miss Manners, and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) Package.

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