Families turned out in droves to support the ride for zero carbon transport.
By Mara Pattison-Sowden
MORE than 200 Upper Yarra families joined the global ride to celebrate zero carbon transport.
Families rode their bikes from East Warburton, Yarra Junction and Launching Place, and bike enthusiast John Harland rode from Lilydale, to the event at Wesburn’s Yarra Valley Ecoss.
The community joined in a bike procession, participated in a range of fun bike workshops and enjoyed music, food and poetry, as well as voicing their concern for preserving the local environment.
Yarra Ranges councillor Samantha Dunn addressed the crowd on the shire’s commitment to sustainable living and to looking at issues such as sustainable transport options in the Upper Yarra.
Yarra Valley Ecoss events coordinator Donna Swan said the 350.org was an annual global event which aimed to raise awareness of the need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million to below 350ppm.
“You can think of 350 as the ‘safe upper limit’ for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere,” she said.
“But 350 is more than a number – it’s a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.”
Ms Swan said Yarra Valley Ecoss wants the Yarra Ranges Council to develop more bike paths so that people can ride safely from one area to another, for example children riding to their local school.
“There should be a safe bike path from the Warburton Trail to Yarra Valley Ecoss,” she said.
“There is a lot of community support to create bike paths and get bikes off the highway.
“Footpaths and bike paths should be improved so that short trips don’t have to be in the car.”
