C YCLISTS SAY: “LEAVE URANIUM IN THE GROUND AND RIDE FOR RENEWABLES”
“Tour de Flinders – Ride for Renewables”, is a 380km tour by bicycle of the Flinders Rangers in Northern South Australia.
On Monday morning 18th April, approximately 15 cyclists will set out on the journey from Gladstone Square, Port Augusta.
Hitting the road by day and camping at night, the riders will take six days to cycle through Adnyamathanha country, along bitumen and dirt roads which take in iconic Flinders Ranges sites, to finally arrive at the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary on Sat 23rd April.
The tour is in opposition to uranium mining, and aims to raise awareness of the detrimental health, environmental and cultural impacts of uranium mining that go hand in hand with nuclear power.
This ride for renewables and ambitious display of ‘pedal power’ hopes to bring alternate energy sources to the fore and into the public eye.
“Safe renewable technologies need to be publicly supported as opposed to high risk nuclear industry which I can
Wave also said, “Travelling by bicycle is a conscious effort to do what we feel to be a practical demonstration of the need to move towards renewable means of energy consumption.”
A report released last year by the Melbourne based organisation Beyond Zero Emissions details how Australia can transition to 100% renewable stationery energy over the next 10 years, and cites Port Augusta as a focal point for these technologies.
The impending climate crisis requires us to urgently phase out coal as an energy source, but nuclear power is not the solution. Nuclear power is economically unviable, emissions intensive and unsafe, as demonstrated by the recent tragedies in Japan.
Arkaroola was chosen as the destination for the ride as a license has recently been re-issued for uranium exploration.
Riley Ashton, co-coordinator says, “We ride in solidarity with the Adnyamathanha people and all indigenous communities whose concerns and cultural identities are marginalised by mining giants across the world.”
The riders will be accompanied by support vehicles as a safety precaution and to make the ride accessible to riders of all capabilities, and they will also meet some of the Adnyamathanha elders at Nepabunna, an aboriginal community close to Arkaroola, and along the journey.
Please join us for a community morning tea at 10.30am on Monday 18th April at Gladstone Square where there will be public speakers and information available.
Come along to show your support for the cyclists, share some stories, join us for a bit of a ride through town, or even all the way to Quorn for the first stage – or more!
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David
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