POLAR BEAR CO2 EARTH DAY RIDE - EARTH DAY NEW YORK 2016

The United Nations Climate Summit COP21, that took place in Paris in the end of 2015, was a historically positive conference, where our world leaders promised to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gasses.
To put focus on what the goals now are, and what they will do for the future of our world, the message of urgency will brought to New York during Earth Day on Union Square.

This is done with the revealing of the Sculpture “Unbearable” by the Danish artist Jens Galshiøt with his iconic speared Polar Bear. The peak of the spear represents the 2015 global CO2 levels. It is Intentional Art, with a clear and sharp message about the world we are living in. 

The New York version will be the one currently on display in the offices of  Mogens Lykketoft, who is the President of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York.

The large scale version that was also in Paris, will be installed in front of the Danish Parliament.



The above video with Uffe Elbæk from The Alternative about the plans for the installation in Copenhagen.

There will also be a Bike Parade on the Copenhagen Bike Lanes, lead on by the former Cultural Minister of Denmark, now leader of the new Green Danish party “The Alternative” Uffe Elbæk. He is also in town to Feel the Bern!

Other than driving on the Danish Biomega Bike on the Copenhagen Lanes, he will hold a speech on Union Square at 4pm, where Earth Day New York takes place annually. Here he will address our global climate challenges, and how we in a very concrete way can reduce our own carbon footprint, with inspiration from some of the conclusions made at COP21.

The Polar Bear CO2 Earth Day Ride is open for all and the participants are encouraged to wear clothes that in some ways can be seen as Polar Bearish. It is an initiative and Intentional Art Project in collaboration between CO2 Green Drive, Times-Up, The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space, The Treehouse Factory and Earth Day New York and is part of New York City’s “Car Free Earth Day” campaign.

The route in Downtown Manhattan will be in the Shape of CO2, and will be virtually “painted” with the help of a GPS APP from the Intentional Art Project CO2 Green Drive. The above image is from the Web Interface created by legendary APP programmer GILVADER. 

The idea behind POLAR BEAR EARTH DAY CO2 RIDE, is to create a intentional public interactive climate awareness performance in a public space, joining creative forces between various New York and Danish activists groups. The first version of the CO2 Green Drive took place in Copenhagen in 2009 with Electric Cars, in connection to the UN Climate Summit COP15. Since then, it has been performed globally over 30 times with Electric Cars, Bikes and Runners. (above drawing by Jesper Hyuk Larsen)

Earth Day New York takes place annually on Union Square. There are numerous environmental organizations present, with booths and green exhibitions, musical performances and various activities for spring longing New Yorkers. All participants in the RIDE, will when they arrive back from the route, be served organic food by Turkish celebrity chef Dilara Erbay from The Triangle Project.

Be part of the Polar Bear CO2 Earth Day Ride! Go to the Facebook event page HERE!

EARTH DAY NEW YORK 2014 - THE CAT WALK PRESENTATION PERFORMANCE - PART 1

CO2 Green Drive and Earth Day New York collaborated for the fourth time on the annual Global Earth Day celebration, on April 22nd 2014. The "Green Car Cat Walk" performance was done on Union Square by Mr Green along with a variation of Bikes and Electric & Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. 

The official video from The New York Mayors office, with a speech by Mayor Bill Di Blasio that also joined in on the celebrations.

Toyota, who has been the main partner in the production for a couple of years, had a large variety of vehicles that who had an alternative to the Combustion Engine. Their #greenitabit promotional concept, wanting to make everyday Earth Day, is a nice green step in the right direction.

Mr Green did a lovely job in their performance, with directions an inspiration to the gentlemen who stood on the side of Chuck D, Terminator X and Flava Flav.

The only difference is that they wear black, and Chuck D, Terminator X and Flava Flav has been exchanged with a Green Vehicle..

But the Green Vehicles also come in Black.

And Miss Green is way more attractive..

They also come as SUV's

In White.

The above LOMAX was also part of the first version of CO2 E Drive in New York 2011 and functioned as a brush when performing the Virtual GPS Tagging Performance. A performance that will be saved for next year, but this then with Bikes.

Max Wilcox from the Methacton Senior High School talks about the LOMAX

Peter Yuskauskas from NYCE Wheels shows his brilliant electric city folding bike.

And a video that gives you all the details

The Electric Department of Sanitation Truck

The Black Toyota Prius from Enterprise Car Share.

With a sweet EMO girl taking down names, like there was no tomorrow.

The New York Police Ford Focus

The GMC Electric Truck

The Parks Department Hybrid Truck

And of course the White Trash Truck. Please notice Mr Green in the back of the truck, peeking out from behind.

Then there was Robbert Zoon from Dutch Bough Bikes - a wooden bike designed in Holland.

Bough Bikes 'Be Moved By Nature' - Commercial from Erik Journee on Vimeo.

More about Bough Bikes HERE 



Joe Depace is a local New Yorker who goes out and documents what is going on in his city. Enjoy Joe's talk-over throughout his above film done on Union Square on Earth Day 2014.



Above the official Earth Day 2014 video, talking about "Greening" our cities.

EARTH DAY CO2 TAGGING PERFORMANCE RIDE AND WALK IN GEELONG - AUSTRALIA

Geelong Sustainability Group, Transition South Barwon and Transition East Geelong are doing their second annual version of the CO2 Green Drive in Geelong, Australia. It will happen on Sunday April 27th 2014, with a CO2 shaped route done by Walking, Riding Electric Cars and Cruising on bikes. The Bikes and Electric Vehicle drivers will paint the close to perfect “CO2” shaped tag across the streets of Geelong while walkers will cross it out as they cut through the middle of the gigantic letters. CO2 Green Drive was initially called "CO2 E - Race", playing on the words of "Erasing" CO2. It is great to the that this years Geelong version is actually doing this, as part of the performance.

Join in with either a family-friendly two kilometre Walk through the CBD or a five kilometre Cycle Ride / Electric Vehicle Drive. Start from 1 Yarra Street at 10am

More information about the GPS app and route on www.thesolution.org.au/picnic
Where: Waterfront, end of Yarra Street
When: Sunday 27th April 2014 at 10:00am

SIX CO2 TAGS DONE IN INDIA ON EARTH DAY 2012

The CO2 tag in Bangalore done with runners in Cubbon Park, also called "The Lung" of Bangalore

In India CO2 Green Drive collaborated with Dr. Rajat Chauhan (above to the left), founder and organizer of “La Ultra – The High”, the world’s toughest ultra-marathon, and Centre for Social Markets (CSM). 

For the events on Earth Day emphasis was on introducing running as a healthy and fun activity to as many people as possible under the moniker “Crawl Walk Run”. Following a strategy of organic growth and encouraging friends and runner associations throughout India to organize their own events, the activities included six cities and a total of approximately 250 runners.

In Bangalore 70-80 people took part in the activities of which some 25-30 people represented “crawlers”; ie. new runners. The sentiment from participants, local partners as well as the CO2 Green Drive team is that Bangalore has great potential in light of the local commitment and willingness to expand on the idea.

In Thane more than 50 participants joined the activities, including, central running group Masthanes and many local residents. Among the participants was a 76 year old man with the youngest being 6-year old Bubbles Shinde who covered the entire distance on her bicycle.

In Delhi 15 cyclists and 10 runners alongside a large number of volunteers ensured that Delhi was “tagged” with a huge CO2 while 35-50 runners participated in the activities in Hyderabad.

In Pune 20 people joined a core team of 4 members doing a 24 hours run. Finally, in Bhopal 3 runners equipped with Smartphone GPS tracking took part in the CO2 Green Drive activities.

The successful activities in India demonstrated how CO2 Green Drive can be expanded to appeal to new audiences and significantly increase the number of participants/CO2 “brushes”. To quote Thane organizer, Sunil Gwalani, from an article in India Times Plus: “Trying to stop climate change or reversing it, might seem like an impossible task and a select few can’t do anything. If there is a mass movement at the micro level involving citizens of the world, we just might have a chance.”

EARTH DAY 2012: MOBILIZE THE EARTH!

For Earth Day 2012: Mobilize The Earth™ the Danish Cultural Institute and CO2 Green Drive is partnering with Earth Day Network and Earth Day New York for a global event to shed new light on climate issues through the combination of art and technology: The CO2 Green Drive Project.

The CO2 Green Drive main event is the emblematic convoy of eco-friendly transportation solutions, including, alternative fuel powered vehicles, bicycles, runners, pedestrians etc. completing a route though cities across the world in the shape of a “CO2” or “E”. Via a specially developed Smartphone GPS tracking application the completion of the route and the ensuing CO2/E paintings can be visually traced live on a designated website.

In collaboration with local partners around the world and Earth Day Network CO2 Green Drive is now being prepared for several major cities during Earth Day 2012: Mobilize The Earth™.

Earth Day New York will “tag” Manhattan with a huge “E” painting using electric vehicles. The activities will come to their climax on Times Square with a Car Fashion Show, exhibition activities and screening of the E painting on the famous Toshiba Screen also used for New Years’ festivities.

In collaboration with Dakar City Hall, LEAD Africa, the farmers’ association COLUFIFA, Danish NGO Cykler til Senegal and other partners in Senegal and Denmark a convoy of bicycles will embark on a 350 km long route through Senegal from mid-April culminating with a CO2 painting in Dakar on April 22^nd.

In India, CO2 Green Drive is collaborating with La Ultra – The High that is organizing a 24 hour relay-run April 21-22 in Bangalore. Other cities in India are also considering the project.

In Denmark, it will be done in the city of Horsens in collaboration with Produktionsskolen, Horsens Kommune, Odder Højskole, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke, ASV, Ungdomsskolen, Musikskolen, Biblioteket, Horsens Garden and Energi Horsens. See more on the Facebook page HERE

In Japan, it will be done by foot in a park in the city of Yokohama by Michael Wolfhechel.

In Chile, it will be done with bikes in Santiago in collaboration with Biomega Bikes

We welcome all cities, organizations, companies, volunteers and others to be part of the CO2 Green Drive activities. If you wish to join kindly forward (1) a short description of the event you wish to organize, (2) a short description of what “brushes” (eg. electric/hybrid/biofuel vehicles, bicycles, runners, pedestrians, stilt walkers etc.) you will be employing to complete the route and (3) a CO2 route proposal.

Subject to project details and time permitting the Smartphone Application can then be programmed to “paint” the route you suggest.

For further information please contact:

New York: http://www.earthdayny.org/

Dakar: http://www.leadinafrica.org/site/

Bangalore: 24 hr Earth Day Run Bangalore (Facebook)
contact: drrajatchauhan (at) gmail.com

CO2 E - RACE EXHIBITION AT EXIT ART IN NEW YORK

AUTOTOPIA: Cars for a Better Tomorrow

April 8 - 30, 2011

Special Reception and CO2-Friendly Car Showcase on Sat., April 23 / 12-6pm

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, Exit Art is pleased to announce a celebration of CO2-friendly cars through an exhibition that documents its erratic history and an CO2-friendly car showcase. AUTOTOPIA: CARS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW, a project of SEA (Social Environmental Aesthetics), focuses on the history of the electric car in connection with political and environmental factors that have revolutionized the methods and technologies of transit.

The first electric car (above), made over 100 years ago, was invented soon after the combustion engine vehicle (the kind of engines we use today) was developed as a new way of powering automobiles. Today, electric cars must be seen as serious alternatives to the gasoline powered-vehicles that are depleting fossil fuel supplies, polluting the environment, and exacerbating our dependence on foreign oil.

Cars are now being designed to enhance our lives – through the integration of digital communication systems – and improve our future, by providing a solution to our energy crisis.  Wireless Internet allows vehicles to connect and share data on traffic patterns, intelligently coordinating movements and keeping drivers connected to social networks. The reinvention of the automobile, and the infrastructures that make it possible, will not be easy – but it will be essential.

This exhibition coincides with Earth Day, and is organized concurrently with the CO2 E-Race, the culminating event of New York City’s Earth Day celebration. Initiated in 2008, the CO2 E-Race (A Race for Climate Awareness) increases public awareness of global climate changes using CO2-friendly vehicles as a way to spread the message. The New York E-Race is a parade of CO2-friendly cars through the streets of Manhattan; connected to GPS devices, their route can be tracked online and on the Toshiba jumbo screen in Times Square. The “E” shape formed by the parade draws attention to Earth Day and CO2-friendly cars as the future of transportation, encouraging the public to “erase” climate change. 

Organized by Herb Tam, Associate Curator, and Lauren Rosati, Assistant Curator.

ELECTRIC CAR SHOWCASE - ONE DAY ONLY!

Saturday, April 23, 2011 / 12-6pm

Following the CO2 E- Race, Exit Art will exhibit several participating CO2-friendly cars in a showcase format. Tesla Motors will be showing an electric, zero-emissions Orange Roadster, which gets 245 miles per charge and goes from 0 to 60mph in 3.7 seconds. A converted Electric DeLorean (above) will also be on view, along with a Biofueled (E85) driven Ford Fusion FFV from the Danish company Novozymes.

2pm: Jacob Fuglsang Mikkelsen, the organizer and artist behind the CO2 E-Race, will give a brief talk about the origins of the project and the environmental issues it seeks to address.

ABOUT SEA (Social Environmental Aesthetics)

SEA is a diverse multimedia exhibition program that addresses social and environmental concerns. It assembles artists, activists, scientists and scholars through presentations of visual art, performances, panels and lecture series that communicate international activities concerning environmental and social activism. It provides a vehicle through which the public can be made aware of socially- and environmentally-engaged work, and a forum for collaboration among artists, scientists, activists, scholars and the public. SEA functions as an initiative where individuals can join together in dialogue about issues that affect our daily lives. Conceived by Exit Art Co-Founder / Artistic Director Papo Colo.

Exit Art

475 Tenth Ave

New York, NY 10018

www.exitart.org