I am not kidding. That is the lengthy north-to-south course taken by author, climate scientist, and touring cyclist David Kroodsma , which he describes with intriguing detail in the book, The Bicycle Diaries; My 21,000 Mile Ride for the Climate. Mr. Kroodsma pedaled through 16 nations in the process, including:

United States

Mexico

Guatemala

Belize

Honduras

Nicaragua

Costa Rica

El Salvador

Panama

Columbia

Venezuela

Brazil

Peru

Bolivia

Chile

Argentina

Each nation had its own interesting tale. And in each country, he describes the actual impacts of humans on the Earth, as well as the anticipated future impacts resulting from climate change. He also tries to speak to as many schools and media outlets as possible during his trip. Overall, many of the actual and potential images he depicts are not pleasant – poverty, pollution, environmental degradation, etc. But, there were glimmers of good news shining through the clouds. I leave it to each of you to learn what those are beyond this enticing tidbit – two cities in Colombia – Bogota and Medellin buoyed his hopes for the future.

The book presents a fascinating and eye-opening account of life south of the border. Given our position in the Western Hemisphere, perhaps we should be more cognizant of the hopes, dreams, perils, and aspirations of our fellow hemisphereans. Heaven knows it would go a long way toward building better relations and understanding. I for one have long wanted to travel to Chile and Argentina – Mr. Kroodsma’s book only increases my desire to do so. Cheers!