Each September for the past few years the department of Geology and Geological Engineering has sponsored an event designed to encourage students to become more active and healthy while at the same time reducing our carbon dioxide emissions to make the planet healthier.

The event, lead locally by UND climatology professor Jakko Putkonen, has entered its third year and continues its goal of helping to shape a more vibrant community of bikers in Grand Forks, despite the cold weather. Professor Putkonen hopes students will consider biking the short distance between classes and housing rather than continuing to drive their vehicles. Putkonen has commented in the past that Grand Forks is ideal for biking. According to Putkonen, “Grand Forks is a great town to bike around in because there are no hills.”

Additionally, Earth-Cycle has partnered with the national organization GreenliteRide, which hosts contests all across their country with a similar theme, and has been incredibly successful in convincing people to switch to bike riding rather than driving their cars. According to the site, more than 5.2 million miles have been traveled using muscle power as opposed to petrol power.

More than 868 thousand trips have been logged into the website, will you join them?

David Owen is the news editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]