Bee History
2009 BEE Ride
Beneficiaries: 1) Japan for Sustainability, 2) We 21 Japan
Sponsors: Patagonia, Alishan Organic Center, Tengu Natural Foods, Jig.jp, Map My Ride, Eco-Style Bike Shop
We plan on traveling from Wakkanai to Okinawa over appoximately 10 weeks, starting on August 3rd.
2008 BEE Ride
Rode from Wakkanai to Cape Sata (Kagoshima, Honshu’s southermost point)
2007 BEE Ride
Benficiary: Stop Rokkasho!
Goals:
BEE’s goal is to promote environmental awareness and to show people how to lead a greener life. Every year, however, we select one specific environmental issue as a focal point. Last year, the team chose to support the dugong habit issue in Okinawa where the endangered animals were threatened by a proposed military base. This year in 2007, we are deciding to focus on the issue of energy consumption, inspired by the Rokkasho issue. Rokkasho-mura is a village in Northern Honshu where the Japanese government plans to operate a nuclear reprocessing plant. While reprocessing may be a form of recycling, the extraction of plutonium from spent nuclear fuel (reprocessing) generates considerable radioactivity which may be leaked into the environment. However, consumption of fossil fuels is also detrimental to the environment. This year, BEE plans to teach people about the various forms of energy and show them how to minimize their own energy consumption.
Report:
We raised a total of 270,000 yen in 2007 to donate to organizations committed to raising awareness of the issues surrounding the Rokkasho nuclear reprocessing plant. We decided to split this sum among two organizations. On Dec 16, 2007, at a Stop Rokkasho meeting in Ochanomizu in Tokyo, the BEE 2007 team donated 135,000 yen to the Stop Rokkasho foundation.
Four days later in Kyoto on Dec 20, Monden-san and Nobby-san (a BEE donor and supporter) presented a check on behalf of BEE for 135,000 en to the Green Action organization.
Nearly 3 months after the completion of the cycling aspect of BEE 2007, we finally reached the end of the road for BEE 2007 by donating funds to our selected environmental cause. A heartfelt thanks to all the special people we met along the way. It’s been a most memorable trip.
65 days, 21 events for adults, 1 university forum, 4 primary & secondary school visits, 6 radio interviews, 2 newspaper appearances, 6 charity events, and 37 homestays.
2006 BEE Ride
Beneficiary: Association to Protect Northernmost Dugong 北限のジュゴンを見守る会
In 2006 a team of 10 riders set out from Wakkanai on July 30th and cycled for over 2 months before finishing on October 14th in Okinana. The team split into 2 groups of 5 during the ride so that they could cover more ground. The ride was lead by New Zealander Chay Cotter.
In addition to carrying out direct action and general environmental education, this year’s team seeks to increase awareness of the issue at Henoko, Okinawa, where the habitat of dugong is threatened by construction of a proposed military base. BEE ride 2006 is fundraising to support an environmental impact assessment for this project, and will hand over funds to the dugong conservation group Hokugen after completion of the ride in mid October.
2005 BEE Ride
Sponsors
Patagonia, Tengu, Solio, Warabemura, People Tree
52 days, 3200km, 2 typhoons, 2 school visits, 1 University forum, several cleanups & community events, a couple media events.
Former BEE member Daniela Papi went on to found the PEPY Ride (Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself) in Cambodia in 2005. PEPY promotes increased educational resources and advocacy of improving the learning and natural environment in Cambodia.
Sponsors
Patagonia, Tengu, Specialized, People Tree
The 2004 team was awarded the Global Forum for Sports and the Environment (G-ForSE) Prize for the Best Sports and Environment Project. G-ForSE is a platform for athletes, sports federations, sports goods manufacturers and NPOs to determine their roles in consolidating action for the environment, and is supported by the Global Sports Alliance (GSA), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Sponsors
Patagonia, BOB trailors, People Tree
Beneficiaries
The Echo, Japan Tropical Forest Action Network, People Tree, Japan Permaculture Center, Thunderhead Alliance Publicity
Sponsors
Tengu, Specialized, Patagonia, Canon, Wild 1, Golden Temple, BOB trailors, JCA, Ostrich
Supporters
Outdoor , Outdoor SIG
Beneficiaries
Global Village, Japan Permaculture Center, Echo
1999 BEE Ride
73 days
64 days. 6 school visits (Ishikawa, Fukushima, Niigata, Tokushima, Kochi, Miyazaki). Community bike rides at Sapporo, Sendai, Shimane, Miyazaki. Other visits: Rumoi BISAIKURU-KAN, recycle center in Hokkaido; Rokkasyo-mura, spent fuel reprocessing facility in Aomori, 2 environmental forums at Sendai and Iwate; Beach cleen up in Sendai; PR at Radio station in Kagawa; newspaper interview in Iwate and Kagawa; Teshima Island (kagawa) to see factory waste probrem; Charity concert in Kagawa; Volleyball convention in Shiimane.
Sponsors
National Tire, Tengu, A & F Corporation
Beneficiaries
1,410,000 yen raised for environmental charities.
On a rainy day in November of 1996, three JETs (assistant English teachers) met to plan a bike trip in , where they were working. Committed environmentalists Barbara Allen, Jason Edens, and Joel Krentz hoped to use their trip to encourage Earth-friendly behavior among the people they met on the way. The ride covered over 2700 km, from the northern tip of Hokkaido to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site on Yakushima. The three riders visited five schools, participated in six beach clean-ups, held eight environmental forums, and made over 20 media appearances.
