Members of the Students for Environmental Action group are cycling the Otago Central Rail Trail to raise awareness about climate change and peak oil, and the simple things people can do to reduce their impact on the planet.
The group left Dunedin by train - a more efficient mode of public transport than using roads - yesterday and will pedal into Clyde tomorrow, where they will be distributing information about sustainable living at the Clyde Wine and Food Festival.
Co-ordinator Josie Howitt said cycling was a more sustainable form of transport and the group was hoping to encourage more people to use cycling for daily commuting and recrea tional activity.
During the trip each student would choose one small lifestyle change they could make to be more sustainable, she said.
‘‘A lot of news about climate change can seem scary and overwhelming which makes it diffi cult for people to know where they fit in. We want to empower people by showing them that making more sustainable choices really can make a difference and they can have a good time doing it.''
Some of the group will be cycling back to Dunedin, while the rest will be travelling by bus.
To make their trip carbon neutral, some members will be busking to raise money for native forest regeneration carbon credits, to offset the 450kg of carbon they estimate their trip will use.