Climate advocates from Ukraine joined cyclists to support Car free day in Kyiv on 21 September 2008. Some of them were riding in polar bear costumes to highlight the danger of polar bears becoming extinct due to global warming. The slogan of the bike ride was “Kyiv is the city of parks, not parkings lots”. The 26 km-long ride in Kyiv took place in the pouring rain, but a press conference, climate change photo exhibition, eco-quiz and concerts by Ukrainian youth music groups, were just some of the rewards participants could look forward to after finishing their ride. Unexpectedly, musicians from the Absdolts band borrowed the polar bear costumes of our advocates and began an improvised performance with environmental slogans and stories. The first Car free day was a real success thanks to a huge amount of enthusiasm from the climate advocates and other organisers as well as the further action plans it managed to generate, despite the weather!
