Adam's bike challenge. Stage 8: Not as tough as skiing the frozen planet

Adam Bradbury

09 December 2011

I caught the final bit of the BBC's Frozen Planet this week. For the climate-change squeamish this was the look-away-now moment. Previous programmes treated us to the awesome, eye-popping ecology of the Arctic and Antarctic. Now here was the bad news - it's all changing. Glaciers retreating, species on the move, breeding patterns and food chains becoming chaotic. Scientists asking whether an Australia-size ice sheet is at risk of slipping into the sea.

Packing all the climate impacts stuff into the final programme was a controversial move. Powerful if you saw it, but if you didn't?

For me it was also a little humbling to see Sir David Attenborough braving sub-zero temperatures (again) and to hear the amazing tale of Ernest Shackleton's southern expedition (again).

It made the 500-mile cycle challenge I'm planning to do in a balmy British May - seem a little less, er challenging.

We recently interviewed another Arctic visitor - Mark Wood, polar explorer. Right now he's doing a world first, skiing solo to both poles. He's doing it to raise awareness of climate change - for example, talking direct to school kids via video link as he goes.

We can't all be Sir David or Mark. But here's a way you can help.

If you're thinking of joining Friends of the Earth's Big Green Bike Ride, or taking up cycling, why not pledge the carbon you'll be saving to Mark Wood? Check out the Do-nation bit of his website, where you can pledge action rather than cash. He'd really welcome your support.

And if you'd consider sponsoring me to pedal a feeble 500 miles in from London to Edinburgh in 6 days, here's my pledge.

I promise to send back awesome, eye-popping accounts of mild sunburn, muscle twinges and non-life-threatening dehydration from the great wilderness that stretches from outer London to Edinburgh. An area of land the size of a really massive iceberg.

Adam Bradbury, Publishing & New Media team