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While the Tour de France began in 1903, and the Tour de FRACK happened a little later, in 2012, 2023 will be the first year for the Tour de PAC. What is a Tour de PAC? It’s partly a bike ride from one environmental frontline community to another, starting on September 21^st in Western PA, winding around parts of Southwestern, Central and Eastern PA, and ending at the PA Capitol in Harrisburg on Sunday October 1st. It’s also partly a grassroots effort to get the stories of people suffering from industries whose practices are harming the health of our people, our parents, our children, our pets and ourselves. Finally, it is one of the activities of an organization called Pennsylvania Action on Climate, or PAC.

PAC is a PA-based environmental group committed to bringing about structural change to combat attacks on our health and our environment. Referencing Article 1, Section 27 of the PA Constitution, the PAC website asserts:

Pennsylvanians have both a constitutional and inalienable human right to a clean environment, but many of our legislators neglect the constitution and lack moral clarity due to bribes from fossil fuel companies. Our legislators’ idolatrous and adulterous relationship with corrupt special interest money is killing the land, air, and water that our lives depend on.

(https://actionnetwork.org/groups/pennsylvania-action-on-climate)

The Tour de PAC is one of the ways PAC is putting their convictions into practice. Other ways include Nonviolent Direct Actions aimed at shining a light on the bribery of gift-giving that occurs in Harrisburg, when lobbyists of polluting industries lure politicians into corruption and drive forward policies that are literally killing people through pollution of our air, water and land.

I interviewed Michael Badges-Canning, one of the founding members of PAC, recently about the Tour de PAC and the rest of this article is a summary of our discussion about the 2023 Tour de PAC.

I asked about the goals of the Tour de PAC. Well, there are several. 1) Build community among all frontline communities trying to connect folks involved in similar fights, so we can come together, present a more unified front. 2) We want to elevate the voices of folks who are not normally heard because of how our system is set up, rural folks are ignored even if being poisoned, people in urban areas like Chester are marginalized and ignored, immigrants without citizenship can be poisoned without consequences; elevate those voices, so they are heard not just in their own communities, but across the state, and so they know that their stories and lives matter. 3) Data Gathering: We will be collecting Environmental Impact Statements so we can substantiate what the issues are and whose responsible, and ultimately so we can build a campaign for the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians.

I also asked Michael about the nuts and bolts of the event itself. Is the Tour de PAC, like the Tour de France, a race? Well, no; not at all. It’s not a race or an endurance contest. The goal was to design routes so that anyone can join for a block, a mile or the entire day, or more. We want to make it as accessible as possible.

Are cyclists provided food? Yes and no. Some location will offer meals. The goal to have snacks on hand, and water available. The longest ride is probably 40 miles, but most are 10-20 miles, so for many riders, it is not too far. We have enough funding for renting a 12 passenger van, some of gas costs, but no money for food cost. Since many cyclists have their own food, or energy packs, that they like to have when they ride, cyclists can bring those and store them in the support van, along with any other supplies they want to have along for the ride. We may also have a trailer.

Is there a cost to ride in the Tour de PAC or to help out with any part of the effort? Not at all. You are donating your time and that is great! If folks would like to donate money, we’d appreciate it, but it is absolutely not required.

I asked Michael if there would be anyone with medical training in one of the support cars or riding with the group, and/or anyone with mechanical training for fixing bike problems? For the first two days of the Tour de PAC there will be a professional paramedic riding along with the group. After that, we plan to have first aid supplies in the support van. There will also be a trained and certified bicycle mechanic all days of the Tour.

Since this event will take place outdoors in the beautiful commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and well, PA tends to get a lot of rain, what happens when there is rain? This was discussed on the first rider-call that took place in August. Rain may not be as much of an issue as some cyclists think because a lot of the Tour is on bike trails, which are packed gravel. But some stages are road rides and we will have contingency plans if rain is especially bad, or if there is lightning. The organizers will also pay attention to air-action days (bad air days) since some of the communities we will visit will, periodically, have very bad air quality. Stage One, which begins at the entrance to a proposed toxic waste dump just outside of Grove City, is on the road; but uses PA Bike route B and then back roads. Another road ride is in Philadelphia; we are working with local bike riders to route us around busy roads, using bike lanes and also a rail trail. There will be a short road ride in State College. There will also be a short road ride from Clairton to the gap in McKeesport of less than a mile. There will also be a short road ride across the bridge in Monaca, unless we don’t do it. All the rest of the days will be on trails, no cars allowed. Trails are mostly rail-trails; but in state college, the trail is asphalt and in Reading and Pottstown, there may be short paved sections.

Another question was, where will participants be staying? We are asking people to bring a sleeping bag and mat, in case we camp; but people will also be being put up in homes in frontline communities, a women’s center in Philly, a church in one place, and one group said they’d rent an air b-n-b for us. There will be opportunities to shower and do laundry.

I asked if cyclists had to do the entire tour, or if they could join for just one day? Michael said that they are encouraging all levels of particpation: one block, one day’s ride, or several. There will be some folks committing to the whole Tour de PAC, of course. Even if you can’t ride, you can attend events, offer to help with first aid (if you have some medical training), or you can drive an escort car or the van, if you want to help. You can also help facilitate the collecting of videos for Environmental Impact Statements and recording information from the people who participate.

That brings up an important feature of the Tour de PAC. This isn’t just a bike ride around PA; cool as that sounds. There are talks and tours along the way. There will be a beginning ralley in Grove City, at the entrance to a proposed toxic dump that local activists have been holding off for over 27 years, and counting. In Washington county, we will stop to hear from folks impacted by Oil and Gas industry, including subjects of the recent Pitt study. There are plans for a Toxic Tour in Monaca and a Toxic bike ride from Chester to Marcus Hook, just outside of Philadelphia. Folks in Huntingdon asked for an introductory program on What is Nonviolent Direct Action? There will also be meetings with residents. In Reading, there will be a listening forum for tour de PAC to listen plus talk about why they are riding. There will also be a listening tour in West Newton and Connelsville. And at every stop, there will be an opportunity to collect 2-3 minute video, Environmental Impact Statements, which, as mentioned earlier, will be taken to the 2023 Pennsylvania Climate Convergence at Soldier’s Grove, beside the PA Capitol building, and also be retained for organizing a campaign connecting the environmental work of groups across Pennsylvania.

At 1PM on Sunday, October 1^st, the Tour de PAC will cycle to the stage for the concert at Soldier’s Grove. Many riders will want to go back to where that day’s tour began, but those who want to stay for the rest of the PA Climate Convergence are welcome to do so. The Convergence will be having a hearing in the Capitol itself and there may be a Nonviolent Direct Action on Monday, October 2^nd.

So, while people can donate their time by being a cyclist for a block, or a day or the while Tour, I asked Michael if people who just want to contribute money do so? Absolutely. You can donate to the Tour de PAC (for supplies, gas, food) or to PAC itself, by check or PayPal. (Sorry, no Venmo at this time.) Contact Michael Badges-Canning for how to do that: mbagdes@gmail.com

Registration Link for the Tour de PAC: https://actionnetwork.org/events/tour-de-pac/

Here’s a breakdown of the stages for the Tour de PAC:

Here’s a link to the proposed route (not finalized): https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1JpXRzkgjjJYuCpa55fbTFh5jhgYrn14&usp=sharing