Photo Epic: Earth Day - A Tribute to the Landscapes We Enjoy on Two Wheels

 I agree with your environmentalist stance and maybe it could be framed in a more positive way. Photos allow us to enjoy things we may never see and can inspire us to get out and enjoy our more modest local surroundings.

 @R-M-R: I’m a bit of a realist when it comes to human behavior and also Instagram =P. But yes, there is bliss in ignoring that reality.

Having worked with Boeing and many corporate multinationals, I’ve realized how much unnecessary travel there is, and likewise, how much people love to flaunt their success and wealth — especially through travel. The consequences aren’t insignificant in many ways, especially international business investment with profit taking priority over human health, well-being, and the environment (China’s local and global pollution and working conditions are a good example).

 @WRCDH: I agree with you. There's power in positivity to effect change, though. If you want to make your sentiments actionable, maybe you could subtly discourage travel by increasing our satisfaction with what we alreay have through praise of the beauty in all our surroundings, while also framing beautiful photographs as an opportunity to see the world without needing to go there.

As a secondary benefit, this will help you avoid becoming even more of a surly misanthrope

 @R-M-R: Hmmmph...sorry I possibly ruined your Earth Day vibes with my response to realizing that probably 90% of people who views those pics think “oh man, I can’t wait to go to those places once we’re allowed to...”. I would’ve rather seen a mix of “local landscapes” from the PB community as well as pics of PBers and others making a difference — maybe that should be a follow-up article showing how PBers made a difference locally for Earth Day.

As far as action, most of my work in recent years is in creating sustainably-powered and low-environmental-impact “lean” manufacturing and related sustainable supply chains, domestic (sometimes repatriated) vertical manufacturing capability, lightweighting vehicles / aircraft / sporting goods with composites, and more efficient human mobility, including for the elderly and differently-abled, via a range of materials-based innovation and engineering (like with Nike / Adidas / Brooks and their new ultra-efficient recyclable carbon fiber shoes, Honda, DuPont, a few bike companies, thermo-solar power companies, etc). It’s environmental pragmatism at its core, while providing a better, cleaner future for everyone involved. The pics were nice, but they do more to entice people to travel excessively than inspire change to improve human & environmental health. Anyhow, back to making a difference...

 I hope you don't follow WC racing, watch the live feeds, view photo epics, cheer for favorite riders, etc... Because all these far off remote places we so irresponsibly shot are either the photographers own back yards or the scenes that surround the World Cup and EWS venues in which we are working... Working to provide content for people to enjoy here... Not sure how your elitist attitude is really called for here? This certainly isn't the time, place, or context for you to be standing on your soapbox and trying to call people out for simply doing their jobs. Cheers

 @davetrumpore: there's an astroid called climate change racing towards planet earth threatening everything. It's allways time to reflect on our behavior.
Loved the photos though. It's a dilemma...

 @ottifant: Wise words my friend. You clearly get it.

 @davetrumpore: It's a tricky one Dave. The article here is making an attempt to reconcile with climate crises, yet the paradox is that it was produced by adversely contributing to it. These are big questions - what works better? Inspiring others to adopt changes through pieces such as this? Or the blunt tool of legislation (enforced under a terrible pandemic) that is currently having a positive effect on the environment but terrible for humanity and families across the world.

Clearly neither is sustainable or attractive.

Perhaps if there was an acknowledgement that WC DH and EWS are bad for the environment (along with lots of others things we do for enjoyment, or work)- but beneficial in terms of social capital (entertainment, participation), economic boosts, trail infrastructure legacy and development it may have been a better balanced piece. Balance is very difficult to achieve.

These are awkward conversations that perhaps the industry is working through but right now hasn't figured out. I also respect that Pinkbike is a bike site and that has a specific role of entertainment, and dipping toes into these topics is always a bumpy ride and attacking guys like you isn't always fair.

The images are beautiful. The locations are stunning - Yet @WRCDH does make valid points, albeit in a confrontational manner.

I am working with universities to help examine changing economies in rural areas that bring in the local population, negative emission and high- welfare food supply, ecological restoration and build resilience that positively enhance or restore the environment, carbon sequester GHGs, increase soil biota all while trying to ensure incomes can be earned (mtb falls into this) and cultures acknowledged. (I actually do this for free while I'm studying Environmental Science and working full time to produce content).

One thing I've quickly learned is that confrontation lengthens the changes process immeasurably.

We all have to work together on this, which will not be easy. The longer we put off change, the more drastic the mitigation will need to be.

As I said beautiful images, love all your guys work, and especially nice to see Glen Feshie in there.

xx

 @swellhunter: The likely difference between "IG trust fund kids" and MTB'ers is that MTB'ers will say they genuinely care about the environment and and the impact we are having on this planet. Yet they continue to buy shiny new bike stuff every year that they don't need...go figure.

Earth Day is meant to provoke us to reflect on our individual actions and how they are impacting our planet. Pinkbike puts up an article of pretty pictures for Earth Day and we get this from Dave: "This certainly isn't the time, place, or context for you to be standing on your soapbox and trying to call people out...". News flash: this IS the time, place and context to discuss what we do and it's effects on our environment...it is Earth Day.

If a user wants to question PB flying a photographer around the world to provide race coverage, then give him a proper answer as to why that is justified, environmentally. Not "we are simply doing our job". Can PB utilise locally-based freelancers for example?

If people want to discuss environmental issues on a day dedicated to discussing environmental issues, let them.

 @davetrumpore: Relax pal. I'm merely suggesting ways we can possibly reduce our impact on the planet as Earth Day wants us to think about, not trying to sentence photographers to destitution or make them out as the sole problem.

I have pointed the finger at myself. I cycle to work, I don't eat meat or consume animal products, I avoid buying clothes unless absolutely necessary, both my mtb's are secondhand and I have reduced my single use plastic intake as much as possible. My vacations are mainly within my own country. Small steps to reduce my own imprint on the environment.

I don't see what issue you are finding in this discussion? Or are you just really fragile?

 @davetrumpore: I am struggling to understand if you are deliberately missing the point, or just unable to see the point.

@WRCDH made the point about unnecessary travel, not I. I am defending the fact that he is right to pose the question in this article, on Earth Day, which you seemed to have taken issue with.

I am not finger pointing at all, nor have I "decided" it has an environmental impact like it is some sort of choice...however if you want environmental impact it is about 90kg CO2 per person per hour.

Yes I am a consumer...we live in a consuming society. Is it not a positive thing to reduce where possible one's impact? Or before I can criticise anything must I first live off-grid in the wilderness?

You're not really making any decent argument, apart from "you consume stuff so your argument is void". I am sure you are more clever than that.

 @davetrumpore: Agreed this article has beautiful photos of our planet, posted to celebrate Earth Day, a day dedicated to environmental protection. The questioning of the air miles was to probe if maybe more can be done to reduce said air miles, not to put your livelihood on trial. No one is judging anyone here, just asking the question. Discussions about the environment have to be frank, it's an urgent issue.

I haven't spouted anything, only responded to your replies. You asked me what I do after all, in an attempt to nullify the argument by painting me as a hypocrite. The argument would still stand - can more be done? If not, fine, it is only a question. You said PB don't fly you out and you take efforts to car share...could you not have led with that instead? It's a good answer to the question.

I am not triggered at all, it was you that went on the offensive in your reply to WRCDH. Peace.

 @iainmac-1: no I'm not going to lead in with some line about carsharing etc to appease anyone.

I fly 130,000 miles a year, and if I car share it's because it's faster between some rounds or cheaper... The line about PB not flying folks around is because we are freelancers and foot our own bills always.

And I feel no need to environmentally justify my career choice and it's inherent impact to make you or anyone else feel better. It is what it is. We all have an impact greater than we should... This is mine and I can chose to offset in other ways with other lifestyle choices... However I feel no need to have to justify one with the other or defend any of it.

7+ months a year I'm home. Literally at home.... But you're certainly not going to find me criticizing folks that commute to work in their cars year round. Because that would be the silly kind of hypocritical argument y'all are pushing here.

Cheers... Enjoy the photos, videos, live race coverage, product development, and consumerism that is part and parcel of MTB culture. We could all be a part of something far worse so focus the lifestyle critique elsewhere please.

 I don’t follow World Cup racing anymore — it’s gotten boring for me since they’ve gone almost exclusively to blue-grooved bike park tracks. And it’s not just me — many riders agree, including youngster Thibaut Dapréla who yearns with misty eyes for technical, steep, raw, natural, gnarly tracks of a decade ago.

I expect an avalanche of tirades about this comment as well, so have fun on your phones and computers. I’m going for a ride =P

 @WRCDH It's great to see that you are so passionate about conserving the planet, but are you really this cynical about people traveling because they used planes get there? Come on man. Traveling and exploring new trails and regions is one of the most amazing things about mountain biking, and your mocking it because they used some gas to get there? Keep smelling your own farts man.

 @swellhunter: oops sorry, meant to downvote.

 Oh, wow! What a bunch of self righteous people! Interesting to learn that a collection of beautiful imagery about nature can trigger some to fabricate themselves neon signs and billboards that point out to the aforementioned self righteousness. My deepest congratulations, what can I say!

 @cfellows: @cfellows: LOL, it’s about the irony of these pictures on Earth Day — Earth Day was founded to “demonstrate support for environmental protection.” Your one-dimensional interpretation of my post warranted my response. My comments are about the irony of posting pictures not of demonstrating environmental protection, but rather, they posted pictures of sensitive ecosystems which the article described as “a world we hope to soon access once again” and going on to say “As two-wheelers, we have this gigantic playground to call our own.” Keep in mind, many mountain bikers who can travel to these places are quite often relatively affluent with discretionary income that can be used either for good (or relatively innocuous enjoyment of our world), or to exploit sensitive ecosystems for their own destructive enjoyment. If you take offense to that as a mountain biker, it might make more sense to think of hoards of 2-stroke motorcycles tearing up quiet, unpolluted, serene, sensitive ecosystems that are home to endangered or human-contact-sensitive animals. So you have Earth Day, which is intended to DEMONSTRATE support for environmental protection and then you have mountain biker photographers taking about going to those sensitive ecosystems for their own enjoyment — there’s an ironic disconnect in the article relative to the purpose of Earth Day — like I said, I would have preferred to see people “making a difference.”

Fuel consumption on its own isn’t my concern. It fuel consumption to travel 20,000 miles round trip for a mountain biking safari in a sensitive ecosystem accessed via a traffic jam of unregulated diesel British off-road vehicles in an African national park and then posting about it on social media and making other want to go too is just about the antithesis of what Earth Day founders hoped for. This is the irony I’m talking about — not showing people making a difference, but rather, showing places that we can go trample on with our bikes, while showing it off on social media so others can follow in our tracks (per my original post), haha. See, there are more dimensions to my comments that y’all considered in those knee-jerk one-dimensional responses.

 @davetrumpore: LOL, it’s about the irony of these pictures on Earth Day — Earth Day was founded to “demonstrate support for environmental protection.” Your one-dimensional interpretation of my post warranted my response. My comments are about the irony of posting pictures not of demonstrating environmental protection, but rather, they posted pictures of sensitive ecosystems which the article described as “a world we hope to soon access once again” and going on to say “As two-wheelers, we have this gigantic playground to call our own.” Keep in mind, many mountain bikers who can travel to these places are quite often relatively affluent with discretionary income that can be used either for good (or relatively innocuous enjoyment of our world), or to exploit sensitive ecosystems for their own destructive enjoyment. If you take offense to that as a mountain biker, it might make more sense to think of hoards of 2-stroke motorcycles tearing up quiet, unpolluted, serene, sensitive ecosystems that are home to endangered or human-contact-sensitive animals. So you have Earth Day, which is intended to DEMONSTRATE support for environmental protection and then you have mountain biker photographers talking about going to those sensitive ecosystems for their own enjoyment — there’s an ironic disconnect in the article relative to the purpose of Earth Day — like I said, I would have preferred to see people “making a difference.”

Fuel consumption on its own isn’t my concern. It fuel consumption to travel 20,000 miles round trip for a mountain biking safari in a sensitive ecosystem accessed via a traffic jam of unregulated diesel British off-road vehicles in an African national park and then posting about it on social media and making other want to go too is just about the antithesis of what Earth Day founders hoped for. This is the irony I’m talking about — not showing people making a difference, but rather, showing places that we can go trample on with our bikes, while showing it off on social media so others can follow in our tracks (per my original post), haha. See, there are more dimensions to my comments that y’all considered in those knee-jerk one-dimensional responses.

 @davetrumpore: Your original comment (well and many others) does make me laugh out loud though. I can just see the steam blowing out of your ears as you misinterpret my posts and probably those of many other people. Chill dude. Seriously, chill.

 @davetrumpore: By the way, if you’re going to spout off big words like “elitist,” you should know what they mean. Nothing in any of my comments could possibly be construed as elitist — especially not mentioning extensive worldwide air travel by relatively affluent individuals (with respect to Earth Day), nor pointing out the related issue of social media and Instagram’s uncontested role in the rapid growth of commercial exploitation of exotic and endangered animals...as well as travel to, and damage of, sensitive ecosystems by many different groups of people. Social media has been good for “tourism” revenue, related support industries like aerospace, and the massive growth of worldwide leisure travel as emerging economies grow their middle and upper classes — but that huge growth in travel has been bad for biodiversity at certain travel destinations, sensitive ecosystems, and many other things. This isn’t a radical perspective — it’s widely acknowledged data-based scientific and economic fact. But if I’m wrong about any of that, or if it was somehow elitist, please inform me of exactly how, hahaha.

On the other hand, talking about flying 130,000 miles around the world to exclusive resorts towns in the European Alps and other places — while earning a living during those 5 months a year by taking pictures in those exclusive resort areas — is much closer to what one could define as elitist.

 @WRCDH: I never do wonder why it is that the Libs are so f*cking hypocritical. Plus, this @davetrumpore blocks content from folks he may not agree with. Last time I knew of a world leader who did such things....well, Obama to an extent, but more so Marx and Hitler.

 @WRCDH: I did notice from his profile he is from Burlington VT...I mean, really? If that place were stricken with a REAL plague we would be better off but for the ferry across Lake Champlain. From there, it was AWESOME to sit, feeding the birds (in front of the Do Not Feed the Birds sign) at the resturant...hearing the local idiot's bitch about the Trump stickers on my $120k gas guzzler. Not 100% certain, but I believe I was the only one not wearing something made of hemp or not wearing deodorant.

 It's hard to find a bad view in Glencoe, the place is stunning.

 Very true - big omission! Now added

 Yes... Taken from in and around or traveling between the various World Cup and EWS locations over the years. And a few from we each of our own backyards that we call home when not on assignments.

 ...also would be cool if there were a link or info to be able to support these photographers via purchasing prints. I'd love to have that "Inverness, Scotland" shot by @rossbellphoto on a canvas print in my home office or the "The Dolomites, Italy" shot by @davetrumpore , maybe printed on metal. That would be sweet.

 Thank god the rumor that Franklin wanted the US National Symbol to be a freaking turkey is false.