For almost thirty years the United Nations Framework on Climate Change, otherwise more commonly known as COP swept the media narrative for at least few weeks per year. In what may as well be the Burning Man for the green elites, there’s a noticeable bout of hypocrisy - particularly in the impact imposed by participants1. In the case of COP, Top Super Important Green Elites™, do their deed largely to and from the event. Despite lecturing to the rest of the world, including to billions who live in energy poverty, hordes of COP participants fly to the event - many in private jets. If the narrative of Climate Catastrophists’ hysteria were to ring true, each and every single one of these flights is sucking precious life out of the planet.
posited last fall about the most recent COP virtue-orgy: “One wonders about the carbon footprint of the entire affair.And:
For those who are missing a few zeros from their net worth and can’t even afford a what the Little People airlines call a “First Class Ticket,” rest assured for People for Bikes, are fixin’ to hold a spectacular event.
Towards the end of March, People for Bikes are hosting what they call their Bicycle Leadership Conference, and it’s not to teach bicyclists how to lead group rides.
It is instead, “where top leaders and decision makers come together to chart the course of the bike industry. Featuring the perfect blend of inspiration, education, and action, speakers will offer lessons on guiding your business as well as short and long-term market insights to plan for the future.”
Echoing something out of the documentary Office Space or in a Dilbert cartoon, they’ve explained their jargon-polluted phrase inspiration, education, and action, as so:
Over on their FAQ page, just before the “What COVID-19 Precautions Will be in Place?” questions is the “Who Should Attend?” question. There they answer their event “is tailored toward C-suite, senior leaders, and key decision-makers at bicycle industry organizations. The keynotes, panels, interviews, and breakout sessions throughout the conference are geared to provide insights into bicycle industry trends and the business challenges leaders face in the marketplace.”
That “C” often refers to the uppers at a corporation often described in three letter acronyms such as the CEO, CFO, COO, or CIO. Or as Investopedia succinctly describes, as “The upper echelons of a corporation’s senior executives and managers.”
The cost to attend the conference and the venue are indeed something geared directly at C-Suite types. For those who are People for Bikes “Coalition Members,” the cost to attend the conference is a whopping $1799.
The Orwellians at People for Bikes have several ways one can “join” their organization but the only ones who qualify for this price are what they sometimes call a “Coalition” member and other times call a “Corporate” member. Such membership, whatever they feel like calling it in between editing binges of their website costs at least $1,000 per year but scales up in price based on the revenue of the business. That’s right, People cannot actually become a member of People for Bikes.
Interested Plebs get in for $1999.
Rest assured there are, uh, discounts available, but certain conditions apply.
People for Bikes “Subcommittee Members” (a “membership” that differs apparently from Coalition/Corporate) can receive a discount2, of an unknown amount. Veterans and another unknown category, “advocacy attendees,” also are eligible for a discount.
Perhaps having taken notes from racist NACTO and/or Rivendell Bicycle Works, People for Bikes are also offering discounts to people so long as they belong to certain groups, in thi case, BIPOC and for members of the LGBTQ+ (say it like
) commuuuuuunnnnnity.Even though this appears to be a relatively exclusive event targeting people who may as well be the “one percenters” of a sliver of the bicycling world, if People for Bikes were to offer the discount to anybody who could not afford the cost is one thing but openly discriminating based on Current Thing/Luxury Belief identity groups is not only wrong, but likely a violation of several laws. Let’s be honest, the people receiving such discounts are going to be the Jessica Yanivs, Sam Brintons, Claudine Gays, Elizabeth Warrens, or Rachael Dolezals of the world and not to someone such as Tim Cook.
With nonsense such as this, there’s always a “but wait, there’s more” to the story.
One would think People for Bikes would select a “bike-friendly” venue - one where participants, given People for Bikes could sort of at least bike the talk, given the climate crisis and bicycling’s apparent ability to “solve” it and all.
Recall their own President and CEO as covered in Biking to Save the Oceans from Boiling and in Follow the Grift: People For Bikes saying:
In recent years, the stark realities of climate change have become more evident, more intense and more desperate for a solution. Thankfully, one simple, low-cost solution is right before our eyes. A solution that has been gaining momentum for years but exploded in popularity over the last 16 months. A solution for governments, industries and individuals alike. A mobility, sustainability, equity and public health solution all in one: the humble bicycle.
That’s the same “leader” who, as covered Follow the Grift: People For Bikes, fled COVID lockdowned Boulder, CO for rural Wyoming in her “party bus” which consisted of an SUV pulling an Airstream camper.
Super Eco Friendly!!!!
Speaking of Gaia-raping hypocrisy, this leads us to point out precisely where the conference is to be held: a resort in the outskirts of Tucson, AZ.
Said resort, the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is located almost as far as it can possibly be from places such as the compact, urbanized Tucson downtown area where the Amtrak trains stop, or the Tucson International Airport, where people not local to the area are likely to travel to if they must contribute to ocean-boiling flying.
Instead said resort is located at the end of endless suburban single family sprawl which is also home to the city’s one percenters3 and elite “wintering” homes.
Again, the FAQ alludes to the remoteness and bike unfriendliness4 the Resort has.
Participants of People for Bikes’ Conference are blessed with a “discounted rate” starting at $299 per night at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort (“A breathtaking desert sanctuary located in a lush 100-acre desert garden”) plus having the “resort fee” waived5, a small discount on certain services at their spas, and included “special green fees.”
Said “special green fee” of course has nothing to do with Noble Gaia but instead has to do with the a golf course, something true Gaia Worshippers, even in non-deserts, hate.
As
has been fond of saying over on his page Energy Transition Absurdities , “You just cannot make this stuff up. Don't even try.”In the case of Burning Man, its participants often do not leave the Nevada desert site cleaner than they found it thus requiring a dedicated crew of volunteers to clean up their mess.
Even “discount” is questionable as the FAQ page calls it a scholarship/financial assistance.
Many of the subdivisions in the area are gated.
No “protected” bike lanes safe spaces for biking anywhere!
For nearly 20 years I attended this soiree, variously named BWDA Conference, Leadership Conference, Bicycle Leadership Conference.... whatever. About 5 years ago I got down all the notebooks I'd collected which filled an entire shelf. Maybe not so ironically, every other year the same topics came up, the same committees with differing names, Key Note Speakers-- not the same people but all of the same ilk-- key note spoke. And absolutely nothing EFFECTIVE got done.
Oh, possibly some political juice dribbled out, some effort to drag more Fed money down for infra. Otherwise Nothing, Nada, Nichs substantive.
This is a giant circle jerk, much more exclusive than the old Interbike, but liberally sprinkled with the same fairy dust.
And know this: the bicycle "industry" is pissant in the American economy. So the irony of the attendees circle jerking all together would be laughable if not sad. Ebikes are taking over the sidewalks and trails and will become a significant part of our traffic mix; bicycling never did or could do that. These people are backing into the Ebike biz and they insist on calling themselves BikesBelong. In the new streetside order Bikes Won't Belong, Ebikes will. Only if and when these geniuses start defending the rights of PeopleOnBikes will they live up to their brand. And that will never happen so long as they worship at the Shrine of Infra.