Cycling for a cause

When veteran actor Sivakumar, in the wake of the immensely successful 88888 Lights Out campaign last year, said, ���We will stop polluting our environment only when we start using bicycles.���
He hit the bull���s eye. For today, a majority of Chennaiites will line up at the Marina beach in the morning, rallying for a cause.
Transport Simplicity Cycle Rally, organised by Exnora, is one of the many events that are being planned for the 99999 Lights out! MB Nirmal, founder-chairman of Exnora, explains, ���The rally will begin at 7 am and students, volunteers, professional cyclists, corporates and celebrities from the city will cycle from the Labour Statue to the Light House, shouting slogans to highlight environment and global warming concerns.���
Chennai Mayor, M Subramanian, actors Prashanth, Vivekh and S Ve Shekher, actresses Swarnamalya Anu Hasan, director Vasanth, senior advocate Nalini Chidambaram and many others will be part of this rally.
Sundar, a volunteer with Exnora, says, ���According to reports, around 25 lakh homes across the state participated in the 88888 campaign. Overwhelmed by the response, we have planned large-scale activities for this 99999 campaign.���
Explaining the reason behind this rally, he says, ���This rally is not just to celebrate or socialise. We want the public to raise questions about the environment and find out ways to reduce global warming.
Cycling, according to the World Health Organisation, is a ���highly suitable activity��� for improving health. Also, they are environment friendly, as they don���t emit greenhouse gases.���
Says actor Prashanth, ���There���s a famous dialogue in The Matrix where the programmed Neo will ask Oracle, ���Why are we destroying human beings?��� to which Oracle replies, ���we are programmed to destroy viruses.��� That���s true, for there���s no symbiotic relationship between earth and us. It���s time we take responsibility for our planet.
Of course, there will be no significant changes right away, but isn���t it true that little drops make a great ocean?���
Agrees Sanjana, a student volunteer, ���We are aware that the green cover is diminishing every day. We also understand the consequences of global warming and melting ice caps! I definitely don���t want another ice age while I���m alive. I���m doing my bit to save nature.���
Suggests Agalya, another student volunteer, ���Using bicycles for short distances, climbing staircase instead of using lifts, turning off electrical appliances when not required and planting a few trees are simple measures that can save earth.���
Prashanth, for his part, says he���s filming his recently-launched film, Ponner Shankar, the eco-friendly way. He says, ���We haven���t used any plastic material to create the sets. We also make sure the location is cleaned after the shoot is over for the day.���
He concludes, ���And most importantly, I want everyone to plant two Bheema bamboo saplings in their lifetime. It absorbs the excess CO2 from the atmosphere and takes care of the carbon footprint we leave behind in our lifetime.���