- In his relentless pursuit of bringing the overpopulation
issue up front and center in Colorado and the United States, Wooldridge
invited the Golden City Council to pass a "Golden Stabilized Population
Policy". He hopes other cities across the U.S. will pass similar
policies. As the United States gallops toward adding 100 million people
within 25 years, he educates citizens as to accelerating consequences of
exponential growth. He continues to work toward a stable, viable and
sustainable US population.
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- Cyclist rides around world to study overpopulation
- Cyclist advocates for sustainable future of city
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- By Laura Hathaway
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- Photo Submitted
- Frosty Wooldridge stops in front of the Coliseum in Rome
during one of his many bike rides around the world. This ride began in
Norway and ended in Greece.
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- 09:06 AM
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- A peace ring sits on his right hand. It has been there
for more than 30 years and isn't coming off anytime soon. A friend who
was going to the Vietnam War left it in his care. His friend never came
back.
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- Frosty Wooldridge shows this type of dedication in every
part of his life.
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- Between biking more than 125,000 miles around the world
and advocating for population stability, he is a committed individual.
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- "He has a single-minded determination to bring sanity
to the world when it comes to population. He is tireless and never quits,"
said Dave Gardner, who has known Wooldridge for two years.
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- Wooldridge began bike touring with a trip from Manhattan
Beach, Calif., to Jekyll Island, Ga.
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- "Within a week of setting out on this monstrous
tour, I got a treble hook through my soul and was absolutely passionate
about bicycle touring because of the mind, body and spirit connection,"
Wooldridge said.
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- The way he felt soon led to three voyages around the
world, including riding around every continent but Africa.
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- He has biked and camped in Antarctica, ridden throughout
Europe and completed a 10,000-mile ride around Australia. In Australia
he faced challenges such as riding across the treeless Nullarbor Plain,
while carrying five gallons of water on his bike.
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- "It was hotter than hell and like being in Death
Valley every day," he said.
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- In Alaska he had a near-death encounter with a grizzly
bear. However, these experiences and riding his bike in 94 countries has
not slowed him down.
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- One of the world trips was monumental for what would
become his other life passion.
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- "I got to China and went 'Oh, my God.' It's wall-to-wall
people, stacked on top of one another. The Yangzi River was utter complete
sewage, same thing on the Ganges," Wooldridge said. "I thought
I have to do something."
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- Wooldridge has since combined his two life passions -
biking and activism - to create one large picture that he wants others
to understand. According to Wooldridge, the human race is facing trouble
due to of overpopulation and growth.
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- A current goal of his is for Golden to pass a policy
that would limit the building of homes and businesses. Wooldridge has gone
to Golden City Council meetings for the last four months to speak about
this plan.
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- "I want them to raise the discussion, create the
debate and enforce a stabilization population policy," he said. "Golden
would set the precedent for the nation and become the most progressive
city in the U.S."
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- Colorado could have as many as 10 million people by 2050,
according to a report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
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- He thinks awareness will prevent these changes and educate
those who are not looking toward the future.
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- Through his many bike tours, Wooldridge says, "I've
seen the consequences. I've seen what's coming, and we have to change it."
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- The biggest hurdle he's encountered is trying to motivate
the average person to care about this topic.
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- "I'm afraid most people are in denial. It's easy
to avoid and easier to suppress because today everything works perfectly,"
Wooldridge said.
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- Wooldridge knows failure is a possibility, but that has
never stopped him from trying his hardest.
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- "I'm going to keep going. I may totally fail, but
I did what I could in my time," he said.
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- This summer he plans on riding from the Golden Gate Bridge
to Mount Vernon and eventually riding across the boot of Italy.
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- For more information about Wooldridge or his proposed
policy, visit www.frostywooldridge.com.
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