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Uphill battle
July 17, 2006 7:22 AM
An operation to remove cartilage, after his service in the Vietnam War, left Lane Anderson with arthritis in his knees. Riding a bike 40 miles a day doesn't help the pain.
Then again, it could be worse. Some of the men participating in a bicycle trek to spread awareness about America's oil consumption lost their legs in wars.
"We want to set an example to end our addiction to oil," said Mr. Anderson, head of the Santa Barbara chapter of Veterans for Peace, a national organization.
He and about a dozen others will participate in a "Veterans Peace and Sustainability Ride" later this month. The men will ride from Eugene, Ore., to Seattle, where they will participate in the Veterans for Peace annual convention.
Mr. Anderson, 59, said America's reliance on oil has worsened international conflict, including the war in Iraq. His organization has been deeply opposed to the war, staging a weekly protest near Stearns Wharf by assembling crosses to represent the more than 2,500 soldiers who have been killed.
The Arlington West display attracts hundreds of visitors every Sunday.
International conflicts such as this could be avoided, said Brian Willson, a veteran who will also participate.
"A revolution of consciousness is needed," said Mr. Willson, a double-amputee who served in the Vietnam War. "Once that is internalized, we naturally make different choices based on mutual respect."
Mr. Willson will be riding a three-wheeled, arm-powered handcycle that was specially made for the trip. Mr. Anderson will ride a bicycle that provides extra bursts of hand-generated power because his knees are so weak.
He has been training almost daily, slowly getting up to 40 miles a day by peddling through the cemetery off Castillo Street. The team will limit its daily travel to 40 miles because of the physical limitations of participants.
They will leave July 25, and expect the trip to take about 14 days -- in time for the Aug. 10 Veterans for Peace conference.
The men will stop along the way at numerous places, urging people to use less oil and to support peace in the Middle East and elsewhere, Mr. Anderson said. They will ride to Eugene in a bus powered by biodiesel fuel, and will be accompanied on the ride by several alternative-fueled vehicles.
Americans, however, need to learn how to use less oil regardless of new innovations in gasoline and energy, Mr. Anderson said.
"We need to set an example," he said. "Even these alternative solutions use more energy than they yield. Our mission is to get people to be conservation-minded -- to think simpler is the real way to make a difference."
e-mail: mevans@newspress.com