Planetsave

This most recent weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting about two dozen different superheroes. These weren’t your typical eye beam-blasting, web-slinging, high-flying superheroes, though. Instead, they were bicycle-riding, service-providing, and compassion-inspiring superheroes with names like CompashMan (short for compassionate man), Believe-Oh, Love Ninja, Queen Bee, Atomic Calm, and Super OK With Himself Guy. They were all part of The Haul of Justice, an extraordinary event in which regular folks dress up as superheroes and hit the roads on their bicycles for a month-long journey, providing service to the public with no agenda, and no pre-established course or plans .

Once or twice a year since 2000, the Superheroes have assembled to bike through a specific location (usually a particular state - 23 states and five other countries have been ridden through thus far). On their journey, which is totally unplanned, these Superheroes stop in random towns and cities, and provide service to people in need. Usually, it’s a simple matter of asking people if they need help with anything. As you might expect, people are often surprised by the appearance of twenty-some-odd bikers dressed up in capes and costumes.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Ethan Hughes (a.k.a. The Zing), a friend and fellow communitarian based out of The Possibility Alliance of La Plata, Missouri, who helped to inspire and start the biannual movement. Speaking with him during the Superheroes’ first stop at the tri-communities area (Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, Sandhill Farm, and Red Earth Farms) of northeastern Missouri , I learned a great deal about the history and inspiration for The Haul of Justice, Ethan’s thoughts on activism and public service, inspiring change, and ultimately, helping to create a healthier, more compassionate world.

Inspiration for the Superheroes bike ride

Brian Liloia: How would you summarize the overall mission of the Superheroes bike ride?

Ethan Hughes: There are a couple of guiding principles. The first mission is to be totally open, with no agenda, to just show up in downtown Seattle [for example], and see who needs help. Someone who’s homeless, all the way to a community garden. The second mission is to do that service as mindfully as we can, without preaching. I think the third part is to make service enjoyable, with things like the costumes. Can we go out on the road, with no plan, try to be mindful of the earth and communities, and have fun? And on a good day, we do all of those.

BL: Where did the inspiration for doing this come from? When was the idea formulated?

EH: It grew over time. I read comic books when I was little. I think the myth of the hero is in all cultures. As I aged, I saw that I have heroes like Martin Luther King, and Gandhi. Without blowing people up with eye beams, these people were heroes. So the idea started with a few people dressing up as superheroes for different campaigns. At some point, being an avid comic book reader, I said, well, you know, Daredevil swings around randomly looking for people to help. That’s the element missing. We were picking our campaign. But, hey, let’s get on our bikes in Seattle and bike to Boston, dressed as superheroes, looking for any service to provide to people. So that’s how it evolved.

Response to the Superhero ride

BL: How do people respond to your presence? How are they affected?

EH: It’s a huge spectrum. I’d say most of it falls into the “very positive” range. We’ve been in totally conservative towns, in Mississippi, in Montana [for example], and we pull in, and big trucks pull up and ask what we’re about. And we say, what do you need? And it’s a message that very few people can get angry at, if you are authentically asking them “what do you need?” For one example, I went into a bar, and I walked in with my superhero outfit, and there were truckers, and I asked “hey, what do you guys need? Does anyone need any help in this town?” And they all turned, and it was very hostile in the beginning. But I explained that we were people from all over who come together to give help once a year, and within five minutes, people were inviting me back to their homes for dinner, etc.

The final part that helps us is that we actually celebrate local superheroes, so instead of coming in and saying we’re the superheroes, we come in and say we’re here to help you who are full-time superheroes, and then that changes that dynamic. They feel really seen. It’s not, well, we’re the cool superheroes, you’re the losers, it’s we’re here for a day, in costume, and you’re the hero, day by day, you’re running this women’s shelter, day by day you’re running this community garden, etc. That really helps people to receive us.

BL: Why do you think people occasionally respond in a negative way? Is it just because of your appearance, and how you are presenting yourself?

EH: I think that one, it’s appearance. And two, so few mainstream Americans believe someone would actually go out for free, not part of a paid job, and serve, with no ulterior motive. No, “hey, and join this religion”, or “hey, and sign this petition for this politician”. I think we’re in a cynical society that doesn’t just trust someone who comes in, and says hey, I want to help.

A community on wheels: organization of the Superheroes bike rides

BL: How would you describe how the rides are organized? It appears to me to be almost like an intentional community on wheels. How are decisions made?

EH: That has evolved. The first ride was meant to be the only ride. We weren’t planning to carry on for years. During the first ride, the first few weeks were very chaotic. Over time, we have built systems, and there is now a superhero community. There’s over 500 Superheroes now. It is an intentional community on wheels. Some of us have spent over 13 months together doing this. We use consensus. Everyone has an equal voice. There’s wisdom handed over to riders who have been on multiple rides. The group will definitely defer to people who have been in more situations, but in the end, no one has a higher voice. It’s total consensus. What looks chaotic really has a deep intention to function well. If they can create an army for war and be so disciplined, the Superheroes’ goal is to be that disciplined for love and peace. Get up at 6:30 a.m., eat by 7:00, and we’re ready to go out and serve.

BL: It seems like biking is at the heart of the Superheroes movement. Can you tell me about the significance of biking to the movement?

EH: On a bike, you’re the most efficient living thing in the known universe. It’s three times as efficient as walking. You actually become more efficient, which is amazing in nature: that a tool can allow us to become more efficient. It’s a perfect balance. People have argued for us walking. Human power is definitely the maximum. But, the bike allows us to go fifty miles in one day. Bikes enable a great amount of distance and human power without the environmental cost. We believe superheroes would ride bikes. If you can’t fly like Superman or cruise on water like Aquaman, the next best thing is the bicycle. The majority of superheroes are human-powered. Extraordinarily human-powered. We’re kind of embodying that. The bike just fits in so perfectly. We love the bike because we can go 100 miles in a day, and it’s easy to fix. Who could fix the Batmobile? Bikes are a technology that can spread to the masses.

Spreading the message of the Superheroes

BL: It seems like there are many things that can be said about this Superheroes ride. There’s the biking element, the service element, the community element. But is there any way to summarize, into one message, the thing that you would want people to take away from the Superheroes bike ride?

EH: The wonderful thing about this is that every Superhero would probably say something different. One would say it’s the connection, another would say it’s the service, for another it’s the biking. It’s exciting when you can have this kind of unity with diversity. For me, the biggest message is, start living what’s in your heart now. A few of us had this vision, and we didn’t wait to be a nonprofit, we didn’t wait for any big budgets, we made capes for nothing, and this was our expression of being alive. Imagine if everyone in the world started doing it now. We just jumped in. For me, that’s the biggest message, if we all live what’s in our heart, everything would be covered. It’s crazy, it’s imperfect, but we’re trying. You can do the same.

- - -

If you’re located in Missouri, keep an eye peeled for a group of bicycle-powered Superheroes now through mid-October!

In my next entry, I will look more in depth at The Possibility Alliance, a newly formed intentional community based on the ideals of the Superheroes, founded by Ethan Hughes, partner Sarah Wilcox-Hughes, and other Superheroes. The Possiblitiy Alliance is located in La Plata, Missouri, and is completely petroleum-free, car-free, and electricity-free. The community also serves as the headquarters for the Superheroes bike rides.

To learn more about the Superheroes, contact The Possibility Alliance at:

Possibility Alliance
28408 Frontier Lane
La Plata, MO 63549

Telephone: 660-332-4094

Also, you can read more about the Superheroes and goings-on at the Possibility Alliance in the current issue of Communities Magazine. And to follow along with the Superheroes’ journey through Missouri and other bicycling events, check out the biking revolution news toolbar.

(Image credit: CompashMan and Gratidude)

Read More about Activism and Culture

• Senator Jeff Klein to Cyclist: Get out of my F***ing Way
• Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Baaad: Atlanta’s Sopo Bicycle Co-op
• Ecological Sustainability Requires a Cultural Revolution, Too

This past weekend, undercover operatives from Greenpeace tested the DNA of fish served in several London-based restaurants that are part of a chain known as Nobu. The restaurants are partially owned by actor Robert De Niro. The tested fish were discovered to be endangered bluefin tuna. In an incredibly stupid response, Nobu’s principal manager has decided to label the endangered fish with an asterisk on the restaurants’ menu, rather than stopping to serve it. Read the rest of this entry »

Known for a living in a culture that typically disapproves of modern technology, some members of Amish communities are now bucking their traditional ways by increasingly turning to solar power to meet their energy needs.

Philly.com highlighted this transition among the Amish in an interesting article that was published on their website this weekend. What is most surprising to me is that the Amish have fewer doubts about using solar power for purposes that relate to work, than they do for use inside their homes. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you consider yourself “green,” or, at least, you are trying to do your part to be more environmentally minded, environmentally sensitive and environmentally responsible. Whether you are aware of it or not, you are a part of the green movement. And each part makes the green movement what it is — the entity it is — (on the global scale, the national scale, the regional scale, the local scale, and the personal scale).

Throughout the course of our life and our efforts, we have to step back and look at how effective we are at achieving our goals, how far our good intentions are actually taking us, how “green” our lifestyles are. We have to look at how much our green actions are doing to really protect and conserve the environment. At the same time, if we are trying to be a part of this green movement (which is growing in name, in respect, and, to some degree, in overall influence), we have to step back and evaluate the trajectory of the green movement, how effective the overall movement is in making our dreams of a safe, secure, sustainable, lively, and vibrant environment a true reality.

To be honest, I have been involved in the green movement since childhood and am fairly “extreme,” sincere, or devoted in my efforts to be green and to do my part. Nonetheless, I just moved to Poland from the U.S. and I have found that I have habits and ways of thinking that are greatly less sustainable, less environmentally sensitive, than the normal, average Pole who does not have any special care or concern for the environment and may just have the vaguest sense of what the “green movement” or “green living” is.

Why the great disparity in our actions and ways of life, despite the fact that I am the “green”?
Read the rest of this entry »

Japanese schools are serving whaleburgers and whale nuggets dipped in sweet and sour sauce. Some schools take children on field trips to view whale slaughtering. Although whale meat can have toxic levels of mercury and many believe whaling is inhumane, the Japanese government contends that it is part of their culinary cultural tradition.

An International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling has in place since 1986, but has not stopped this practice. The Japanese government states that thousands of whales are hunted each year for scientific research, totaling 23,000 dolphins and small whales.

Many environmental groups believe it isn’t necessary to kill the whales to obtain scientific data. “There is no need to kill whales to study them. ‘Research’ whaling is just commercial whaling under another name,” said John Hocevar, oceans specialist for Greenpeace.

Meanwhile, the majority of whale meat finds its way to supermarkets, restaurants and even school lunches. The health risks are very high as this meat can have up to 16 times the mercury levels advised by the health ministry. Read the rest of this entry »

Toyota is donating 5 hybrid cars and $500,000 to help support Grand Canyon National Park’s educational programs and safety efforts. The donation is part of a larger initiative that the company is sponsoring to help support the National Park Service. In total, Toyota will donate $5 million and 21 hybrid vehicles to help support five different parks. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s something that’s been made increasingly apparent to me living in an ecovillage for the past year: environmental sustainability requires a change in culture. Society cannot achieve this sustainability through simplified living alone. Growing organic food, using renewable energy, and decreasing one’s ecological footprint are all positive things, no doubt, but true, holistic sustainability comes along with a culture that values cooperation and community.

At Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, there exists a unique culture distinct from that of mainstream society. Of course, this is to be expected: every group develops its own culture over time. (Think of something as ordinary as a college dorm or office: these places too have their own special microcultures.) Although it would be hard to define Dancing Rabbit’s culture and exactly what makes it what it is, there are certain shared values that certainly help to shape it.

Ecological sustainability is the core value of Dancing Rabbit’s culture. Beyond that, cooperation and a sense of community are highly esteemed values, too, and these are achieved in many ways.

Read the rest of this entry »

High-fructose corn syrup: is it hemlock, or the nectar of the gods? The Corn Refiner’s Association (CRA) believes the latter—that the dreaded syrup is really Aphrodite’s bathwater.

 Sure, they claim that high fructose corn syrup has the same amount of calories as sugar and has no artificial ingredients. You have probably seen the commercials combating the urban myth; Eve offers Adam a cherry-colored popsicle and he initially denies it out of unbridled piety to the American Heart Association and its pyramid of truth. She reassures him that it’s ok—American, even—and he takes it from her with an impish grin.

 But the CRA hasn’t told you everything. Not only is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) good for you, it also boosts romance. Dr. Ben Dofa of the National Institutes of Health reports:

 “HFCS binds to the endorphin receptors in your brain, making you undeniably randy. That’s why everyone drinks soda at parties. The lone wolf hanging out by the punch bowl isn’t a loser—he knows what he is doing.”

 HFCS also doubles as sensual massage oil.  If you want to get in the mood, just head to your pantry and break out this disaccharide treat and flip on some Barry White. You will soon be reliving the summer of ’69, rolling through the Kansas cornfields without a care.

 So next time, show up at your date’s door with a bottle of Karo and a bouquet of free-labor roses. She will be thankful you did. 

A federal judge has banned snowmobiles from Yellowstone National Park. He said that a plan approved by the Bush Administration to allow 500 snowmobiles to travel daily through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in the winter months would cause damaging noise pollution, air pollution, and would also stress wildlife. Read the rest of this entry »

Change, it is what we are all promoting in this field.

We identified that we are on a crash course in life, the life of future generations, others, all of the species that are suffering due to our inconsiderate and consumptive ways, and the natural environment as we know it and as it has come to be after a slow, lengthy process of evolution. Now, we are trying to change course, we are trying to change.

What is this change we are seeking, and how do we achieve it?

We are seeking a fundamental change in the larger effect we (as a society and as a species) are having on the earth. We are seeking this in many ways, but one great opportunity in seeking this broader change is to change our own needs, our own desires, our own habits and lifestyles. When is this a greater possibility than when we are going through tremendous life changes anyway. With change comes the opportunity for greater change. We decide to go into the basement to get something out of a box, and we end up finding all kinds of things we can toss forever or use or give away.
Read the rest of this entry »