Burning fuel or burning bras?  This Saturday bike riders (roller skaters, skate boarders, walkers, skippers, jumpers, lovers,--all are welcome) will aim to draw attention to a persistent and naive reliance on non-renewable resources and to “Curb Car Culture,” through the use of a universally recognizable marketing tool: the human body.

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The at once environmentally conscious and bodily unconscious will shed apparel (not required, if desired) and take to the streets for the third  annual World Naked Bike Ride in NYC.  The event is not only an effort to decry the dangers that a robust automobile industry creates for our environment, it is also to raise awareness over the vulnerability of bikers on the road.  Though the event may sound disruptive in nature, with some wondering if the true purpose is to halt traffic, WNBR resoundingly says “No!” It is to proudly boast the opposite. “We [Bikers] are traffic!”, damnit.

This is not the first run-in for nudity and non-profit missions, as stripping down in support of a cause has been used for decades as an attention-grabbing tool.  Organizations such as PETA, Lettuce Ladies, and fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs have famously won the bodies of high-profile stars to bare all in support of their particular cause.  Does anyone remember when Miss Baywatch stood in a Stella McCartney boutique window in a G-string to urge celebrities to stop wearing fur for fashion.  I think  the NFL went vegan in her wake.

Now using nudity as a vehicle for social change may not be everyone's favored form, so let it be noted that one is encouraged to express their independence and right to civil liberties in any way they see fit.  However  it is you plan to participate, creators of WNBR urge you to ride, walk, observe, or simply support with a reason.  In fact the homepage strongly suggests the use of body paint, stencils, signs, or just placid little ringlets of ivy falling from a helmet or hairdo to make clear to the by-standing public your most espoused Eco views.

Not much of a tree-hugger? That's Ok. There will be many issues to support.  World Naked Bike Ride is one of the only events that dually promotes pro-nudity and pro-environmentalism, to say nothing of nature and natural's common root.  In learning about this affair, we traced the origins of political bike riding back to Critical Mass, a movement that started in San Fransisco in 1992.  The movement, which has since spread to over 300 cities around the world, began as a mass congregation of riders who wanted to dedicate one day a month to creating a rare and antiquated scene: the presence of more cyclists on the road than cars.