“Save Snowball—Stop Driving!”

Dozens of Bicycle Riding Polar Bears Strike Back at Cars & Global Warming

PDF version

January 12, 2007
Contact: Dan Korn
312-505-9307

For Immediate Release

The polar bears are angry. And they’re coming to Chicago to fight for their home and confront one of the largest sources of global warming—America’s over-reliance on the private automobile. As daily headlines describe how global warming and the melting of the Arctic ice cap are resulting in the widespread drowning of polar bears, the bears have decided to fight back.

“Most Americans probably don’t realize that when they hop in their cars, they are killing us,” said Snowball, a 1,000-pound polar bear who’s headed to Chicago. “Automobiles are a major producer of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming and the destruction of polar bear habitat. Every day, the arctic ice is getting thinner and more polar bears are drowning. The Auto Show offers no real solutions to these problems; instead, it wants Americans to spend more money buying cars and building highways and other car-centric development, and more time driving more miles. Our city, our nation, and our planet deserve better. That’s why we need to SHUT DOWN this orgy of automobile glorification.”

Snow Ball and dozens of his furry friends will join hundreds of Chicago cyclists at Daley Plaza on Saturday, February 10, at 11 am, and ride to the Chicago Auto Show. A peaceful Car Show SHUTDOWN Festival will commence at 12 noon at the Cermak Road Entrance to McCormick Place to save the polar bear habitat.

Car Show SHUTDOWN festivities will include:
      * A Polar Bear Bicycle Parade and Stunt Riding Demonstration!
      * A live performance by the Chicago Car Alarm Symphony!
      * Polar Bears Juggling Mufflers and Snow Tires!
      * Unveiling and test-riding the cheap and non-polluting Vehicles of Tomorrow!

“It’s time to save Snow Ball and all the Polar Bears,” said Dan Korn, a Car Show SHUTDOWN Festival ringleader. “Chicago cyclists are proud to join up with our friends the polar bears to help save their homeland. If we could invest just a bit more to give people reliable, safe, clean transportation options, or encourage more people to take advantage of the alternatives they already have, instead of glorifying cars and promoting even more driving, then maybe we could save Snow Ball and all of the other polar bears, not to mention the lives of some of the 40,000 humans killed in car crashes every year in the U.S.”

In conjunction with the Car Show SHUTDOWN Festivities, pro-polar bear and anti-global warming artists will be celebrating the opening of the 10th Annual Critical Mass Art Show the night before the SHUTDOWN Festival, Friday, Feb. 9, 6:30 pm, at Mercury Cafe, 1505 W Chicago Ave in Chicago.

For more information on the Car Show SHUTDOWN Festival and the Critical Mass Art Show see www.AutoShowShutdown.org or call Dan Korn at 312-505-9307.