The Green Party in North Down is organizing a cycle from Holywood to Bangor this weekend to mark Earth Day (Saturday 19th April 2008).

The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970 and has become an annual event for people around the world to celebrate the earth and renew commitments to building a safer, healthier and cleaner world for all. April 22 is now viewed as the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement.

Green Party MLA Brian Wilson said: “Earth Day highlights that green politics is an international affair, a world movement. Green issues are now setting the political agenda around the world.”

The North Down Greens are using the event to highlight the lack of a cycle lane along the A2 between Holywood and Bangor, to encourage people who have never voted to register and to become a little bit greener by making an Earth Day Pledge.

Green Party co-chair Dr. John Barry said: “An Earth Day Pledge could be anything that helps the environment, like using energy efficient light bulbs or growing vegetables in your back garden. North Down was the first constituency to return a Green Party MLA and now it will the first area of Northern Ireland to celebrate Earth Day.”

Anyone interested is being asked to gather at the top of Hibernia Street in Holywood, Co. Down at 1.30pm. The cycle to Bangor will begin at 2pm, the event ends at the train station in Bangor at 3pm