text: After giving a demonstration and providing a detailed explanation of the bike's gears and how the bike generally works, I was confident I had a made a good choice of tour. I packed the pouch on my bike with my reusable water bottle, phone and whatever else I think I'd need along the way. However, packing a snack would have come in handy as I had worked up an appetite after riding for the first hour. I was also provided with a blue-tooth earphone so Mike could guide this newbie and we set off on our journey to Cooper's Island Nature Reserve.
  Riding from St. George's to St. David's we encountered some traffic, but it wasn't long before we were on bike trails and back roads to avoid the traffic. Also, there isn't too much vehicular traffic in St. David's and none at Cooper's Island, for good reason. We were taking bike paths and back roads I never knew existed. Cooper's Island is the epic unspoiled natural attraction. Clearwater Beach and Turtle Bay are the more well-known beaches, but you would be remiss not visit the beaches, which have been kept immaculate, and located off the beaten path. I was getting accustomed to operating an electric bike and my tour guide was patient with this electric bike novice. At least about 20 minutes into the ride, I was changing gears correctly and even operating the electric throttle like a boss ​.
  We stopped on the way to admire the scenery. Castle Harbour waters were shimmering in a gorgeous aqua colour on this day. It was just stunning. There are many opportunities to stop and stretch your legs and trust me, the tour is set at a maximum of 2 hours for a reason. Don't get me wrong, the seats on these bikes are way softer than any bike I've ever ridden, but after 2 hours of riding, you'll start to notice that you are sitting on a bike seat. The next day, amazingly, I wasn't sore! ​
  There is much more to the Nature Reserve than its beaches. It features a Wildlife Observation Tower, which provides the perfect vantage point to watch for birds, whales and other wildlife. Inside the Observation Tower are posters highlighting the types of fauna, flora and other wildlife you will see in the area. ​
  Fun! I'll say it again, it was fun! In Mike's words, "they sell fun" and they definitely delivered. Getting to the destination is fun and no matter how far you ride the fun continues as you won't be angst about having to ride back. Electric bikes are game changers! They allow you to go further and explore more. That is a winner for me! Electric bikes are great for any fitness level. I didn't need anything too strenuous when I'm just trying to chill and explore, so this tour was perfect. I also like the idea that this tour is accessible to seniors.
  Mike is a local and has deep family roots in St. George's and his establishment provides employment for other employees who are all local. While not a historic bike tour, they are in the process of developing a "Self-Guided Tour" app to allow customers to explore all three tour routes with audio guidance, map and a brief history. Understanding that social distancing may be with us for a while, the App will give their customers the same tour route and guidance with the benefit of moving at their own pace. Their goal is to release the App by the Spring of 2021.
  This tour was tons of fun, and honesty, I felt like a kid again. As an added bonus, it was also sustainable. For islands that depend on tourism, sustainability is key and just as islands rely on tourism dollars, islands equally rely on their natural and cultural assets to sustain their tourism industries. Bermuda is no different. This activity is a great way to see the island and I felt confident knowing that it was an activity that had a low impact on the environment and producing carbon emissions was optional, only if I decided to take advantage of the electric battery.
  The other reason this activity is great for sustainability is that it is an activity that can be enjoyed year-round. Islands like Bermuda are popular for beach vacations. The downside to travelling in this way is that it can lead to seasonal travel which is when too many tourists visit the destination at the same time which can lead to tourism becoming unsustainable. In addition to Bermuda's beaches being available to enjoy year-round, this is also an activity that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Travelling during slower periods when there are fewer tourists also adds to the economic stability of the destination, and you'll avoid the crowds!
  They are offering locals weekend rental family discounts at half price. Family of four-day bike rental (4+ hours) is normally $240 has been reduced to only $120.
  
  Scientists say that the melting permafrost and the cryosphere’s destruction might lead to massive flooding in the Arctic and Siberian regions of Russia in the next 20 years, as well as foster the resuscitation of dormant pathogens and the destruction of vital infrastructure.
  Maria Ananicheva is a glaciologist, but her work’s focus – glaciers – are gradually disappearing all over the world, including Russia, where permafrost covers two-thirds of the country.
  Russia’s permafrost zone has about 48,000 miles of roads and railroad tracks, as well as 91 airports, said Svetlana Vorontsova, vice president of the company, Transport Integration. The current climatic warming increases the risk of the destruction of buildings and roads, said the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology.
  Glaciers do not react to climate changes right away, Ananicheva said. First, they accumulate heat, and only then is there a visible reaction. In other words, even if mankind manages to curtail the rise in global temperatures, the glaciers’ degradation is likely to continue.