FARMINGTON -- Expect to see more bikes on Farmington streets today as the University of Maine at Farmington encourages the community, faculty, staff and students to peddle to work and to school as part of the 4th annual Bike Day.

At noon, Assistant Geology Professor Douglas Rausch will lead any interested bicyclists on a 2.5 mile bike tour around town to look at unusual geological formations that trace back to eras when the region was under water, under ice, had become hot, dry tundra and also had a tropical clime.

Also at noon, free bike tune-ups will be provided by the staff of Northern Lights Sports & Hearth on the campus green in front of Mantor Library.

The idea behind bike day is to promote the awareness that dependency on a finite resource -- petroleum, which creates carbon dioxide as a by-product -- may destabilize the climate system, Rausch said.

"Using less petroleum would make this precious resource last long enough to transition to a post-petroleum economy," he said. "And it would slow the rate of carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere enough to prevent an abrupt climate change."

The climate system has been stable for ten thousand years but is known to behave erratically when "forced" or disrupted, he said.

"The gravest concern is that carbon emissions may force a climate change too abrupt for modern civilization to adapt," according to a brochure Rausch will be giving to participants.

"How do we end our drug-like addiction to fossil energy? Stash your keys and hop on a bike," he said.

"Bikes symbolize the intelligent use of inexpensive, low-impact technology to simultaneously fulfill transportation and physical and mental health needs," Rausch said.

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com