The Flip Side – Volume 4

Climate Strikers Undeterred by COVID-1

While you might think the coronavirus would have temporarily eclipsed the climate crisis, it’s only fired up the protest community. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who appeared on the most recent cover of Rolling Stone, has moved her Friday for Future protests to #ClimateStrikeOnline. [@gretathunberg]

Kashmiri Goats Take Over Welsh Streets

There have been a few reports of wild animals taking advantage of newly empty city streets to expand their terrain. The latest comes from Wales, where a herd of over 100 goats flocked to the town of Llandudno, munching on flowers and vegetation and scaling walls while bored quarantiners looked on from their windows. [BBC]

Face Mask, Gloves, and … Ski Goggles?

With a shortage in personal protective equipment, health care workers have begun strapping on ski goggles. The trend started in Boston, when the owner of a couple New England ski resorts—who happens to be married to a physician’s assistant—got the idea to drum up goggle donations from brands and skiers/riders for local medical centers. [Goggles for Docs]

Same As It Never Was

On a bike ride, former Talking Heads lead singer David Byrne formulated some big picture thoughts about the times we’re all wading through right now. Namely, he says the pandemic has exposed how interconnected we all are, and may help us address future worldwide crises, like climate change. [Reasons to Be Cheerful]

A Must-See Stop Motion Skimo Movie

When a Spanish skier’s freeride trip was cancelled this year, he decided to go skiing at home with a pair of K2s, a selfie stick, and some very creative styling with a sheet. If you’ve got one minute, brighten up your day with his living room adventure. [Philipp Klein Herrero]

Samuel L. Jackson Asks You to Kindly “Stay the F*** at Home”

If you’re a parent, you may be familiar with the children’s book classic, Go the F**k to Sleep, with an audiobook voiced by Samuel L. Jackson. The book’s author, Adam Mansbach, has a new compelling message for the times: Stay the F**k at Home. Jackson recently performed a glorious live reading of the new pandemic poem on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with a simple message about how to respond to the fact that “the ‘rona is spreading.” [Vanity Fair]

Cycling is Trending—Will It Last?

As public transit and carpooling become less-than-ideal options for getting around cities, more people are taking to two wheels. And with far fewer commuters on the roads, empty urban streets have become a cyclist’s oyster. A few cities are even designating additional temporary bike lanes or roads, leading some to wonder if the pandemic-induced cycling boom could be here to stay. [Fast Co.]

Greece Now Welcoming Virtual Visitors

If you don’t have time to do like Ivanka Trump and spend your quarantine reading The Odyssey and learning about Greek mythology, you might have a few minutes to catch a quick glimpse of Greece online. With tourism on an indefinite hiatus, Greece has given would-be visitors access to its many attractions online. From a wine tour to a hike in Meteora and a free yoga class staged in Amorgas, go tour #GreeceFromHome. [Discover Greece]

 

Travel Back in Time With Yvon Chouinard

In 1968, five buddies piled into a van and drove 5,000 miles south to Patagonia, where a virgin summit beckoned: Fitz Roy. Among those friends were Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and The North Face founder Doug Tompkins. Patagonia’s film documenting their mission is now free to stream. Indulge nostalgia for simpler times, road trips with friends, and Type III fun with Mountain of Storms. [The Cleanest Line]