In our CELL curriculum, we as students lead discussions that are based on teachings from the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI). We talk about how we can improve our lifestyles and develop our communities to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. I lead one such discussion on our current transportation system. There are a lot of factors one has to ponder when improving their mode of transportation with regards to the environment. In this post, I intend to share with you how you can reduce your carbon footprint, specifically through the use of a bicycle.
As an economically driven society, we have answered the dilemma of high CO2 emissions of our cars by developing more efficient hybrid and electric vehicles. But does this response really solve the heart of the issue? Economic vehicle owners statistically drive more than regular vehicle owners as a result of the reduced cost which causes more traffic problems, uses more fuel, and wears the car out more quickly. Additionally, the electricity that charges our electric cars primarily comes from fossil fuels. Therefore, to minimize the car’s footprint on the environment, even its electricity needs to come from environmentally friendly sources whose production still has an environmental footprint associated with it. I could discuss these factors for another few paragraphs and explain which combination of technologies is the most environmentally friendly, or I could tell you a simpler solution: the most ecological mile is the mile not driven.
Bike riding is an excellent alternative to driving, because it promotes a healthy lifestyle, saves money, and connects you with your environment and your community. Unfortunately, many are discouraged to ride their bikes, because it may seem unsafe, there are no designated bike lanes, or it is simply faster to take the car. All of these reasons are products of the way we have built our cities’ infrastructure for the past century.
You can be part of the solution to this problem, and I would like to spend the rest of this post outlining how you can make a difference in the community. Let’s start out with just yourself: By riding your bike to work, you save money, get a workout, and you set an example for car drivers. If you now start animating your co-workers to ride their bikes with you to work, you not only improve workplace relations, you also save their carbon footprint and boost their health. If you have kids, you can have the same environmental, community-building effect for them. By teaching your kids at an early age the importance of bike safety and grow their passion for bike riding, they will learn to respect others on the road and appreciate alternative methods of transportation.
I myself try to maximize the amount of time I spent on my bike. It provides me with a lot of freedom on campus, makes me independent from traffic, and “forces” me to enjoy the outdoors at least twice a day, even in the busiest of times. I often invite friends to visit me by bike and promote communal bike rides as much as I can. Sharing the passion for biking this way has lead many communities to develop towards a bike-friendly infrastructure. The Dutch are a great example of a nation that has realized this change. While Americans only bike for about 1% of their trips, the Dutch spend roughly 27% of their trips on bikes. For decades, they have transformed their country to welcome bicyclists, and now set a positive example to the rest of the world. To learn more about how the Dutch have accomplished this change, I urge you to read the following article which we in the CELL program also read: http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/how-to-make-biking-mainstream-lessons-from-the-dutch
All the best,
Michael