Biking is not just an engaging activity you use to teach your kid how to balance. Bikes show they have a variety of benefits, ranging from health benefits by providing riders with a fun, simple way to get in their daily essential exercise to economic benefits like saving major moolah on gas and car repair costs. These little two-wheeled powerhouses also have the ability to combat the dire effects of global warming that are ever-so-prevalent in today’s consumeristic society.
How, might you ask? It’s as easy as 1-2-3. No, literally.
1. No fuel is required for biking.
2. The amount of energy used to manufacture a bike is exponentially less compared to that of a car.
3. Bicycles do not need toxic batteries/ motor oil.
Wait, so how does that translate to decreasing global warming? In short, the release of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) into the air traps solar energy in the atmosphere, raising global temperatures. Global warming (or climate change, however you want to call it) occurs naturally, but humans and their expenditure of resources also play a significant role. No, we cannot reverse the effects of global warming, nor can we stop it, but we do have the power to slow our expenditure!
Here’s a fun fact: you can help save your planet for only a 10 mile ROUND TRIP commute 5 days per week for a year! Just check out the average amount of CO2 emissions such a small trip cost our dear environment in the table below.
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Now to put America’s CO2 emissions in perspective: on average, one American citizen produces three times as much CO2 emissions as a person in (the relatively, but not exorbitantly bike-friendly) France. Pretty sad, huh?
So, what can we do about it? Sure, we are seeing a natural shift as the majority of bike riders in the U.S. are students, and we can only hope they continue to inspire future generations, but there are other ways to be proactive. If you look at the infrastructure in major cities like Portland, commonly referred to as America’s biking capital, compared to cities like Detroit, the amount of cyclists dwindles substantially. The availability of resources— or lack thereof— discourages bike usage. Social norms also impose a disadvantage to cycling popularity. While biking is more normalized and a huge part of the culture in Europe, it is not reciprocated here in the U.S.
For more shocking biking factoids, visit: http://peopleforbikes.org/our-work/statistics/statistics-category/?cat=environmental-statistics#bicycling-the-environment
Krissy Gear
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