Source: http://ecoworldly.com
Written by Gavin Hudson
“The popularity of bicycles as gasoline prices hit the roof is on a
remarkable rise in many US cities,” observes Kenya correspondant, Sam
Aola Ooko.
“During the week of 3 June to 9 June,” writes Sam, “in San
Fransisco, the price for a gallon of regular is now US$ 4.73, in
Washington, DC it is US$ 4.21 while in Wilmington it is US$ 4.40. But
how much does it cost to ride around these days? The answer is zero, as
it has always been.”
Associated Press Writer, James Macpherson, agrees. “Bicycle shops
across the country are reporting strong sales so far this year, and
more people are bringing in bikes that have been idled for years,” he writes.
Bicycling with even light effort (10-12 miles per hour) burns 400-500 calories an hour. To shape her legs for the Miss Universe competition, Miss Korea, Lee Ji-seon, started getting her workouts on a bicycle. Apparently, Miss Universe 2007, Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico, is of a similar mind. She cycled through Mexico City in support of replacing cars with bicycles.
EcoWorldly’s UK correspondant, Pem Charnley, connects bicycling with
solving the obesity problem in England: “I think, in all honesty, that
the UK has come to the realisation that we’ve collectively reached
critical mass around the waistline. Every time the news reports that
we’re the most overweight in the European Union, pride and roars of
approval sweep the land. It’s all we have left since we gave Hong Kong
back.
“Devon is an incredibly picturesque county,” he adds, “and it seems
an absolute waste to be constantly watching soccer on the TV, when
outside lies the undulating greenery of England.”
From generating human-powered home electricity to pumping water,
modified bicycles have the power to do more than get you from point A
to point B.
“The Engineering for Developing Communities (EDC) program at the
University of Colorado at Boulder developed a prototype of a human
powered bicycle for pumping water in communities where electricity is
unavailable,” reports United States correspondant, Nayelli Gonzalez.
“Their model was able to pump at a maximum of 18 feet below ground, at
2.5 gallons per minute.”
In Reggio Emilia, Italy, the “BiciBus” brings teachers, students,
and parents together for bicycle commuting to and from schools.
“The BiciBus is a ‘two-wheeled bus,’” writes Italy correspondant,
Eva Pratesi. “It consists of a group of students who go to and come
back from school guided by volunteers by bicycle (parents,
grandparents, teachers…). The students go to the route with their
bicycles; they wait for the volunteers and the group and go on together
toward the school.
BiciBus is preceded and supported by workshops and technical
analysis in the classrooms to educate to sustainable mobility, traffic
safety and bicycle knowledge. It’s also possible to organize school
trips by bicycle an evening meetings with experts directed to the
families in order to talk about health, sustainable mobility and
safety.”
In Australia, a similar community bicycling program offers a similar program for adults as well. Cyclists can join the “Bike Bus,” a regularly scheduled commute with fixed routes and two commuting speeds: social and express.
San Francisco, California, has a third option. Though not as organized as a community bike bus program, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition can pair cyclists with “bike buddies” to share knowledge and tips or commute together to work.
In wealthy countries, cycling has been adopted by all echelons of
society. In fact, the word “cyclist” tends to conjure the image of a
upper-middle class athletic type with an expensive carbon fiber bike,
spandex outfit, and bicycle shoes. However, in poorer countries, people
who have adopted driving as a social status often equate bicycling with
poverty.
“Bicycling in Chiang Mai, Thailand, like in many developing country
cities, is regarded with disdain because it supposedly reveals low
economic status,” writes Thailand correspondant Masimba Biriwasha.
“Many people are reluctant to turn to bicycles because of the social
attitudes that demean human powered modes of transportation, including
walking.”
EcoWorldly’s Sam Aola Ooko, adds, “In Nairobi, Kenya where I live,
not many of those who drive here switch to bicycles, because bikes are
regarded as [being useful only to] poorly paid factory who cannot
afford the US $1 daily bus fare commuting to and from work.”
“In order for cycling to become an everyday reality in this city,”
concludes Masimba, “the society will have to undergo major paradigm
shifts at the attitudinal, city planning and policy making levels.”
Perhaps that shift can begin one bicyclist at a time.
Again, Sam Aola Ooko in Kenya: “In Africa, versatility is everything
and depending on where you are, a bicycle can be a large farm truck or
an ambulance saving lives deep in the African jungle.”
But, as Sam cautions, be careful to select a comfortable seat and have it properly adjusted by a professional bike mechanic.
There is a strong and increasingly clear connection
between car exhaust and life-threatening lung conditions. In South
Korea, where I live, the number of deaths from lower respiratory
conditions nearly doubled from 1992 to 2002. Worldwide, the World
Health Organization estimates
that 3 million people a year die from diseases related to air
pollution. And this isn’t just in far-off countries. It includes
Americans, Chinese, French, South Koreans, etc. In South Korea, asthma
in particular is becoming more common. Currently, 3.9% of the
population as a whole suffers from asthma. This number grows to around
12% for young children and the elderly.
Australia correspondant, Ross Kendall:
“Cycling currently saves the government $227.2 million per year in
health costs. The report is called Cycling: Getting Australia Moving
and was written by academics from several leading Australian
universities on behalf of the Federal Department of Health and Ageing.”
Despite the potential savings in dollars, health, and lives,
Australia — like most countries — could stand to significantly improve
its support of bicyclists. Still, Ross notes that “big cities have shown increases in bicycle traffic as has the country overall.”
Carectomy’s Josh Liberles adds
“2007 marks the eighth consecutive year that bicycle sales have trumped
the car market in Australia, with 1.47 million bicycles sold. In
addition to the rise in sales, there’s also an increase in the amount
people are riding. Cycling is currently the nation’s 4th most popular
form of exercise and there has been a 17% increase in participation
since 2001. Work commutes by bicycle in Melbourne have increased by a
startling 42% in the same time, with a 22% increase across Australia.”
Therefore, an urban area developed for bicycles and pedestrians
would be able to replace road area with businesses, walkways, and
parks. For a perfect illustration, just take a look at this image. Now just imagine the impracticality of replacing every bicycle in China with a car.
Again, EcoWorldly’s Eva Pratesi:
“With a population of about 400,000 inhabitants and a traffic density
that affects the historical center, Florence is a city where bicycling
is not a choice. Every day a continual coming and going of students and
workers flows slowly in the city-center riding for kilometers. Cradle
of new Humanism under the Medici Dynasty, Florence preserves today the
ancient charm that bikers can appreciate moving towards their
destinations.”
“Peruvians also are masters at modifying their bicycles in creative
ways,” writes Peru correspondant, Levi Novey, “so that they can be used
to transport goods and tools for their work and businesses. Fruits,
vegetables, construction materials, ice cream, meat, bananas, pets, and
countless other items can be transported by bicycle, when a cart has
been added. Unlike in the United States though, these aren’t your
everyday bicycle carts.”
Swiss correspondant, Mark Seall, writes, “A bicycle, I once read
somewhere, is the most efficient form of human transport ever
developed. Coupled with the fact that bicycles are relatively cheap and
trouble free, and suffer few of the traffic problems that dog other
forms of transport it’s no wonder that cycling has never been more
popular.”
But Mark is quick to add that bicyclists should be respectful of
pedestrians. Indeed, it’s important for all cyclists to remember that
in most places a bicycles follows the same rules of the road as any
other vehicle. Check with your local bicycling group or city government
to learn more about the rules of bicycling in your area.
12. Bicycling could save the average American at least $250,000.
According to Motor Trend and the American Institute for Economic Research,
the average American car-owner can expect to pay between $240,704 and
$349,968 during his driving lifetime. These figures will increase with
the price of fuel and the rising cost of the vehicles themselves.
A bicycle can serve your transportation needs for commuting,
shopping, and getting around town. Urbanites who are well acquainted
with the frustration of paying parking tickets and towing fines will
also find that bicycles are an excellent solution. Of course, you’ll
still need that fuel: the occasional sandwich or cup of coffee will do
nicely.
13. A bicycle crash alone isn’t likely to kill you.
In a sobering perspective on health, over 42,000 people die each year (1 million, worldwide) in the United States and some 2.8 million are injured as a result of automotive accidents. Another 70,000 lives are claimed each year in the United States from medical conditions associated with air pollution (3 million,
worldwide). Therefore, for personal safety and the health and safety of
others, giving up the car keys is extremely important. As anyone who
has experienced a car accident will tell you, car crashes can happen to
anyone, not just bad or drunk drivers.
14. Bicyclists breathe in less air pollution.
Various studies
indicate that bicyclists breathe in less air pollution, making cycling
an even more healthy activity. Of course, bicycles emit no air
pollution themselves, which ensures cleaner air and better lung health
for everybody.
15. Bicycles are zero-emission vehicles.
Bikes get an infinite number of miles to the gallon of gas. Now
that’s hard to beat! Bicycling emits no greenhouse, ozone, or any
gasses of any sort. Cycling, therefore, is an excellent way for all of
us to stand up to Global Warming, ozone thinning, acid rain, and other
negative effects of air pollution that come in part from automobiles.
If everyone bicycled or rode on public transit instead of driving, the
United States could instantly cut about 30% of its air pollution in a single stroke.
16. Bicycling provides a social network.
In contrast to the irritation many car owners feel for other
drivers, bicyclists are by and large a supportive community. In many
cities, bicycle advocacy groups help to bring bicyclists together. The
groups also lobby to add bicycle lanes, improve roads, promote
education about bicycling, and support clean air initiatives. These
groups generally also offer a wonderful and vibrant sense community for
bikers with regular social events and advocacy opportunities. Some
examples of bicycle groups such as these are the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, MassBike (Massachusetts), the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, and Bike New York.
17. By fostering energy independence, bicycling voids incentives for oil wars.
In countries like the United States, fossil fuels maintain a strong
grip on the national economy and psyche. Access to oil is a strong
incentive for territorial conflicts and even large international wars.
It has been widely suggested, for example, that access to oil
was one of the key motivators behind the U.S. invasion of the country
of Iraq. Bicycling removes the incentive for these violent conflicts,
thus helping to cure what has become known in the United States as an
“addiction to oil.”
