If you’re like many who are jumping on trends of zero waste, veganism, minimalism, and green living, you’re probably thinking about how to reduce your footprint on the planet. Adopting a green lifestyle has taken on so many trends that brands and the internet are full of products and information to promote it. And it’s no wonder that millennials (my generation) and younger are taking on these lifestyles to address the challenges of our future with climate change. While I agree that adopting these trends are good for our health and earth, I also think that a bike lifestyle as a main mode of transportation has to be a major focus in adopting a full green lifestyle. Here’s why.
Transportation is inherently linked to climate change. With vehicles accounting for 60 percent of transportation emissions, reducing driving and taking up cycling is an effective solution to climate change. Research shows that over 45 percent of daily vehicle trips are less than three miles long. Those are trips that could easily be made by bike if we have high-quality bicycle infrastructure and increased access to bike share or electric bikes. And with driving being the primary commute mode for over 85 percent of Americans, transportation is climate change.
In America, we have created a built environment that forces people to spend $8,000 a year on a car to access jobs, education, and the things that make life worthwhile – like art, entertainment, and spending time with friends and family. While a better option from fossil fuel cars, not even electric vehicles will change that as a sustainable option. The only thing that will is investing in public and active transportation.
If you’re interested why you should adopt bike transport as as part of a green lifestyle, I’ve rounded up a some really good reasons to start covering the pavement on two wheels.
Bikes are cheaper than cars. For the price of a single car payment, you can buy a well-made bicycle that should outlast most cars. Add a few hundred dollars more for rain gear, lights and accessories, and you have all-weather, anytime transportation.
Bikes have smaller manufacturing footprints compared to cars. All manufactured goods have environmental impact, but bicycles can be produced for a fraction of the materials, energy and shipping costs of a car.
Bikes produce no pollution when riding. Bikes don’t have tailpipes belching poisonous fumes into the atmosphere. They also eliminate the oil, fuel and hydraulic fluids dripped by automobiles onto the road surface — which means less toxic runoff into local waterways.
Bikes save taxpayers money by reducing road wear. A 20-pound bicycle is a lot less rough on the pavement than a two-ton sedan. Every bicycle on the road amounts to money saved patching potholes and resurfacing city streets.
Bicycles are an effective secondary option from a car. Perhaps you’re not in a position to adopt a bicycle as primary transportation. But bikes make great second vehicles. You can literally save thousands of dollars a year using a bicycle for workday commuting and weekend errands in households which might otherwise be forced to maintain two cars.
Cycling for transportation can help weight loss, improve overall well being, and increase production. This is why most enlightened employers are eager to accommodate commuting cyclists. Healthy workers are better workers — and that’s good for the bottom line. The health benefits of regular aerobic exercise are well-known. Depending on your riding style and local road conditions, you could easily burn 600 calories an hour through brisk cycling. Most bike commuters report losing 15 to 20 pounds during their first year in the saddle without changing their eating habits.
A dozen bikes can fit in a single automobile-sized parking place. Parking lots have enormous environmental and financial impact, particularly in urbanized areas. The more bikes you can get on the road, the fewer parking spaces you need to build.
Bikes don’t burn fossil fuels. Cycling will keep a lid on petroleum demand and reduce emissions. A healthy bike culture will help ease pressure on supply and keep fossil fuels in the earth where they belong.
Biking is faster and more efficient than car rides. Bikes are faster than cars in urban areas, especially when city designers have set aside proper bike lanes. There’s nothing more satisfying as a bicycle commuter than breezing past a long line of gridlocked traffic.
Bicycles provide mobility for those who may not qualify or afford to drive. Not everyone can get a driver’s license (or wants one), and the cost of purchasing, insuring and maintaining a car is out of reach for a lot of people. Almost everyone can afford some sort of bike. Other than walking, bicycles are the most cost-effective transportation on the planet.
The reasons to adopt a bike lifestyle are far and many, but to help convince you, these are some great reasons to dust off that bicycle in your garage and think about how to reduce emissions. While I personally am not perfect and know it’s not possible for every family to adopt a full on bike life, I know people and families who have and will be sharing their stories and more about how we have adopted a bike life even while living in the woods, suburbs, and cities.