There's probably nothing here that most of us don't know, but it's nice to see cycling as the topic of David Suzuki's weekly column (which appears in many newspapers).
Kevin Miller k.a.miller@mts.net
_____
From: David Suzuki Foundation [mailto:subscribers@davidsuzuki.org] Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:39 AM
Having trouble reading this email? View it online http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd12cc612feadcd1b7a63f488a0612cc98 d649e7c36b86a320 .
David Suzuki Foundation header http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/20thhead-04.jpg
Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike
dtsbike http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/dtsbike.jpg By David Suzuki
A U.K. man recently built a bicycle entirely out of wood, with no plastic or metal parts. Everything, including the wheels, gears, and seat, are wood. Inventor Michael Thompson, who made the "SplinterBike http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdce389bca770edb6752f7f6a1bdc41d9f 35e16c218553dfda " on a bet with a friend, says it can travel up to 50 kilometres an hour.
What's amazing is that, almost 200 years after the first two-wheeler was made, people are still able to come up with innovative ideas for one of the simplest and most practical and efficient transportation devices ever invented. Even though I'm impressed by Thompson's wooden bike, and by those with bamboo or wood frames, I'll stick with my old metal-frame bike. I'm just happy that cycling is becoming more popular all the time, and that the city where I live, Vancouver, is making life easier for cyclists.
After all, riding a bike is good for your health and the environment. As the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition points out in its promotion of Bike to Work Week (May 30 - June 5 in several Canadian cities), cycling to work is enjoyable, helps you get and stay in shape, and burns off stress. And when you consider gridlock and traffic, it's often as fast as or faster than driving. It's also way more efficient than car travel. According to the WorldWatch http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd7a725db2b7c0035cc5e8568a547e9fb3 e87e53732ceb4e0e Institute, a bicycle needs 35 calories per passenger mile, while a car uses 1,860.
Reducing your need to stop at the gas pump is both good for the environment and for your pocketbook, especially as gas prices continue to rise. Private automobiles create about 12 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, and road transportation in general creates as much as one quarter. Riding a bike doesn't create any emissions. And it's not just gas that costs money. Buying, insuring, and maintaining a car, not to mention paying for parking, costs thousands of dollars a year.
Of course, cycling isn't practical for everyone, and it's not always possible to ride - although I've seen my share of die-hard cyclists even on rare Vancouver snow days. But with proper clothing and gear, many people can ride for most of the year in urban centres. And the money saved from not driving is often enough to pay for public transit or taxis on days when cycling isn't possible.
Our cities will become more livable and our environment cleaner when more people get out of their cars and onto their bikes. But we still have a long way to go in Canada. Only about one per cent of trips are made by bike here (although Vancouver http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd26820283112d7780b1893af92005aeb0 0d3b140b853dd3af is higher, at about four per cent), whereas in many parts of Europe, the number is more than 30 per cent. In Amsterdam, 38 per cent of trips are made by bike, thanks to pro-cycling policies adopted since the 1970s.
Resistance to change is inevitable, and in Vancouver we've seen some backlash against the expanding network of bike lanes. Many people still believe we should be shelling out loads of money for pavement and parking lots so that individual people can propel themselves to work and shopping in a two-tonne emissions-spewing machine. Others have complained that, because the bike lanes were not immediately crammed with cyclists, they're a waste of money and get in the way of cars and business. But as Amsterdam shows, investing in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure eventually pays off in many ways.
As more people take up cycling, it also becomes safer. Although, those who worry about the safety of cycling might be interested in a British Medical Association study that found the health risks of inactivity are 20 times greater than the risks from cycling.
For employers http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd18962cc79cbfb44edd6629d4f4e47aac b0ab2a9f240d68dd , the benefits of encouraging cycling are numerous. A Dutch study found that people who cycle to work take fewer sick days, and research has shown they are generally happier and less stressed. Cyclists can also avoid traffic jams and are not as likely to be late for work. And bike lock-ups cost far less than car-parking facilities.
Whether your bike has a state-of-the-art bamboo frame or is a clunky old off-roader, why not try riding it to work, and not just during Bike to Work week? You'll be happy you did.
Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation editorial and communications specialist Ian Hanington
share on: http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/share.gif http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdfeeebf715c7180e2c4d72a8b17c14837 c1d3bf92d9cde3f9 facebook logo http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0596e0525fb80fdba85550434272265b 565a620db72b6f15 twitter logo
This email was sent to k.a.miller@mts.net Take http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0753c23ff3e558a4b65865dbc3001936 669cfce2bc7fe7d9 Action | Donate http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd2f5e93a01523dcb6ee5e50f9f064ea68 507e3f7c6d0978ed | Unsubscribe http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdb929c68e2ac708f820387bfee6deea15 1d862d4825a00e40 | Privacy http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd596b49828cbc680e758e630ea3e1747b f5cedf19ce9e178a Policy
David http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdc6237878403c8494ad6a4a2c265b10c5 d45d12a057533c3e Suzuki Foundation 219-2211 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6K 4S2 604-732-4228 | contact@davidsuzuki.org
http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/tagline.gif