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When it Comes to the Planet, Bicycling
Soars
By Dugan Meyer
Anyone who regularly braves the crowded highways and streets of
Chicagoland knows well the inconvenience and frustration brought
on by traffic, and the problem is only getting worse.
From 1980 to 2000, the rate of new automobiles added to the U.S.
fleet actually outpaced the growth of the human population. By 2002,
there were more cars than drivers in the United States. Unfortunately,
the ever-growing number of cars is much more than just a nuisance
— automobiles negatively impact the quality of the air we
breathe and are a major contributor to global warming.
Solving our transportation problems is absolutely essential for
saving our environmental resources and creating a more sustainable
society. One of the first steps toward that goal is embracing cleaner,
healthier alternatives to automobiles – like bicycles –
to meet our transportation needs.
Although environmental sustainability is just one of the personal
and social benefits of bicycling, it is significant for our society
today.
Other transportation modes such as automobiles simply don’t
contend with bicycling when it comes to the relative impact on air
quality and climate change. For every gallon of gas used by an automobile,
a staggering 20 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution is released into
our atmosphere.
Even the most fuel-efficient automobiles on the market are not perfectly
efficient, and despite burning less fuel per person, carpooling
and public transportation systems still pollute our atmosphere.
Riding a bicycle, however, is 100 percent emissions-free. And while
long-distance trips may not always be feasible by bicycle, just
using one for short trips can save hundreds of pounds of pollution
from entering our atmosphere each year.
In addition to reducing harmful fuel emissions, bicycles play an
important role in a wider effort to make our society more sustainable.
Bicycling promotes better community planning by encouraging more
condensed, community-oriented neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods where residents can walk and bicycle from place to
place instead of isolating themselves in automobiles are neighborhoods
of greater interaction and understanding.
This type of planning also reduces sprawl, allows for the preservation
of open lands, and cuts back on the amount of paved areas in our
cities.
More automobiles require more paved space. In fact, for every five
cars added to our roads, an area the size of a football field must
be covered with asphalt. Even when not in use, automobiles require
parking spaces or structures, not to mention the extensive infrastructure
essential for their sale and maintenance.
Bicycling also reduces noise pollution and congestion, ultimately
leading to a better quality of life for the whole community.
Bicycling is great for our health, our communities and our environment.
The
Illinois League of Conservation Voters is proud to work with
the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to make Chicago a safer, more
accessible city for bicyclists.
Dugan Meyer is from the Illinois League of Conservation Voters.
The Illinois League of Conservation Voters actively support candidates
who promote sustainable economic development and oppose candidates
who vote for anti-environmental legislation.
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