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Earth911 is honoring Earth Day’s 52 years of inspiring motion with 52 Actions for the Earth. Each week from Earth Day 2022 to Earth Day 2023, we are going to share an motion you may take to spend money on the Earth and make your individual life extra sustainable.
This week, you may spend money on the Earth by using a motorbike.
Action: Bike to Work
Transportation Impacts
Transportation contributes greater than 1 / 4 of all U.S. greenhouse gasoline emissions – that’s greater than some other exercise. North America’s automobile tradition ensures that we’ve got the largest per capita carbon emissions outdoors of the oil-producing Middle Eastern international locations. On common, Americans drive 13,474 miles per year — equal to greater than 4 round-trip drives from New York to Dallas — in vehicles that average 25 mpg. Not many life-style modifications might scale back our environmental influence as a lot as driving fewer miles.
Bike to Work Day
National Bike to Work Day is a undertaking of the League of American Bicyclists. It takes place on the third Friday in May within the United States (May 20 this yr) on the finish of Bike to Work Week, which is a part of the bigger Bike Month celebration that lasts all through the month of May. (In Denver, they do their very own factor on June 22). While the League is impressed extra by a love of biking than a selected environmental curiosity, the month-long celebration of Bike Month gives assist and encouragement that can assist you get on a motorbike a minimum of as soon as.
And there isn’t any query that biking is a extra environmentally pleasant solution to get round. It doesn’t simply lower down on automobile emissions. Cycle-friendly cities are safer; in cities like Seattle, the presence of bicycle lanes has even been proven to reduce vehicle collisions that don’t contain bicycles. Cycling contributes $261 million in public well being financial savings every year simply within the city of Copenhagen, which is famously bike-friendly. In addition to being more healthy, cyclists are decreasing extra than simply transportation emissions, as a result of getting sick has an enormous carbon footprint.
Lasting Change
You may bike each day for a month, each day of Bike Week, or simply on May 20. Maybe this weekend your motion is simply to dig your bike out of the storage and provides it a tune-up so it’s able to go the following time you are feeling like giving it a strive. Whatever motion you begin with, you’ll solely make a dent in your transportation footprint in case your motion this week helps to make a daily change. But don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t convert you to a full-time cycle commuter. You may find yourself biking each day however solely in summer season; or biking to work as soon as every week. If your work is simply too far to bike, possibly you may bike so far as the practice station. Or select a unique frequent automobile journey to switch with biking.
If biking is bodily not potential for you, get creative with different eco-friendly transportation options like carpooling or taking public transit. Bicycles are one nice transportation methodology, however the level is to decrease your transportation footprint, so use this chance to rethink the way in which you get round.
Tell us about your motion by tagging us @Earth911 on social media. Use the hashtag #EarthAction52 to find different readers’ concepts.
