Every minute you’re on your bike is a minute you aren’t driving a car or playing
video games. And those minutes add up. Consider these points.
- The U.S. could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips. In 2003, cars idling in traffic wasted 5 billion gallons of fuel. 1
- 60% of the pollution created by automobile emissions happens in the first few minutes of operation, before pollution control devices can work effectively. 1
- 24% of all trips are made within a mile of the home, 40% of all trips are made within two miles of the home, and 50% of the working population commutes five miles or less to work – distances that can sometimes be easily covered on the right bike. 1
- Staying home and playing video games uses tons of electricity – about 16 billion kilowatt-hours per year. That’s enough to power the city of San Diego for a year. And that’s just power consumed by video game consoles in this country. It doesn’t even count all the trips to the fridge you’d make while playing. 2
- So you see, riding isn’t just great exercise and a lot of fun. It’s also good for the planet – as long as you ride where you’re supposed to. Click here to find a bike trail near you.
1 source: 1World2Wheels.org - Opens New Window
2 source: NRDC issue paper November 2008, Lowering the Cost of Play, NRDC.org - Opens New Window
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