Ban the Bike – Save the Environment

Ban the Bike – Save the Environment June 23, 2008

Filed under: environment, green, health, transportation — Verda Vivo @ 5:00 am
Tags: aging, bicycles, bicycling, electric scooter, Human powered transportation, Karl Ulrich, Longevity, public health

If you take the premise that we (as in people, humans, us, you and me) are damaging the environment, then living longer may not be a prospect we should look forward to. The longer we live, the more energy we consume thereby inflicting more damage upon the world. According to Karl T. Ulrich of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, cyclists increase their longevity by 10.6 days for every year of cycling. His concern is that “the energy cost of increased longevity offsets the energy savings of human-powered transportation”.

His argument is based on the following premises:

Bicycles can substitute for trips by single-occupant automobiles. This reduces energy consumption, even taking into account the energy required to provide for the increased need for food by pedal pushers.
A substantial increase in the use of bicycles would engage a substantial number of currently sedentary people in physical activity.
Physical activity by previously sedentary individuals increases their longevity, and therefore their overall energy consumption.
There may be little net environmental benefit associated with an increase in the use of bicycles.

Now, I don’t know about you but I just don’t think substantial numbers of “previously sedentary individuals” are suddenly going to take up biking. No, these are the folks who idle their car for 10 minutes while waiting for your parking spot that is 3 feet closer to the store. Or, better yet, will park in the fire lane because they are just going to pop into the store for “just a second”. Does Professor Ulrich really think that the same folks who will borrow grandma’s handicapped sign so they can park closer to the door are going to pedal themselves anywhere? Maybe he thinks the foks who use the drive through at a fast food joint are suddenly going to switch to pedal power. I don’t think so.

Maybe we could get these folks to switch to an electric scooter to save gas and energy. According to Professor Ulrich, this is the best of both worlds. There are no health benefits to offset the substantial environmental benefits.