Save the World. Ride a Bike.

(This is a post I did for the Idaho Drinking Liberally Website http://idahofalls.drinkingliberally.org/ )

This blog entry title may sound trite but it is something I honestly believe. Hear my case please. There are a few issues that most progressive liberals care deeply about. We pay attention to the candidates' stands and voting records on these issues: energy independence (that would negate the need to declare war on oil-rich nations), health care, the environment.

Energy independence First some facts. All gas stations in America have Middle East oil as a significant proportion of their source crude. According to the Dept. of Transporation, the average fuel efficiency of our US automotive fleet is 22.9 MPG for a passenger car and 16.2 for a 4X4. A barrel of oil contains 42 gallons and makes about 19.5 gallons of gasoline. US gasoline consumption of 320,500,000 PER DAY, which works out to be 3,700 gallons per second 24/7. Every year America's oil consumption increases. US has 5% of world population yet we consume approximtely 45% of the world's gasoline. Most amazing of all is that in spite of all these readily available statistics and the ever-increasing price per gallon (which, by the way, adjusted for inflation is dirt cheap, so quit complaining) US demand increases every year. These statistics are a bit dated (2005) and were found on http://www.gravmag.com/oil.html

Save the world, you say? Yes. Every time you ride your bike or walk in leiu of driving you deprive Exxon of a portion of your portion of its $1,300 per second profit. As well, you relieve the US of the need to purchase approximately one barrel of oil for every 20 miles you ride. This is no small hill of beans, so to speak. If every able person in the US walked or rode his/her bike once per week instead of drive it would be a substinative effort and the effects would be apparent in the oil industry's bottom line.

Health Care An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is an appropriate metaphorical adage when talking about America's health in light of the fact that obesity is at an all time high. The dire health issues related to being over weight are constantly in the news and there is no denying them. It is also a fact that a higher percentage of people without health care are over weight. This is related to poverty and lack of education, of course. 1 out of 4 adults and 1 out of 5 children in the US are obese. We diet, swear-off, give-up, binge and purge, make resolutions, fast, obsess, lipo-suck our colletcive thighs, join gyms and are still miserably fat. Hmmm. How can this be? I could not find any statistics that can directly supports my notion that riding a bike instead of driving will absolutely, positively keep you thinner. BUT on my recent trip to Belgium where about 75% of the population walk, ride bikes and don't own cars I saw nary an obese person. Even plump was scarce. Go figure.
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Environment This should be a no-brainer, yet people, even liberals, are not changing their habits en masse when it comes to driving. Sorry, more facts. I see a lot of Honda Accords on the road so I will pick on this car. A 2006 Accord gets about 26 MPG and produces about 6.5 tons of CO2, based on 12,000 miles per year. We Idahoans tend to drive a lot more than that; no light rail lines or bike paths to speak of, everything is far away. Another environmental disaster that does not get nearly as much press is the hundreds of thousands of miles of petroleum based pavement laid down each year for the infrastructure needed to support our auto habit. Not to mention the accompanying habitat destruction inherant in the process. Hey, bike paths don't even need pavement, crushed stone will suffice. AND one of the many environmental bonuses of riding your bike is that you will buy ( i.e. consume) less stuff (since it is more difficult to carry and it is likely miles out of the way) , thus you will produce less garbage, thus you will be more environmentally sound.

It just so happens that these are all what I would deem quality-of-life-issues. What could improve the peace and harmony of the world more than the cessation of the constant whine of the combustion engine? I suggest that the time is now to make other arrangements for the future of our transportation needs and that the humble bicycle should play a crucial role. I am attaching the link of a video that shows that it is not a far-fetched, unrealistic dream I have. There is a bicycle culture alive and thriving in other parts of the world. They've got a good thing going and so can we. http://www.vimeo.com/472819

(Disclaimer: I vouch for none of my statistics. I simply googled the subject and picked what looked like the most objective sources. In other words I ignored the "green facts" presented on General Motors and Exxon sponsored websites. Call me paranoid, but they seemed like dubious sources.)