In the UK there is a huge surge in the number of cyclists on the road. The trend towards cycling is a result of people’s growing concern for their own health, the environment and their wallet. This is right in-line with the movement towards going veg*n.
Just as there are several shades of veg*n – vegans, vegetarians, lacto-veggies, pescetarian, etc – there’s a brand of cyclist that can suit us all. Fair weather cyclist who only get on their bike when the sun is shining are lucky because they don’t have to buy wet weather and cold weather gear. The commuter cyclist gets to set their own travel hours, no more waiting on a late bus or forcing your way onto an overcrowded train. The Sunday shopper can leisurely roll down the road with a fashionable basket to carry all your goodies from the shops. The off-road or mountain biking enthusiast get to commune with nature while playing. And the 365-cyclists, those who make cycling a way of life and not just a leisure activity, have got their healthy lifestyle sorted.
By cycling you’re helping to reduce your carbon footprint – it’s simple the less you drive, the less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere to contribute to the overall global warming.
Increasing levels of CO2 have made for an increase in adverse weather conditions like killer tsunamis and hurricanes as well as devastating heatwaves. Global warming is not only taking it’s toll on the human population but the animal world as a whole.
- In Canada global warming has caused ice breaks to happen earlier and earlier, resulting in polar bears losing weight and getting weaker due to their decreased hunting time.
- Fish stocks in southern England have started migrating further and further north in an attempt to reestablish their natural habitat.
- And in Costa Rica both the golden toad and the harlequin frog have disappeared completely.
Still need further convincing? Then let’s talk money. A decent new bike will cost you roughly £300, whereas a new car will cost you an average of £14 000 – I don’t think I need to highlight just how much of a savings this works out to be. Short journeys are harder on your engine than longer ones would be – so making regular short trips to the shops or to your kids school means you’ll be spending more on maintaining and repairing your engine. And the fewer journeys you’re making the more money you’re spending on fuel. There is an estimate that by eliminating all trips under 2 miles can result in an annual savings of over £600 or roughly $1000.
Furthermore, those same 2 mile trips that are saving your heaps will also have you burning up over 100 calories per 15 minute trip.
If you’re completely new to cycling or if you haven’t been on a bike since you were a little boy or girl then you may want to bolster your confidence before you tackle urban cycling. This is easy enough by joining a group ride that’s being lead by a more experienced cyclist, or if you’ve got a friend ask them to let you tag along on a leisurely weekend ride. Cycling is a great way to get outdoors and have a bit of fun with family and friends or completely on your own. Vegans tend to be more concerned about the world around them and cycling is just one more way to show you care not only about your life and your world but the world we’re leaving behind for future generations.
3 Comments
wilbert robichaud (1 comments)
January 5, 2010 at 10:33 amI have no problem with living cleaner and healthier. But we must do it for the right reasons.
example : “Increasing levels of CO2 have made for an increase in adverse weather conditions”…. were does this statement comes from?
2: ” Fish stocks in southern England have started migrating further and further north in an attempt to reestablish their natural habitat.” Why are they moving North? Fish are like any other living things they will follow the food supply or migrates.
” And in Costa Rica both the golden toad and the harlequin frog have disappeared completely.”
Nature.. ” Available data support the hypothesis of multiple introductions of this invasive pathogen into South America and subsequent spread along the primary Andean cordilleras.” http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0060072
You read that right, they found no evidence to support the hypothesis that climate change is behind the outbreaks of the disease (killer fungus)that is causing the frog die-offs.
and then we get this… ” (May 18, 2006) — Researchers exploring a Colombian mountain range found surviving members of a species of Harlequin frog believed extinct due to a killer fungus wiping out amphibian populations in Central and South America.” ..In 2006?? and 4 years latter it still has not been corrected? Why not?
janesky (1 comments)
January 8, 2010 at 9:09 amthere is nothing wrong if one want to live a simple life. Simple living means clean living . But i am not saying that technology is the main and only reason of population or illness in this world. Sometimes people don’t or forgot to take care of their health. Because we are not responsible.
Chia (324 comments)
February 17, 2010 at 9:05 pmThat’s an awesome looking bike. I bet it rides great. Would be a sweet world if we all lived in bike friendly cities and towns.
Unfortunately, most places in the United States are designed for car use and not very bike friendly. Big SUVs have tried to honk and run me off the road before, and it’s no fun to ride with cars and inhale all the exhaust. Sigh.