Climate change is real, and it is not very comforting. But, as individuals, how can we make a difference? A more sustainable way of life is relatively simple to accomplish.
We will need to do a lot more riding to prevent climate change. Current and future generations will be destined for a more hostile and less inhabitable planet unless governments take faster and more resolute collective action to reduce global transport CO2 emissions.
Transportation accounts for 24% of worldwide direct CO2 emissions from fuel-burning; road vehicles account for roughly three-quarters of transport emissions, and these figures are not decreasing. In addition to the unsustainable levels of carbon emissions that are wreaking havoc on our planet’s climate, road vehicles are contaminating our air at record levels, killing an estimated 7 million people each year.
Cycling was listed as one of the options to ensure a safe and sustainable environment for everyone, both now and in the future, in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report issued in August 2021. Biking creates zero emissions, has several societal and economic benefits, and is simply one of humanity’s best prospects for a transition to a zero-carbon future.
According to new data, each additional cycling trip reduces life-cycle CO2 emissions by 14%, and each canceled automobile trip reduces CO2 emissions by 62%. Switching from a car to a bicycle saves 150g of CO2 per kilometer, electric cargo bikes lower carbon emissions by 90% compared to diesel vans, and even just one day a week of walking and cycling in cities may reduce your carbon footprint by half a tonne of CO2 over a year. Creating synergies with other forms of transportation, such as long-distance trains, can significantly boost this potential.
Here are three easy things you can do to live a more sustainable life right now.
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1. Go on a bike ride.
Whether going to the farmers market, a compost collection site, a community garden, or dropping off things for donation, riding an electric bicycle instead of driving can help you minimize your carbon footprint. According to the Institute for Transportation Policy, if 14 percent of urban miles traveled worldwide were by bike, carbon emissions would be reduced by 11 percent by 2050.
Do you want to reduce your carbon footprint? The Citi Bike program in New York City has 12,000 bikes available for rent around the city. Citi Bike users have cycled 128 million miles — almost the average distance between Earth and Mars — and offset 120 million pounds of carbon since the program’s inception in 2013.
2. Eat local foods or grow your own.
When you buy groceries, you’re buying goods that have traveled thousands of miles to reach your plate. That long-distance trip not only consumes fossil fuels but also means the food you’re eating isn’t as fresh since it loses nutrients along the way.
A simple solution? Food sourced locally.
Another nearby food source? Your garden! The ability to cultivate your food decreases our reliance on transportation and fossil fuels to bring our food to us. It’s also entertaining to see the process from seedling to plate.
3. Compost and recycle.
When your dinner is finished, please dispose of your food wastes at a local compost collection site, where they will be turned into nutrient-rich soil. According to the EPA, 30 percent of American trash — almost 50 million tons per year — is the yard and food waste that might have been composted.
The use and recycling of bio-based products help limit the quantity of plastic in our seas, landfills, and even our bodies. According to National Geographic, 91 percent of plastic garbage is not recycled. Replace single-use plastic containers with reusable shopping bags and water bottles to limit your plastic use.
Besides, if you need more encouragement, here are some other benefits of cycling:
1. CYCLING BOOSTS CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS
Cardiorespiratory fitness is the efficiency with which your body transports the oxygen you breathe to your muscles throughout an exercise. Athletes with weak cardiorespiratory fitness can exercise for longer and harder than cyclists with solid cardiorespiratory fitness.
The cardiorespiratory system is essential for endurance cyclists who wish to ride longer and faster. People who have cardiorespiratory solid fitness are also less prone to have:
Stroke
Heart disease
Lung cancer
People with poor fitness levels can increase their cardiorespiratory fitness by 30%. In contrast, adults with medium to high fitness levels can show lesser but substantial improvements. Biking provides the same physical advantages to youngsters as it does to adults.
In another research of older and younger persons, stationary cycling resulted in substantial gains in three cardiorespiratory endurance tests. The study also discovered that 30 minutes of stationary cycling five times a week for a month enhances leg muscle strength and speed.
2. CYCLING LEADS TO A LONGER LIFE EXPECTANCY
While increasing your cardiorespiratory fitness is a fantastic advantage in and of itself, it also increases a person’s life expectancy. The average number of years a person is projected to live is life expectancy. This component depends on various characteristics, including health and fitness levels.
You need to know that endurance cyclists have a longer life expectancy than any other workout or sport.
Tour de France cyclists had considerably higher life expectancies than non-athletes in a case study of the impact of endurance, power, and team sports on life expectancy. Furthermore, cyclists increased their life expectancy by up to 8 years, nearly double the gain seen in other athletes. Endurance rowers came in second, although even competitive rowing only adds up to a 6-year increase in life expectancy.
In the spirit of revealing both the benefits and drawbacks of riding, you should be aware that some research indicates that inner-city bikers have a lower life expectancy, which balances the projected increase. To prevent losing those extra years, cycle on low-traffic roads, in the country, or on paths that do not allow motorized vehicles.
3. CYCLING REDUCES THE RISK OF CANCER AND THE RATE OF CANCER MORTALITY
While a cure for cancer is still in the works, people may minimize their risk by taking preventative actions. People who have had or are presently suffering from cancer can lessen their chance of death.
It sounds like magic. Endurance riding, believe it or not, can help lower the incidence of cancer or cancer death.
In fact, for every hour of cycling daily, you can cut your risk of cancer-related death by up to 20%. Furthermore, increasing your cycle duration to 100 minutes or more can cut your risk by up to 40%.
Remarkably, studies reveal that cyclists who pedal at a moderate effort for up to 1 hour every day can lower their risk of colon cancer by 20% or by 45 percent if they cycle for 1.5 hours. According to this research, that proportion may increase even more with 2 hours or more of cycling every day.
4. THE BENEFITS OF CYCLING: COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING
As you become older, your brain shrinks. This decrease in volume is the cause of age-related disorders such as poor memory, impaired muscular function, and trouble paying attention.
However, if you are a biker, you may benefit from the mental benefits of riding, which include enhanced cognitive performance as you age.
A study of 100 older individuals aged 50 to 83 found that 30-minutes of cycling at least three times per week helped participants improve their performance on mental tests. These challenges were the Stroop Task and the Letter Updating Task, respectively.
The Stroop Task assesses an individual’s ability to use their executive function. The executive function regulates improper behavior inhibition, decision making, and attention. One of the earliest sections of the brain to exhibit symptoms of aging is the portion of the brain that regulates executive function.
Similarly, the Letter Updating Task assesses a person’s working memory function. A high score on this assignment often indicates better intellect and superior reading comprehension.
The enhanced Stroop and Letter Updating Task scores of bikers indicate that they had longer attention spans, stronger decision-making processes, high IQ levels, and above-average reading comprehension. If you want to develop one of these cognitive skills, it might be time to dust up the old bike and get out on the road.
5. CYCLING REDUCES THE CHANCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), often known as heart disease, is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. Every year, more than 600,000 Americans die as a result of heart disease, according to the CDC.
You may develop heart disease later in life if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or consume tobacco products. Other risk factors are as follows:
Diabetes
Dietary deficiencies
Alcoholism
Exercise can help to prevent CVD. Cycling, for example, is an example of an endurance workout. It’s no surprise. Therefore, cycling for 3.5 hours or more three times a week reduces your risk of CVD by 20%.
Cardiorespiratory fitness increases with endurance workouts like cycling, as we saw previously in this list. As a result, bikers see a 15% reduction in the occurrence of heart attacks when compared to non-cyclists.
A sedentary lifestyle is yet another risk factor for heart disease. A sedentary lifestyle involves minimal physical exercise and is associated with many health problems, including obesity. That is why the advantages of riding for weight loss are such a widespread issue among bikers.
It’s a long road till most of our means of transportation are environmentally friendly. However, as long as we keep doing our bit, we’ll leave a healthier and happier world behind.
