It was 63 degrees this past Sunday in NYC. Some people thought picnic in the park, and others, what a lovely side effect of global warming. Climate change almost canceled Thanksgiving and with news out yesterday that greenhouse gases hit record levels in the world's atmosphere, it is a good time to reevaluate new ways we (the people, not the powers that be) can curb our carbon emissions.
I'm anal about recycling, long showers, wasted energy, yadda yadda, but green travel is my jam, both personally and professionally. The bike is my main mode of transportation and I run a travel blog that encourages New Yorkers -- and now Californians! -- to get out of town without a car.
A little over a month ago, curious to see what a truly eco-conscious, bike-crazed culture looked like, I bought a ticket and $13 worth of carbon offsets and flew to Copenhagen. I ate smørrebrød, drank Carlsberg, and interviewed government officials and strangers who performed random acts of kindness; one waitress at a bakery offered me her weekly allotted free cupcake; another person launched into a two-wheeled chase to let me know my once pocketed map had become road kill. For four days, I cycled alongside jocund Danes during rush hour, en route to meetings and dinner dates, and by trip's end it became clear that moving through life on a bike made these people feel free, fit and naturally high. Endorphins ward off stress and mundane errands were more fun to carry out. Could it be just a coincidence that the happiest people on the planet also have the number one bike culture?
And for those who will get temperatures in the 60s again this weekend, consider burning off the Thanksgiving calories with a bike ride.
Read my Things to Do in Copenhagen article to learn about local hot spots, exploring the town by bike, and how the city is working to reach its ambitious green goal.
Follow Lauren Elyse Matison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/offmanhattan
http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ChildPovertyReport.pdf
Just imagine if everyone bikes, all the money saved can be poured into education and local infrastructure.
Eliminating the daily hardships of being an average North Korean Citizen, can only be done by a change of regime and decades of prosperity, high bike usage will hardly make a dent, if you are too fatigued to ride it, due to the constant famines.
I recently read about an AMERICAN! company which is designing HPVs (Human Powered Vehicles) which will be able to sustain 75MPH, be covered, with a GPS, riding computer, stereo, AND cargo space. In the works are 1,2, and 4 person models. The most exciting part to me is they will supposedly allow any of the people on it to pedal at their own pace (Very different from tandem bikes. It seemed like even the kids will be able to pedal in the back seats at their pace. MOST importantly all of it will be powered by a combination of sun, gravity, and human legs, along with an optional "electric motor of your choice."
It should be no surprise the company was founded by a Danish-American! :-). Since they'll be able to run both on AND off road,, HPVs are really starting to look, IMO, like the REAL vehicles of the future.
Denmark bicycle usage 20% (32% Coppenhagen) Source: http://www.fietsberaad.nl/library/repository/bestanden/Fietsberaad_Publicatie7A.pdf
Perhaps "the secret to happiness" has different meanings in different countrys.
That said, if the company I read about really can deliver an HPV which can maintain 75MPH, I think we'll see lots of Americans strapping themselves into their HPVs to go to work in the morning instead of gassing up the car, and I think Americans would be happier. I don't know what it is about riding a bike, but people do it all the time for pure enjoyment--far more than drive cars for enjoyment, and when I go for a bike ride, I'm happy and it carries over to the hour after the ride. Certainly between saved dollars and dropped weight through more exercise, the USA would be a happier place if a greater % of people rode their bikes to work. It's now up to some entrepreneur to develop an HPV which overcomes the objections of those who don't ride to work today.
Copenhagen bike usage is above 50% per trip, including out of town commuters it is 35%.
Copenhagen car usage 32% incl. out of town commuters.
Copenhagen Car ownership: 20%
Source: Copenhagen Municipality
According to among many scholars, Harvard U University Professor of Neurology, John J. Ratey, physical excercise has tremendous effects on the brain, it sort of normalizes many of the chemical processes, including production of Serotonin and Dopamin.
Endorphines, however is not a part of the process, as the endorphines the muscles release, can not enter the brain, and are used as a local anaesthetic to keep you going thru minor and even major injuries, during hunt or flight.
-Lars Barfred