Going green from a pedaling machine

The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine. ~John Howard 

MANILA, Philippines – Of late, stories about corporations cutting down trees or local governments in partnership with private developers demolishing properties to replace them with entertainment centers, ports, business parks, roads, or real estate properties have been quite common.

Environmental groups have been agitated no end because the rapid developments encroaching on forests are leaving us with practically little room to breathe. How can the environment take the painful consequences of urban development?

Environmentalists, educators, Al Gore and even Pamela Anderson, have made numerous attempts to save Mother Earth, but have they really been helpful in sustaining good clean air?

We don’t need to look elsewhere for solutions. There is a simple answer and it has been rusting in many garages for years now: the bicycle.

Yup, the good ’ol trusty bicycle.

In 1817, Karl von Dais invented the ‘draisine’ as a horseless carriage to help him get around faster on the streets of Germany. This eventually led to the creation of the modern day bicycle.

Going green

The bicycle culture is on the rise. The top 5 countries where it is a common means of transportation are the Netherlands, Spain, China, France and Denmark.

Not only is this machine a mode of travel but also a means to have good exercise. With 100 million bikes manufactured a year in the whole world, imagine the amount of hazardous carbon that these can reduce.

Going green doesn’t have to mean giving up on meat or segregating trash; riding a bicycle is already a good sign that you’re on to something. Pedaling to wherever you go helps to:

1. Save money on gas and car loans
2. Ease worrying about parking anymore
3. Minimize the possibility of being late
4. Minimize fatal accidents caused by vehicles
5. Find a good alternative to dieting
6. Get a good form of exercise to reduce health complications like cancer
7. Lessen muscle cramps by stretching your legs and moving your body
8. Reduce noise or smell
9. Save more energy because of less carbon footprint
10. Make you feel proud you’re not contributing to pollution

So dust those bikes (or buy a new one) and pedal your way to keep the earth clean and green. – Rappler.com