"The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart." -Iris Murdoch
By the time the novelty of the car had warn off, an intricate system of paved roads and assembly-line factories initiated by Henry Ford had made their way into American life. It was with this degradation and intrusion into the environment, that the realization for alternatives arose. What was seen initially as a simple dichotomy, the car as the problem and bike as the solution, has grown into a much more complex web of cause and effect. It is a unique solution in that it has very little adverse effect. Unlike many other sustainable alternatives, there is little controversy over the bike concerning its cost, secondary hazards, or equity.
The bicycle diverges from other efforts to “be green” because of its public nature. Unlike recycling or using CFL light bulbs, which mostly occur in the privacy of your home, riding a bike is given public display. This creates a proliferating effect as others catch on to the trend. This outward display makes a strong personal statement. Aside from an enjoyment of the bicycle itself, it says, “I care about the environment and I am doing my part.” On the personal level, it creates a change in lifestyle while on the collective level it creates a change in culture.
Today, the bicycle is a symbol of sustainability and a mechanism to take us into the future. It supports a greater lifestyle change actively supported by the environmental movement. It is this relationship with our bicycles that encourages a slower routine, a greater connection with the environment and a stronger tie to our local geography. With similar strength to its zero- emission and reduction of congestion, the bicycle conveys positive effects on the environment through a change in our perception. By riding our bikes both as recreation and commute, we take greater notice of toxic waste sites, pollution and garbage. Beyond an alternative means of transportation, the effect that the bicycle has on its rider reaches other aspects of life and topics of advocacy as well.
The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, which dumped 10.8 million gallons of oil into the sea, also revived the environmental movement towards bicycles. The usual slogans began targeting Exxon specifically: “Send Exxon mobile to the cleaners. Ride your bike to work today.” This spill brought to surface related statistics of the amount of oil that individuals spill. Americans release 16 times as much oil yearly as Exxon spilled, 180 million gallons, into oceans each year through oil that leaks from our cars.
Chris Carlsson in his anthology on Critical Mass states that “bicycling is not an ends in itself…Our embrace of bicycling doesn’t eliminate an enormous social edifice dedicated to supporting the privately owned car and oil industries.” With this, comes the idea that the bicycle is simply one aspect of a way of life that takes on larger meaning. These decisions run on a spectrum and do no exist on discrete levels, despite the attempts by some to categorize and clump. The idea that the bicycle can stand for what is the much larger Environmentalism movement, recently also being referred to as the “green movement,” gives the machine the ability to make a larger statement. For example, when you see someone ride by on a bicycle, you may also make assumptions about their diet, career, and political beliefs. In this way, the bicycle serves as an identity that, in recent times, has been closely tied with environmentalism.
"The more I think about our US domestic transportation problems...the more I see an increased role for the bicycle in American life. I am convinced after riding bikes here in China, that it is a sensible, economical and clean form of transportation that makes enormous good sense." -George Bush Sr.
Posted at Dec 18/2008 02:15PM:
chris witmore: Carly, I like the environmental angle in the project. Just a note on the research: Whenever you use substantive information, you should provide a source reference. I am a bit skeptical of some of your numbers here. That Americans release 180 million gallons of oil a year from leaking cars seems a bit more than far fetched. I think you would have a hard time making oil move from Colorado into either the Atlantic or the Pacific.
