In the United States, we live in an automobile based culture. Many people don't think twice about driving their vehicle short distances to run errands - a mile here, a mile there. What many people don't realize or choose to ignore is that driving alone is one of the least climate-friendly forms of transportation.
Driving Alone
How bad is driving alone relative to other forms of transportation? According to the Sightline Institute with a single driver, you can expect an average of:
1.57 lbs of CO2/Mile in a "Sport Utility Vehicle" (15 MPG)
1.10 lbs of CO2/Mile in an "Average car" (21.5 MPG)
0.59 lbs of CO2/Mile in an "Economy car" (40 MPG)
Obviously filling your vehicle to capacity helps, just consider this:
0.37 lbs of CO2/Mile in an "Average car" (21.5 MPG) when Carpooling with three people
While filling to capacity can help for short errands it isn't always an option. So what can you do?
Riding a Bicycle
Riding a bicycle isn't just good for the environment with a net 0 lbs of CO2/Mile, but it's good for you too. Short errands are just one of many uses you'll find for your bicycle - once you start riding again. While you may miss your trunk space at first a quality bicycle grocery bag, panniers or even a basket can reduce this stress. Which one you choose is up to you based on your own personal needs but for the average grocery hauler I would recommend one the following three products:
If you expect to be hauling lighter loads then you may be a good candidate for a removable handlebar mounted basket - these can often double as a "reusable shopping bag" too.
How Energy Efficient is a Bicycle?
Did you know calories are actually a unit of measurement for the amount of energy that your body can extract from foods . With many new biofuel technologies available today, many of the foods we eat can also be converted into fuel for our vehicles.
According to World Watch Magazine the average automobile burns 1,860 calories per mile per passenger. How does that compare to the average bicycle? The average bicycle and rider burns 35 calories per mile.
Why are bicycles so much more efficient? The key to the energy efficiency of the bicycle is simple - a bicycle and rider are extremely light compared the average car. In a 2 ton vehicle with a 170 lbs driver the driver is only 4% of the total weight. On a heavier 30 lbs bicycle that same driver will be 85% of the total weight. In a vehicle 96% of the energy used each mile is used moving the vehicle itself - not the drive. On a bicycle only 15% of the energy used moving the bicycle itself.
Bicycles are so efficient in fact that under the right conditions a rider can ride faster then a cheetah. In 2002, Canadian rider Sam Whittingham reached 81 mph using a recumbent bike called the Varna Diablo II. That is 11 mph faster than a cheetah which over short distances can attain a top speed of 70 mph.
It's often said you never forget how to ride a bike so why not take advantage it. Riding a bike is not only one of the most energy efficient modes of transportation, it is also one of the most relatively inexpensive. Do you part to fight global warming by taking your bicycle out for a ride.