Today marks the start of the UN Climate Change Conference and reminds of what is important to us all. The conference reminds me of a core motivation of the creation of our range of bicycles – more people on bicycles!
I don’t want to just see more Lance Armstrong’s and Cadel Evan’s, nor more people decked out in reflective clothing from head to toe. I want to see a real Critical Mass of cyclists every day of the week swelling around the cities of Australia. I want the motorist to become jealous of those damn cyclists riding past with a smile on their faces. We need to change cyclings perception to the general public, we need to change how it is sold to them. We need to see people sitting upright in their normal clothes using their bicycles to get from A to B. As those who know me well could vouch, I love the automobile, but I know that we need to ration its use if we are going to fit into our cities and respect the environment. I find no greater pleasure than riding my bicycle for my short trips around town, and rate those same trips by car as a pet hate!
When the world leaders are scrapping over percentages of Co2 reductions in Copenhagen they may just be missing a great example of cheap tool to help us prevent climate change. Copenhagen is a city which has made great efforts to promote the humble bicycle as a tool for transport and has sold the wonderful image of beautiful people on bicycles to the the wider world. The benefits of the bicycle to our communities functions on many levels, but the city of Copenhagen calculates that for every km driven by a motorist it costs the Danish community more than a $1, whilst riding puts the government 65 cents ahead!
Australia also suffers from an epidemic of obesity which costs the economy $1.5 Billion per year in direct health costs, and again the bicycle is a great tool to fight this growing problem. If we all cycled for one hour a day we would burn approximately 1800kj, which is 3 times that of driving a car instead – and for most people might see them steadily lose those extra kg’s that have crept on over the years. An active lifestyle filled with bicycle rides helps to prevent the onset of high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
So as our politicians, NGO’s and other delegates spend their time in Copenhagen I hope they can get outside and see a great tool in our fight pedal straight past their noses. Come back Kevin and give Australian’s the incentive to get on a bicycle!
