During a time of constant climate doom, I find myself wondering what small and big ways I can help the planet and remind myself of the importance of recognizing the ways in which climate activists are creating a positive impact in the way of climate change. For me, one of the first things that comes to mind when considering the contributing problems for climate change are cars. Not only do the individual emissions contribute to the climate crisis, on a larger scale, creating space for cars through excessive infrastructure changes such as new roadways created in previously unused spaces. In fact, the EPA reports that the average car emits 8,887 grams of CO2 from only one gallon of gas.
One way that individuals can help offset the issues created by cars and car-related infrastructure is to ride bikes. Unfortunately, there can be some barriers to cycling commutes. One of the most significant being that biking long distances, or for those who have to navigate steep inclines or other similar challenges, isn’t doable for many people of various fitness levels. Riding one mile and back to the store seems easy to me, but when I start to consider riding 10 miles to the other side of town to go to the movies with friends or 15 miles to go see family on the other side of the city, I can easily start to get overwhelmed. Even as an active person, hours on a bike for an event that takes only one to two hours seems overwhelming and exhausting. However, the emergence of electronic bicycles, or e-bikes like the one pictures, have offered a solution that makes cycling commutes more accessible to all.
Electrek, a news and commentary site that exclusively covers electric transport, reported that in America, there were over 600,000 e-bikes sold in 2020. Electrek also states that this number is even higher than the amount of electric cars at a 2:1 ratio of electric bikes purchased compared to electric cars.
It would appear that many consumers are also recognizing the benefit for themselves in having an e-bike commute versus a biking commute. Not only is it great to get outside and health for the body, in most urban settings, biking can actually decrease commute times, eliminate costs of parking and eliminate the need to fill their cars up with gas nearly as frequently if they are using them less.
On a more global scale, e-bikes could have a significant and positive impact on the climate crisis. The most obvious positive impact of e-bikes is that they are a zero-emission mode of transportation. Additionally, less cars on the road creates less traffic and lessens the need for major car-related infrastructure that ultimately damages the natural environments that it is built through. Plus, I will never complain about not having to pay upwards of $100 a month to refill my tank multiple times with the high price of gas!
Overall, the increasing popularity of e-bikes is one that we can continue to look forward to as a mechanism for combating the climate crisis, and that benefits both the individuals who use them and the planet. If you would like to research how e-bikes could help you contribute to the fight against climate change, visit www.ebicycles.com for more information.
Sources:
Electrek is a great source for understanding the important impact of e-bikes.