Using Bicycles Efficiently to Create a Sustainable Society

Parte da Japan for Sustainability Newsletter:

«How do you get around in your immediate neighborhood? By car, or on foot? By bicycle would seem a likely choice for many people. Bicycles are said to be the vehicle for a small planet. People from all walks of life, from small children to the elderly, use bicycles for short-distance shopping and commuting to work and school.

In the 1970s, there was a rapid increase in the number of bicycles in Japan, and the number of illegally parked bicycles also proliferated. However, thanks to the efforts of local governments and other organizations in building bike parking lots, this problem has been largely mitigated. In recent years, curbing global warming has become an urgent issue, and bicycles have attracted attention as a means of clean and resource-effective transportation. City planning that takes bicycle use into consideration has been gaining popularity as a way to promote a modal shift and reduce automobile use.

Moreover, from the viewpoint of the efficient use of resources, the focus has shifted from owning bicycles to using bicycles. This month's newsletter introduces problems pertaining to bicycles in Japan, including an initiative for sharing bicycles, and a movement to send recycled bicycles to developing countries to effectively use discarded bicycles as an important planetary resource.

Bicycles are the Greatest Vehicle Ever Invented by Man
Bicycles are said to be the greatest vehicle ever invented by man. There are many reasons for bicycles' popularity. 1) Bicycles do not contaminate the air, or contribute to global warming. 2) Cycling is good for the health. Riding a bike for more than 20 minutes is good aerobic exercise, strengthening cardiopulmonary functions and reducing fat. 3) Bicycles do not require much space. Six bicycles can run on a road width sufficient for just one car, and twenty bicycles can be parked in a single car parking space. 4) Bicycles are cost-effective. The price of a bicycle is one hundredth of the price of a car. Bicycles do not need gasoline, and also they are tax-free. 5) Bicycles are affordable. Compared with cars, bicycles are far more affordable for the billions of poorer people in the world. 6) Bicycles are
resource-effective. A bicycle, which weighs only about 17 kilograms, does not use much in the way of raw materials. 7) Both grown-ups and children can ride bicycles. (...)»