Posts Tagged ‘bike’

Hi!

I hope you enjoyed Jennifers post yesterday. As someone that have studied some biology, I loved the video:)

While cruising through my feedly list this morning, I came across something that made me smile. In a blog entry at greenversations, US EPAs blog, Lina Younes gives some tips about how to take care of your car in an environmentally friendly manner;

• Keeping your tires inflated to the recommended level. When tires are not inflated properly they increase the wear-and-tear of the tire and fuel costs.
• Getting regular tune-ups will go a long way to increasing fuel efficiency and improving the lifespan of your vehicle.
• Changing the oil regularly will contribute to a cleaner engine and lower vehicle emissions.
• Keeping your air filter clean will also protect the environment.

In addition to giving your car the proper maintenance, there are simple steps to contribute to pollution reduction. How can you keep emissions as low as possible? Here are some tips:

• Don’t top off.  Don’t fill up the car with gas after you hear the click at the pump! Continuing to fill the gas tank after you hear the click is a total waste of money and actually sends harmful gasoline vapors into the air.
• Whenever you can, combine errands in order to reduce unnecessary driving.
• Don’t drive aggressively.
• Avoid stop and go traffic. I know this is easier said than done, but with some planning you can avoid abrupt changes in speed which waste gas, generate emissions, and cause greater wear-and-tear on your car.

And she also writes;

For those interested in adopting greener behaviors to reduce their carbon footprint even further, changing your means of transportation might be a good start. How about leaving the car at home at least one day a week for starters? Carpooling, using mass transportation, biking are greener transportation alternatives. And how about good old fashioned walking?

Recognise the message? I do, and I am sure you recognise it to. Commute Greener! is build around common sense, which is not all that surprising since it was thought up at Volvo, the corporation with the motto “lets make sure”. Add to that a culture of common sense, well.

As you can see from Lina Younes words, its not difficult to start reducing your carbon footprint, if you are willing to commit to some changes. And taking the bus once a week isn’t difficult. A bike commute doesn’t have to be difficult either.And it is possible, even in traffic heavy areas. This video is from amsterdam, by the youtube-user amsterdamster;

But if we leave the bike commuting, car maintenance is an important environmental AND health factor, on top of being important for safety. Lina writes that you should always keep the tires inflated to recommended levels, but it IS (usually, check before trying) possible to go a little bit over that. Tire companies set the levels for a safe and comfortable drive, but with a slightly higher pressure you get a bit less fuel consumption, at the cost of a slightly bumpier ride. The tires can handle it, they won’t be damaged if the pressure is kept within reasonable levels.

Don’t drive aggressively and avoid start-stop driving, and save gas and money. Also, skip gears, from 2-4, 3-5 etc. Good planning let you avoid stopping at red lights. All this is part of Eco-driving, something all driving schools should teach. It isn’t difficult, let you drive smoothly ans save money in the long run. If you are interested, or have/work in a position were you drive a lot, it is well worth learning. Many drivers schools have courses, at least in Europe (I’m not sure about other parts of the world…), and you can always look up a webpage and learn the theory, and then practise.

Well, that’s it for today. Have a nice weekend. And remember to visit us at facebook and twitter, and Commute Greener!

I’m off

Fredrik

Hi again! I hope you all have had a nice weekend.

Part of what I do is to look for “green” trends online. I am sure you have guessed that if you have read some of my other stuff. And one thing that really strikes me is that bike commuting is getting more and more popular. It has been for a while actually. This is of course from an American perspective, as biking to and from work is quite natural here in Europe. This is a cultural difference, one that I think is derived from the fact that oil is quite expensive here. Like REALLY expensive. European children learn to ride a bike early, and constantly use it as a toy as well as a mode of transportation. So it is only natural to take the bike to school or work if the weather permits it.

I personally love this “new” trend. We should all take a bike-ride now and then, it is fun, good for you and cheep. And it is not hard to do, but as always; it takes some preparations to get ready. Like getting in tune with the traffic rules and regulations. I mean, COME ON! There is a reason why many drivers hate cyclists. I certainly do when I drive, and I am all for bike commuting in general. But I don’t know how many times a cyclist have just thrown him/herself in front of the car, nearly causing an accident. This happens because they;

1) Believe they are above the rules

2) They are sloppy and think that the motorist will see them and react in time

3) DON’T KNOW THE RULES

The last two seems to be very common. Drivers are not always 100% focussed on the road, and they can’t see everything. Many people shouldn’t even be allowed to drive. So accidents happen. On the other side, cyclists that are used to traffic and know how to behave is a joy to see. They rarely get into accidents, and city traffic on a bike isn’t even that dangerous if you are careful and respect the traffic rules.It helps if the city you are in has a good biking culture though, with good infrastructure.

As for all drivers out there; be careful! Cyclists are getting more and more common, and the “war” between them and drivers is getting tiresome to read about. If you see a cyclist in a bike lane, give him some space. Don’t park in bike lanes, and don’t pretend they have no right being there. It is silly,  selfish and result in all kind of arguing. I mean, there are even some cyclists that have gone as far as to attach a miniature camera  to the bike so they can tape the arguments and brutal behaviour of some drivers. Drivers are certainly not evil, but you too need to know the rules and how to behave around cyclists too.

Puh, that was a long diversion… But probably necessary.

So if you want to try a bike commute, and know the rules, what do you do then? Do you have to have an expensive bike and those silly florescence clothes? Well, no. Just hop on the god old bike you have in the garage. After checking the breaks of course. And that is why I love this trend. Everyone can do it. But some good equipment helps if you are making it a habit. A good bike, a comfortable helmet (I don’t care if it looks silly and ruins the hair, use it!), a water bottle and a good bag are all things that is worth spending money on. And there are huge amounts of blogs, networks, organisations and such available on the internet. Check it out and start gathering zero emission kilometres/miles!

By the way, you know the drill; visit us at facebook, and twitter, and feel free to ask questions or give us feedback on the blog, the website or the program itself!

I’m off

Fredrik

I would like to share with you a very interesting article published on Wired : today, “car-sharing services are increasingly popular throughout the world, particularly in urban areas where it’s more convenient and cost-efficient to borrow a car instead of own one. But many urban dwellers and visitors still find a car impractical because of parking, traffic and other concerns.”

It appears that a New-York start-up developed a very interesting tool available on mobile phones, which allows users to share bikes within the famous town :

“One bike-sharing service getting a lot of attention lately is SoBi, or Social Bikes. The startup, founded by Ryan Rzepecki, approaches bike sharing differently, saving some serious cash upon deployment and giving riders more flexibility.”

“There is no human interaction required. Once the car (or bike) is reserved, users identify themselves by RFID (Zipcar) or personal identification number (B-Cycle), which unlocks the car (or bike). Done? Simply return the vehicle to the same lot. B-Cycle lets you return the bike to any B-Cycle station.”

Read the original article here :  http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/08/social_bikes_sobi

Hi!

You know, health is something one should talk about more often when addressing environmental problems. Everyone isn’t like the sporty boys/girls that exercise and are active 24/7. And it is just so easy to visualise, after all, when you can’t see your toes any more, you have a problem. But if you can’t, you probably drive more, as you are out of shape. Carbon Dioxide and climate change, were the effects take years to see and happens on the other side of the world is a bit harder to see.

One of our readers passed us a link on the topic of obesity and environmental problems. It is quite sad reading, but something that shows some major problems of today. Sure, the blog post IS aimed at the USA, but we are guilty in Europe to, and the rest of the world as well. The main points are:

1) We are getting fatter. This is true in north America as well as the rest of the world.

2) We rely more and more on our cars for transportation

3) As we get fatter, bigger cars become more popular, not as a status symbol but because they are spacier.

4) Big cars have generally a higher fuel consumption, and with more driving and heavier cars + loads; do the math. The answer is CO2 emissions on the rise, as well as weight problems with all the following complications.

This raises an interesting question in my opinion. Is it possible to use health campaigns to stave off global warming? Probably not, who like it when someone tells you that you are fat and need to diet. Health campaigns are a good thing, very good actually, but I don’t think they have that good reach.

But still, if we could get people to drive less, some major health problems could be dampened. So in other words, join a bike challenge, or challenge your family, friends and co-workers. 30 minutes of bicycling to work is not much time but in the long run you get so much healthier. And by teaching your children to take the bike you keep them in shape and create healthy habits.

But we all know that getting a motorist to take the bike, or ride the bus can be difficult. And then we are back to challenges and creative thinking. Or “bribes” and rewards. Whatever does the job.

Even taking the mass transit can have positive health effects, as a ten minute walk to the bus stop is much better then driving from door to door. So try it out.

And while you do, take some pictures and send to us, or upload them on our facebookpage. And be sure to follow us on twitter as well. And remember to Commute Greener!

/

Fredrik

Hi guys!

You know, we are quite focussed on environmental factors here at Commute Greener!. Or at least I am. I tend to block out other (not so) small factors like health and money. Yes, I am an environmental nerd:-). I guess it is my interest in science that does it. But lately, we have been discussing health benefits more and more at the office. This has always been a focus of Commute Greener!, but CO2 measurements and reductions has had a higher priority… But the health benefits really adds up! A short example: a 30 minutes bike commute equals 60 minutes exercise (to and from work). Do this some times per week and you have a good amount of exercise, probably loose weight and gain a lot of stamina, without going to the gym.

I found this blog through the bike commute tips blogs facebook page. Well worth a read. Apparently, the states in USA with highest obesity factor have the least zero emission commuters, and vise versa. Now, a blog post is not scientific data, and should always be taken with a grain of salt. But that post is based on the yearly Gallup health survey, and it paint a grim picture. People are getting heavier, and exercise less. Heart problem and high cholesterol are running rampart. Not exactly a good development. I won’t say anything about Europe or the rest of the world as I don’t have the corresponding numbers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the trend is somewhat the same. And I mean, look at this:

Something has to be done. This epidemic is related to travel and eating habits. These factors are not the only one of course, but they are the most obvious.  Loads of sugar and fat, hamburgers, fries, soft drinks, you name it. Add poor exercise habits to that, and a habit of driving everywhere, and you get this situation. The whole western world need to change attitude. I know, I sound like a broken gramophone now. Somehow, this get into every entry. But it is true. As stated above, taking the bike to work, or walk, is good for you. Even public transportation is better for the health then driving as the walk to the station adds up. This is a factor that is just as important as carbon emissions when talking about a greener commute.

And it is possible to change habits to a healthier commute. We can take an example from the real world. As I have written some weeks back, the city of Gothenburg have used Commute Greener!. On the departments that have done best, the amount of zero emission kilometres are high. Together the departments (or teams) have saved over a ton of CO2, and collected enough zero emission kilometres as a trip to Shanghai… And this in only ten weeks. A very good job indeed.

Well, that’s it for today. Give us a like at facebook, and follow us on twitter for news, interesting articles and comments on environmental issues.

I’m off

Fredrik

Hi!

To many, the commute is one of the most stressful times of the day. I have even found a scientific article that stated that the risk of heart problems increase if you are a car commuter. Sitting in line waiting for the traffic to start moving again is not only annoying and bad for the environment, it is time you could do other things.

But how? As mentioned in several earlier entries, driving is the only option for many people. Or so they think. Also as mentioned, an attitude change will have to happen sooner rather then later. In USA, bike commuting is a rare phenomenon. There is even a debate about if bike lanes will be fair to the drivers. In Europe bike commutes are more common. Denmark, Berlin, London; people are getting better at leaving the car at home. An North American example is New York; New Yorkers save loads of money since they have a good mass transit system. In big cities were driving is difficult and slow, what reason is there to drive other then biking not being safe? That is something that can be fixed with some adjustment to the regular roads.

IBM recently released a study using a Commute pain index. According to them, Beijing tops the list, while Stockholm is at the bottom. No surprise there. Beijing have a huge amount of people in a small space, and is well known for its crowded streets. And while Stockholm have quite few inhabitants, only about one million, it also have a great subway and bus system. It is also a good city to bike through. One interesting thing is that the the traffic in the streets began to thin out as the city implemented a congestation tax. This made more people choose to use public transportation, or even bike/walk to work. And people are quite satisfied with this, if I understand things right.

Maybe this is the way to go. Hit the drivers were it hurts, the wallet. Even if the price is low, it suddenly become reality that driving has a cost. And that make people think one more time.

Another interesting thing about the study is that most people stated that they would work/study more if they didn’t spend so much time stuck in traffic. So a car commute hurt your health AND affect the work and study results as well. In other words, public transportation, especially the kind with internet access could be a success, IF the same people just tried it. Of course, this mean that the transit must be fast, reliable, comfortable and safe. And that is were the government/cities come in. In many part of the world that kind of infrastructure don’t exist. Yet. I would also like to point out that when you choose the bike over the car, you will get in better shape, and have more stamina for work/studies.

I would like to end this by asking; why do we think the commute is such a pain? The answer varies, but “being stuck in traffic” comes high on the list. But do something about it then. Find other ways to commute!

By the way, be sure to give us a like on facebook, and to follow us on twitter.

I’m off!

Fredrik

Hi everybody!

Everyday on my way home, I see long lines of cars with a single person in them. They move at very slow speed, 10-20 km/h at most and are constantly starting and stopping. This is what makes the commute the worst part of the day for so many people. And I know you have been exposed to this as well.

While those drivers slowly crawl toward their homes, buses, trams and other means of public transportation drive by them in special lanes. The public transit is warmer, noisier and crowded, but also faster in this situation. But for some reason people still choose to commute by car.

Of course, I look at it from a North European point of view. Gothenburg have a good public transit system with special lanes for buses and for bicycles. Real time updates on when the bus/tram will arrive is a natural thing. It is easy to promote non car alternatives in those circumstances. But even in places with less developed transit systems it is often possible to switch to a bus commute.

Do you remember when I discussed commute chains?. Lets repeat the concept. If you calculate the time and cost of driving from point A to B, and then calculate the time and cost of taking the bus to the train station, hopping on to a train and so on, and compare those to to taking the bike to the train/bus station, you might be surprised to find that little time is lost, but time for work and/or relaxation and exercise is added. Sounds complicated? It only takes two minutes with Commute Greener!

One of the benefits of doing this kind of calculation is that it shows how much time is spent idly sitting in the car while waiting for the line to start moving. That is after all a huge source of stress, especially in cities with long commutes and vast amount of traffic. Perhaps it is possible to cycle to the bus station, and take a bus from there?

The bottom line is that something have to be done to reduce traffic jams during rush hour. Public transportation is one area with large potential for improvement, if only the politicians and city planers understand that more roads for more cars is like pouring gasoline on the fire. If more people used mass transit, and commute chains became a more common subject, we might even raise awareness about environmental, health and wealth benefits of a public commute.

Well, that’s all for today. Have a nice day, follow us on twitter and facebook, watch us on youtube and use the new facebookapp.

By the way, vacation time have started here in Sweden, so there will not be as many updates for a while. Have a nice summer everyone!

I’m off

Fredrik

Hi! I’m back!

I found a very interesting article about acid rain today. Do you remember when I wrote about NOx, and mentioned acid rain? This little problem, that have fallen from the spotlight have crawled its way up into the debate again.

Time to harp on drivers again! No, I’m kidding. But CO2 aside, transportation is a huge source of pollution. Particles, NOx, sulphur (mostly from ships) and runoff can do nasty things to our beloved environment. Acid rain is one of those things. It works like this:

Acid rain picture from Wikipedia Commons

In the 70′s and 80′s, sulphur was the main villain. Three-way-converters (a Volvo innovation by the way)  became more common in cars, and NOx from transportation was thought to be more or less a non-issue. (And that is why the picture don’t show it as a contributor, but the principle is the same.) Coal power plants got strict regulations on sulphur emissions, as did petrol manufacturers. So, problem solved, right?

Well, no. We still had the problem of fertilizers, one of the dirtiest but most important parts of the green revolution. And no, I don’t mean the wave of eco-friendliness that moves like a tsunami over the internet right now. I mean agriculture wave during the 50′s that is still in progress today… Fertilizer leak nitrogen via runoff from fields and through vaporising. And it is the biggest contributor to acid rain there is. This is old news, and lots are being done to change this.

The second biggest contributor to acidification used to be coal plants, but with the vast number of vehicles that are on the roads today it is no surprise that transportation have taken that place. Vehicles today are much cleaner and more effective than old ones, but there are a significantly higher number of cars and trucks on the roads today. You can see where I am going with that argument.

What is so bad about acid rain then? Well, excessive acidification damages plants, and may destroy sensitive limnic (freshwater) ecosystems. Acid lakes contain little life, and many types of trees can’t grow in acid soil. In urban areas acid rain damages concrete buildings and wither stonework. Take a look at an old statue that have been exposed to acid rain… not a pretty sight:

Damaged by acid rain

And as of late, the acidification of the oceans have become a focus in the environmental debate. I must admit that I don’t know enough to comment on this, but it does sound scary…

But what do we do about this problem? Well, I’m no scientist, and even if I was I wouldn’t have the answer. Many things play a part here, as in every subject of environmental science. However, we will have to stop our excessive driving. Telecommuting (ie working from home), public transportation, new infrastructure to let bike riders commute safely, etc will play a huge role in coming to terms with many problems. But it is not a total solution. There is no complete solution that I know of yet. Feel free to link to any research to prove me wrong, as I am always looking for things like that.

But once again, you who use Commute Greener!, and everyone that choose public transportation or zero emission alternatives are playing a part for a better environment. Not only are you helping the reduction of the worlds carbon emissions, you are helping the reduction of acidification (the result of acid rain) and many different things. You can feel proud of yourselves!

I hope you have found this interesting. I did! Remember to follow us on twitter and facebook and to Commute Greener!

I’m off for today

Fredrik

Hi everyone!

This Monday, I went of on a rant about transportation, campaigns and some other stuff. Today, I red an article at grist.org. It is about the rather pessimistic tone the environmental debate have taken in USA, were the “left” wing present ideas to solve environmental problems and the right wing shoots them down, in the name of the market. This is a very simplified picture of course. And I am sure it isn’t totally like this in USA.

But it does raise a couple of new questions that I have touched before. The government need to understand that the car isn’t sacred, and that mass transit actually is a good thing. The car isn’t sacred, as the Michael Linds article that the Grist article was based on seems to assume. It is true that rich countries have a higher density of cars, as people can afford them. Does that mean that public transportation isn’t an option in the future, especially in urban areas? And the reason many drive to work from the suburbs is 1) habit and 2) lack  of descent mass transit systems. So when new suburbs are built, make sure there are bus-lines! Trains may be expensive, but buses use the same infrastructure as the rest of the traffic. This is how it is done in Sweden, at least in cities that think ahead.

Michael Lind is right on one thing though… Asphalt may not be exciting, but new and low particle emitting asphalt is something to pay out for. It reduces wear and tear on the road, noise, particles and lowers fuel consumption, and thereby CO2 and NOx…
But the bottom line is that there have to be an attitude shift. I have said that before, haven’t I. Both from the politicians point of view and from the people. I am not talking about USA here, but in general. While the European governments are less conservative and are more keen on discussing CO2, there is still to much discussion and to little action. And climate denialists and traditionalists exist here to. The difference is that religion is less of an issue in the politic game in Europe and the climate model is the norm. I am not going to harp about religion being bad, because in itself there is nothing wrong with being religious. Hiding behind it or using the argument “god wants it” is a bit medieval though, right?

Ok, I got sidetracked again… Sorry. Attitude shifts… I really think that the conservative wing, regardless of continent view environmentalists as smug, self righteous, smug hippies. And there are many of them around. You know who you are! Many seems to hate cars, or even development. But is this how most people who work with environmental issues are. Is this how most interested persons out there are? Once again, to much focus is placed in the wrong places. Get serious and see opportunities instead of sticking the head in the sand. So much could be done for the environment if one started to look for opportunities. Wind and solar power and publit transportation are some of those opportunities. In Europe, they have expanded. Why haven’t they in North America? With the oil-spill, declining amount of fossil fuels, climate change, thinning glaciers and disturbed weather, it is time to open our eyes!

Well, I’m off. I have some statistics to finish. Have a nice one, and remember to follow us on facebook and twitter, and to Commute Greener!

/

Fredrik

Hi!

Somehow, I survived the midsummer traffic. I’m amazed how smooth it went, despite rail repairs and hot weather.The train was even on schedule.

Anyway, I have been toying with some ideas lately. The commute is the least favourite part of the day for most people, yet one of the habits they are least inclined to change. Do we need a paradigm shift? Is this the politicians responsibility, or do the change have to come from the grass roots? And more importantly, why do people hate the commute?

Transportation is one of the largest contributors to environmental problems. CO2, NOx, particles, VOC’s (I haven’t written about them yet, right?), ozone and smog are no brainers, and many know about at least some of the problems.  Runoff from roads and chemicals from washing at the driveway are other important problems that are often forgotten. Considering all these issues, why do the society promote driving over every other mode of transportation?

Not that driving have to be a bad thing. It is after all a good way to travel long distances in a short time. There are many ways to reduce the environmental impact from driving, like eco driving, pumping up the tires and getting rid of roof boxes.

London, Shanghai, Copenhagen, Berlin, and many other cities all over the world is upgrading their public transportation system. Shanghai is buying electric buses, London is getting new double deckers. Bike lanes and a good environment is high on the agenda for the politicians. In North America it seems like public transportation is for the poor or for losers. I don’t want to offend anyone, but this is the impression I get. If you can afford it, you have to have a car.

I wonder if awareness campaigns like bike-to-work day, and all the nudist cyclist events actually does anything good. They reach people that are interested in the environment, but do they change any habits or actually raise awareness? I don’t know, but I doubt it. They raise a commotion, people look at those crazy hippies, and continue with their life like they always have. Names of the bigger forums is an issue in close relation to this. Take Treehugger for example, a site I absolutely love. That name is catchy, but I don’t think it impresses people not interested in the environment (or people that really love trees:-) )

What I’m getting at here is that there need to be a shift of focus from the top. Trying to scare people with climate change and standing over them with the whip is not the way to go, but there have to be campaigns aimed at regular people, based on actual traceable facts from a governmental standpoint. A real effort to get people to get out of the car and looking for other modes of transportation. At the same time, the grassroots have to understand that there are other ways to get around then driving. We all need look beyond our noses and realize that oil isn’t going to be an option in the future. And politicians and regular people alike must realize that saving our globe cost money. Environmental taxes ARE needed, as is stricter regulations like US EPA’s newest rules and Californians assembly bill 32. Deal with it.

Enough ranting for today. You know the drill, follow us on facebook, check out the new application, follow us on twitter, watch our videos at youtube and take a look at our flikr account.

I’m out of here

Fredrik