Bike Sharing Programs Pick Up Speed

It’s hard not to gush about bicycle sharing programs. Biking is a great choice for the environment. The carbon emissions from riding a bike are zero. Bike riding also reduces traffic congestion, allowing cars to make trips faster. But carrying locks and worrying about where to store your bike can be a real hassle. These sharing programs eliminate the fuss, making it easy for you to commute by bike. They’ve been very successful in cities like Montreal and Washington, DC, and the trend seems to be continuing. The City of Boston recently announced a new program that, when completed, will be the largest in the United States.

According to the proposal, set to begin next summer,  the city will place between 1,000 and 3,000 bikes at stations 300 or 400 yards apart, located at major points around the city. Like other programs, there will be a small fee for use: around $2.50 for a daily pass or $40 for the year. This makes bike sharing often much more affordable than commuting by car or even public transportation. Boston will also be investing in more bike lanes. There’s reason to believe the program could have a major impact on commuting habits. Less than 1 percent of Bostonians currently commute by bike. In Lyon, France, which has a bike-sharing program and is similar in size to Boston, 13 percent commute by bike.

As if you need more reasons to get on board with bike sharing, according to the International Bicycle Fund, cyclists who begin commuting by bike lose an average of 13 pounds in the first year. And there’s safety in numbers. Numbers from New York City suggest that as the number of cyclists increases, the number of accidents goes down. Injuries and fatalities have fallen by around 50% since 1998, even as daily ridership more than doubled from 80,000 to 180,000. As more people ride, drivers become more aware of bikers and the city has a greater incentive to build more bike lanes to accommodate new riders.

It’s a win-win situation for the environment and your health.

Government Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions through the Automobile Industry

A new day is dawning in support of regulating greenhouse gas emissions. The target? The automotive fuel economy.

On May 19, the Obama Administration announced tough new standards for the automobile industry: a mandated national average for automobiles and light trucks of 35.5 miles per gallon, to be met in less than seven years. The current national standard is slightly more than 25 miles per gallon. The new rules, which will go into effect in 2012, will create a single new national standard that will yield a car and light truck fleet in the United States that is 40 percent more fuel-efficient by 2016 than it is today.

The Obama Administration claims that, over its life, these new rules will reduce oil consumption by 1.8 billion barrels and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 900 million metric tons. This is especially significant considering that the auto industry accounts for 17 percent of man-made carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S.

Congress is also considering “cap and trade” legislation to limit carbon emissions across the economic spectrum. This legislation would set up a system for trading emission allowances so that the private marketplace can use available fossil fuels most efficiently.

Supporters say that the environmental benefits of cap and trade and automotive-emissions standards far outweigh the costs. Critics such as congressional Republicans say that the plan could damage economic growth at a time when the nation is struggling through a recession. However, this proposed regulation is part of a broader White House strategy to confront the risk of global warming while making green-collar jobs a centerpiece of the economy, thus aiding the struggling American workforce.

Naturally, environmentalists are ecstatic over the 40 percent improvement in the fuel economy. According to the Sierra Club’s Carl Pope, “President Obama is putting the pedal to the floor when it comes to slashing our dependence on oil and confronting global warming. Last month the administration closed the books on the Bush era of climate denial once and for all by acknowledging the threat of global warming, and now today they moving forward with a plan that will give new life to the American auto industry and ensure that the next generation of clean, efficient autos will be made right here in the U.S.A.” Dan Becker of the Safe Climate Campaign praised the Obama action as “the single biggest step we’ve taken to curb global warming.”

Even the automobile industry is pleased with Obama’s changes. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an industry group representing 11 carmakers, praised the new regulations. “The President has succeeded in bringing three regulatory bodies, 15 states, a dozen automakers and many environmental groups to the table,” said Dave McCurdy, the group’s CEO. Among the green groups attending the event were the League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund and the Union of Concerned Scientists–not welcome White House visitors during the Bush years.

Hopefully this change will help to reduce America’s carbon footprint while simultaneously focusing on less fuel consumption and the promotion of green jobs.

Article partially excerpted from MNN.