Research that people around the world can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 700 million tons if they ride bicycles like Dutch people



The Netherlands is known as a bicycle powerhouse, and it is said that Dutch people ride bicycles for an average of about 2.6 kilometers a day. Joint research by researchers such as the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Copenhagen reveals that if the world uses bicycles as much as the Dutch, annual carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by more than 680 million tons became.

Historical patterns and sustainability implications of worldwide bicycle ownership and use | Communications Earth & Environment

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00497-4

If we all biked like the Dutch, the world would avoid a Germany's worth of emissions
https://www.zmescience.com/science/cycling-versus-emissions-22082022/

Of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, transportation emissions account for a quarter of the total. Furthermore, half of that comes from automobiles, and as demand for automobiles increases so does carbon dioxide emissions, some say to triple by 2050.

``The bicycle, invented in the early 19th century, has a longer history than the automobile. Despite this, the bicycle plays only a minor role as a means of transportation in most countries of the world,'' the research team said. , and believes that bicycles will lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from transportation.

The research team created a dataset on bicycle production and use from the 1960s to 2015. As a result, it was found that the production volume of bicycles increased from about 20 million units in 1962 to 123 million units in 2015. It seems that the production volume of automobiles during the same period was 14 million to 67 million units, and bicycle production is overwhelmingly increasing. The country that produces the most bicycles is China, and it seems that two-thirds of the bicycle production from 1962 to 2015 was due to China.

On the other hand, it was also found that the proportion of bicycles used as a means of transportation is less than 5% in most countries. Of the 60 countries surveyed, the most popular bicycles were Denmark, Japan, Sweden, and the Netherlands, and in these four countries, the percentage of people using bicycles as a means of transportation exceeded 15%. thing. In addition, one in four people in the Netherlands answered that they use bicycles, and the research team says that bicycles are regarded as one of the important means of transportation, not just a hobby.



According to the research team, if other countries assume cycling of 2.6 kilometers per person per day like the Netherlands, each country can save 686 million tons per year. This is said to be equivalent to 20% of carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles.

The research team also notes that the Netherlands has a much lower rate of obesity than other countries, and estimates that about 170,000 people a year avoid the risk of dying through the habit of riding a bicycle.

The research team acknowledges that it is difficult to spread the habit of riding a bicycle all over the world, but Denmark and the Netherlands practiced `` planning and construction of bicycle lanes '', `` education and culture that encourages bicycles '', `` tax-funded automobiles '' It is said that the percentage of people who ride bicycles will increase by adopting measures such as 'policies to restrict the use of bicycles.'

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