Bikes, Equity, & Climate Change

There is unique power in communities that have endured injustices coming together for radical change. This year’s American Climate Leadership Awards winner — Cooperation Jackson — represents the people of Jackson, Mississippi who have endured merciless impacts from climate challenges.

 

ecoAmerica staff on Bike-to-Work Day

Across the developed world, transportation is the largest source of climate pollution. In addition to destroying our atmosphere and putting life on earth at risk, that selfsame pollution is the largest source of human health problems and cost on the planet. Anything we can do to advance clean energy transportation is critical to solving climate change, but active transportation — walking and cycling — can be even more beneficial.

 

Promoting bicycling can have a big difference on climate and on our health. A lot of organizations even beyond the climate movement know it and are working to advance cycling solutions. May is National Bike Month, Bike-to-Work Week is May 15-21, and June 3 is World Bicycle Day.

World Bicycle Day celebrates the critical role bicycles play in fostering sustainable development in the global south and around the world. The world’s leading proponent of bicycle solutions, World Bicycle Relief, strongly agrees. As stated in the World Bicycle Day UN resolution, “the bicycle can serve as a tool for development and as a means not just of transportation but also of access to education and healthcare.” They are working on building a cycling culture — mobilized communities — in developing countries. This is a new take on what the automobile did to make us dependent on cars, only different.

In the developed world, racing has helped elevate awareness of and use of cycling. Teams like Cardinal Classics Cycling are actively promoting cycling as a solution to climate change. Take a look at the sleeves on their jerseys (below), they are promoting Everyone Every Day, ecoAmerica. The US National Road Championships will be held June 22-25 in Knoxville, TN, and the team will sport Everyone Every Day engagement on climate change on the front of the team’s jerseys.

ecoAmerica’s partnership with Cardinal Classics Cycling is via a supporter of both organizations, who also supports World Bicycle Relief. Everyone at ecoAmerica understands the differences active transportation plays on climate change, personal and public health, and equitable development. Join us.


About ecoAmerica

ecoAmerica is moving society toward climate solutions by inspiring and empowering trusted national health, faith, and civic institutions and their millions of stakeholders across America to visibly act and advocate. We help national mainstream organizations elevate their climate leadership, providing them with strategy, tools, and resources to demonstrate visible climate leadership, empower climate literacy, engage all constituents, and build collective action and advocacy. We help our partners transform into national climate leaders to inspire others on solutions. ecoAmerica.org

 

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