Personal Commitments to Stop Climate Change

What are things you can do in your everyday life that can reduce the affects climate change?

Bike commuting is my personal commitment to stopping climate change.

American society is so tied to an addiction to cars and I’m trying to break that – one bike ride at a time.  It’s really hard to break the addiction to your car, I still have one and do use it from time to time, but it’s the conscious effort to reduce your use.  I try to only drive when I need to, instead of when it’s convenient. Public transportation is a great alternative as well.  But biking combines so many things that are important to me and Portland is the perfect place to incorporate it easily into your lifestyle.

Top 5 reasons why I ride my bike

1.  The environment – when I think of all the exhaust in the air, and fuel that is wasted for a car trip that could easily be made by bike it makes me feel extremely guilty.  Especially if I’m driving by myself.  By only driving when I absolutely need to, I eliminate at least 10 trips a week ( 5 days of driving to work and back, other random trips). If each person thought critically about each trip they make, and whether driving is really necessary, we could easily cut our driving in half – even if you don’t own a bike or aren’t able to ride, public transportation is readily available, especially in Portland.

2. Peace – a major component of war is control over resources, especially oil.  I refuse to be a part of the reason why an innocent person dies.  When people became aware of the fact that diamond purchases were fueling wars and violence around the world, they started to think twice about where their diamond came from before purchasing it.  Oil is fueling war, but it’s much easier to turn the other cheek when it might affect your everyday life.  I think it’s awesome that people think twice before buying conflict diamonds, but we need to start thinking that way about oil consumption too!

3. Health – Bike commuting, to me, is the easiest way to live a more active lifestyle.  It takes me 15 minutes to get to work on my bike, and 15 minutes to get home – thats half an hour of exercise a day without even taking time out of the day to go to the gym.  I like knowing that even when I work a 9 hour day, I still fit in a little exercise.

4. Breaking the stigma – Sometimes people view bike riding as un-cool, or weird – especially if you’re wearing a helmet.  One thing I really appreciated in visiting Europe was that everyone rides their bike! Men in suits, women in high heels, young people, old people – anyone and everyone! I want people to realize that biking isn’t just for one group of people- anyone can do it! And wearing your helmet is cool – especially in a big city, safety is so important!

5. Enjoying life – Being outside, smelling the fresh air, hearing the city sounds. When I bike, I feel like I experience the city like I never did before – I notice stores I have never seen, find cool photo opportunities, and find alternative routes to get to places that are much more enjoyable than the main roads. Plus, I often get places faster. 

Let's hear your ideas on how to help stop climate change!