Why Cycling Is Good For The Atmosphere

As a bicycle store in Bristol we know that as modes of transport go, you don’t get much ‘greener’ than cycling. The benefits to the atmosphere of cycling outweigh pretty much any disadvantage you could even try to think of.

Whether you cycle to work, school, the shops, or simply to keep fit – every turn of the pedal helps protect our planet in one way or another.

Or, maybe you don’t currently cycle but are looking for a way of reducing your carbon footprint and living a more eco-friendly lifestyle? – you’re in the right place, and electric bicycles are a great place to start and EcoMove offers a fantastic atmosphere for cyclists to figure out what works best.

While many of the benefits seem obvious, others are less so.

Cycling reduces air pollution in the atmosphere

If you’re reading this post, we’ll assume you’re already pretty clued up on air pollution in the atmosphere and are conscious of your efforts to reduce your own output.

A quick summary is: air pollution is the small particles, chemicals and gases released into the air, often from things like the burning of fossil fuels, transportation, and wildfires.

Driving motorised vehicles, like cars, is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution. Car fuels, in particular, include gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen dioxide, which are seriously harmful to the environment when released in large volumes.

We offer a great atmosphere to help you choose the right mode of electric Bicycle

On the other hand, riding an electric bicycle releases very little CO₂ into the air (there is negligible emission during manufacturing and charging). So, straight away, it has an enormous environmental advantage. Shorter journeys, in particular, are where you’re most likely to notice the most significant environmental benefits of riding an electric bicycle.

According to environmental organisation Hubbub, 50% of the journeys we take each day are less than two miles – meaning lots of unnecessary, excess atmosphere pollution

Hubbub also states that in the UK alone, more than half (55%) of transport emissions come from cars, which has a hugely negative impact on our air quality.

Switching short car trips for a cycle instead has huge environmental benefits, and what’s more – it’ll keep you physically fit, too.

Reduce noise pollution in Bristol

Pollution doesn’t just come in invisible gas form – there’s also noise pollution to be mindful of too.

Noise pollution is usually classed as any unwanted or disturbing sounds that affect humans and animals’ health and wellbeing in that particular area.

This type of pollution also impacts the health and wellbeing of wildlife. Studies have shown that sudden, loud noises can cause small insects like caterpillars’ hearts to beat faster and bluebirds, for example, to have fewer offspring.

Animals use natural sound for all sorts of reasons, such as navigation, finding food, attracting mates and avoiding predators. If we, as humans, disrupt these sounds with noise pollution, it makes it difficult for animals to survive.

Animals have to alter their behaviour and may even have to change locations to avoid noise, which has a detrimental knock-on effect on our entire environment. For example, if a bird leaves its forest and others follow, that forest may decline over time. This could then lead to that forest being cleared. This is called deforestation – we’ll come onto that a bit later.

However, if there’s less noise from vehicles, traffic queues and the like, animals are more likely to stay and allow surrounding nature to thrive.

So, by leaving the car at home and choosing to cycle instead, you’re not just helping to save the planet – but animals, too.

Cycling reduces the need for deforestation – a win for the atmosphere.

Heavily linked to the earlier notion of protecting green spaces, the issue of deforestation is one of the largest, ongoing issues regarding land use – not just here in the UK but globally, too.

By definition, deforestation is the action of clearing a wide area of trees or forest. These spaces are often then industrialised, which, for reasons discussed previously, can have devastating impacts on the environment.

For a start, the very building and construction of an industrial site involve vehicle transportation and the use of non-eco materials. Then, once in operation, sites often burn fuel and emit all sorts of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Not to mention the additional noise and air pollution from importing and exporting goods.

However, if more people chose to cycle in Bristol instead of driving, there’d be a bigger case for keeping these green, cycle-friendly spaces alive. Long term, there’d also be less of a need for metal products to help build cars.

The metals used in car production often need to be mined from the Earth – a process that often requires deforestation to work.

Can you see how it’s all linked?

Cycling helps the atmosphere and reduces global warming

Cycling has been long-established as part of the solution for a low-carbon, greener future for the planet. And if you weren’t quite sure why before, you certainly are now after reading this blog.

There’s little doubt among scientists and environmental experts that human activity contributes massively to global warming. But the good thing is that, as humans, we also have the power to enact positive change.

According to data from Cycling UK, just 6% of urban passenger miles are from cycling. However, it’s estimated that increasing this to 11% by 2030 and 14% by 2050 could cut CO₂ emissions from passenger transport by 7% and 11%, respectively.

In fact, research also suggests that if people in England cycled as much as people in the Netherlands, there’d be around two million fewer car commuters on the road. In theory, this would reduce the UK’s CO₂ output by an average of more than 1,500 tonnes a year.

Related: How Riding A Bike Reduces Global Warming