Sustainability on Two Wheels

Have we mentioned yet that Tokyo is brimming with bicycles?

As strong supporters of bicycles ourselves, we are delighted to be in such a cycle-focused city. Though the first several days were perilous (bicyclists oftentimes ride on the sidewalk, and we were adjusting to the modified traffic flow of sticking to the left side of the street), we love the Japanese bicycle culture.

Everyone seems to ride one....and if their legs aren't long enough to reach the pedals, they ride in a basket either in the front or the back. Babies and grandma's and dapper businessmen: they all cycle. All the bicycles are basically the same - cruiser style with plenty of metal baskets anchored to front and back. Bicycle parking lots are commonplace, and although many people seem to own cars, they certainly don't seem to use them for daily transport.

Part of the emphasis on bicycles is certainly impacted by the cost of living in Tokyo, and in particular, the expenses of transportation. While the Tokyo Metro is efficient and widespread and a fantastic way of getting around, it is fairly expensive. We have been spending an average of $7 a day on the subway, and we try to walk as often as possible.Were we to be living in Tokyo longer than 8 days, we would certainly invest in bicycles.

Why bicycle, when you could drive a car instead?

1) Bicycles do not contaminate the air, or contribute to global warming.

2) Cycling is good exercise!!

3) Bicycles do not require much space. Six bicycles can run on a road with a width sufficient for just one car, and twenty bicycles can be parked in a single car parking space.

4) Bicycles are cost-effective. The price of a bicycle is one hundredth of the price of a car, or even less when purchased used. Bicycles do not need gasoline, and they are tax-free.

5) Bicycles are affordable. Compared with cars, bicycles are far more affordable for the billions of poorer people in the world.

6) Bicycles are resource-effective. A bicycle, which weighs only about 30lbs, does not use much in the way of raw materials.

7) Both grown-ups and children can ride bicycles.

8) Bicycles foster more social interactions than does the isolation of driving in a completely enclosed car.

9) Traveling by bicycle allows for greater awareness of other environmentally-friendly concepts.

Do you use bicycles as a frequent mode of transportation? Why not? Could you?

I came across a fantastic initiative that donates used bicycles to heathcare workers in developing countries: Municipal Coordinating Committee for Overseas Bicycle Assistance (MCCOBA). Recycled bicycles are dismantled, shipped, and then reassembled for donation. Imagine living in a place where a bicycle was considered more valuable than a car.

As the most energy-efficient form of travel thus far invented, bicycles are a perfect example of sustainability on a personal level...and you don't have to spend $500 (or even $1,350 on a bamboo bike). Going green shouldn't refer to the amount you spend on "saving the earth," though it so often seems to be the case. Are the terms "eco-friendly" and '"sustainability" already class-based? Do they exclude certain populations?

Are you a more conscientious person for buying the latest hybrid car? Or did you realize that your carbon footprint would be smaller over your lifetime by simply hanging on to the old one?