State Lawmaker Defends Bike Tax, says Bicycling is Not Good for the Environment

[DreamGypsy]

8. If you need data to refute this and similar nonsense...

... the article cited in the post contains a link to a 17 page report by the European Cycling Federation entitled Cycle more Often 2 cool down the planet ! -Quantifying CO2 savings of cycling. Part of the summary from the report states:

When evaluating different transport modes, it is the bicycle that allows for important greenhouse gas savings. Although not a carbon free mode of transport, the bicycle’s GHG emissions are over 10 times lower than those stemming from individual motorized transport. Pedelecs, despite their electric assistance, are also found to have greenhouse gas emissions in the same range as ordinary bicycles.

This study shows that if levels of cycling in the EU-27 were equivalent to those found in Denmark, bicycle use would help achieve 12 to 26% of the 2050 target reduction set for the transport sector, depending on which transport mode the bicycle replaces.

There report contains methodology, data, and analysis to backup the claims. Caveat - much of the U.S. is much less bike-friendly than many parts of the EU, so American savings may vary.

The ECF also has a neat CO2 calculator, where you can 'Choose your vehicle, indicate your distance in Km and see how much CO2 is emitted for this trip.' For example, going 40 KM by bicycle yields:

Your emissions for this trip represent 840g CO2e.
You have save 10000g CO2e compared to a car trip.