Environmental Benefits
If the average American biked or walked to work or shopping once every two weeks instead of driving, we could prevent the pollution of close to one billion gallons of gasoline from entering the atmosphere every year.
People in cars regularly suffer three times as much pollution as pedestrians because they are sitting in the path of the exhaust fumes from the car in front of them. Motor vehicle emissions represent 31% of total carbon dioxide, 81% of carbon monoxide, and 49% of nitrogen oxides released in the U.S. (From The Green Commuter, a publication of the Clean Air Council)
A short, four-mile round trip by walking keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe. (From the WorldWatch Institute)
Air pollution contributes to the deaths of 60,000 people nationwide. In urban areas with poor air quality, asthma is becoming a more significant health concern. (Harvard University School of Public Health).
Traffic noise is probably the most serious and pervasive type of noise pollution. Road traffic noise is a major contributor to high noise levels, particularly around schools and places of work. In adults it can affect our sense of well being and lead to sleep disturbance as well as hearing loss if we are exposed to high noise levels for long periods of time.
