The Climate Change Summit recently wrapped in Paris, with most of the world’s major economies agreeing to a historic accord formalizing 195 countries’ commitments to cutting emissions and assisting each other in fighting global warming—the first-ever attempt to synchronize efforts worldwide. The US committed to reducing its carbon emissions by nearly 30 percent over the coming decade—an ambitious, but many believe achievable, goal. During the talks, Lewis Fulton, a transportation researcher at University of California, Davis, and the Director of STEPS (Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways), gave speeches and met with representatives from several countries and the United Nations. His message: Bikes can help save the world.

“We need to hold our politicians accountable,” says Fulton, who believes we might be able to limit climate change to a manageable 2-degree rise in Earth’s temperature. “But we also need to make changes [in our personal lives]. Cycling plays a huge part in that.”

The bulk of officials in Paris represented national governments, but in order to effectively combat climate change, both cities and individuals will have to get more involved in the fight. Getting more people on bikes instead of cars will have one of the biggest impacts, Fulton said. In the U.S. and Canada, cycling represents only about 1 percent of daily urban travel, according to Fulton’s most recent study published this past November. By increasing that number to 20 to 30 percent, researchers believe carbon emissions from urban passenger transport could be reduced nearly 11 percent by 2050 and save more than $24 trillion in various costs.

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But getting more people to bike to work means cities must invest in cycling infrastructure, such as bicycle parking, protected bike lanes, and greenways, and change car-centric citizens’ attitudes towards two-wheeled transport. Fulton pointed to the success of Bogotá, Colombia, which saw a significant spike in bike use after the city began shutting down major roads to car traffic for several hours one day a week; he also points to e-bikes as a quick and efficient way to get more commuters riding daily.

Fulton and his contemporaries suggest 10 percent of current and future transportation funding be devoted to cycling infrastructure.

While it remains to be seen whether global powers will be able to implement what they agreed to in Paris and keep each other honest in their commitments, Fulton is hopeful about advances at local and city levels, which bolster national and international efforts in aggregate.

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“At the national level, officials tend to think large scale, particularly when it comes to road projects,” Fulton said. “Building cycling infrastructure is so inexpensive in comparison, it’s almost an afterthought. Cities and mayors tend to have a better handle on these things, because they know more people on bikes equate to improved livability and sustainability in their communities.”

Robert Annis After spending nearly a decade as a reporter for The Indianapolis Star, Robert Annis finally broke free of the shackles of gainful employment and now freelances full time, specializing in cycling and outdoor-travel journalism. Over the years, Robert's byline has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, Bicycling, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics, Lonely Planet, the Chicago Tribune, and Adventure.com

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