I saw this book in my local library and I couldn’t resist the cover.
This quirky picture book for preschoolers (ages 3-6) is the first foray into children’s books by Frank Viva, an award-winning illustrator/graphic artist for Esquire, Time and The New Yorker.
The story focuses on a winding, uninterrupted road that is both a stylistic feature of Viva’s work, a fundamental that leads the reader through the story and a necessary motif given this particular story – which is of course…cycling along a lon road!
The road features prominently and runs from the very start of the book by loops across the inside front cover, then out across each page as it weaves around towns, farms, a theme park, forests and past ocean foreshores.
The cyclist is on an elongated bicycle, which he expertly rides through tunnels, over bridges, up and down hills and around bends…. all in order to get to the end FAST – only to start the journey all over again!
Here’s an excerpt:
Along a long road gaining speed
Again and again and again
Along a long road going fast
Around a round bend near the end
And start all over again
This book appears simplistic, however, the winding long road, even cadence of text, the steadfastness of the cyclist and the ever-changing, yet familiar scenery – all have a rhythm and movement that many riders will identify with.
Just like the cyclist in the book, many riders have felt the compulsion to ‘just keep going!’.
The illustrations are minimalist and use a limited palette of four key muted tones to focus attention on the activity in the book.
The pages are thoughtfully designed and are clear and easy to look at. Hidden on pages are little gems, like whales diving in the ocean, dragonflies and tractors in fields.
My favourite part in the book is when the cyclist is stopped by an apple on the road out the front of a library…after the apple is moved, our cyclist is off again after waving to a little boy, his mother and their dog.
Few people know that Frank Viva originally created this project as one continuous, thirty-five-foot-long artwork. Amazing!l Athough Frank might be new to children’s books, he is certainly not new to cycling – as he is an avid rider and has cycle-toured many countries.
I like this book because it reminds me of riding my bike around Brisbane: the bayside, the theme park, the forest and the farming country – and all the happy times I’ve had wooshing around the city and getting to where I want to go FAST ….. it is lovely to see it expressed in such a unique and whimsical way.
More fun picture books for kids about bikes, please!
So, if you see this book in a bookstore or the library – take the time to flip through it- it is an entertaining, easy and highly recommended read.
In July, Nao Kamakura joined Bicycles Create Change as Research Assistant. Nao is investigating rates of participation in mountain biking, with a particular focus on rates of female participation. Below is Nao’s first post for BCC where she shares a few preliminary findings and thoughts.
Image: Nur Andi Racvanjani Gusma
How many Australians participate in mountain biking as a sport?
But, how many people actually participate in mountain biking as a sport?
According to 2016 data from the Australian Government Australian Sports Commission, cycling is the 5th most popular sport in Australian for women (over 15 years) old and its total number of participants was 85,5231.
The total female population (for all ages) in Australia is 12.2 billion in 2016. Therefore, statistically, 7% of Australian women ride bicycles! This number includes both road cyclists and mountain bikers.
To participate in mountain bike competitions, riders need to register with Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA), which is the peak national organisation for mountain biking.
MTBA covers a number of off-road biking styles, including cross country, downhill, observed trials, cross-country marathon and cyclocross. Currently, MTBA has over 15,000 members and 175 affiliated clubs nationwide.
The number of female MTBA members in 2017 was 2,481 – and this gives provides our initial baseline for female participation and interest in the sport of mountain biking. However, these membership rates do not adequately signify actual participation rates.
Although MTBA registration offers membership in categories such as: race, non-riding, recreation, public liability, value-add, free trial, family and day licenses – it is important to keep in mind that are still a number of riders who are/have not registered with MTBA who mountain bike – and that their participation would not be represented in these rates.
Many riders are registered, but not all MTBers participate in competitions. In particular, these numbers do not include the account for many riders who enjoy mountain bike without participating in competitions.
WA Mountain Bike Strategy 2015-2010
The approach, definition and classification of mountain biking vary significantly between the individual states and territories. Such differences impact how data is analysed, where funding is allocated and how the sport is viewed (and represented) by each state’s governing body. This is an area that will be of concerted interest for the project I am working on.
Interestingly, Western Australia is the only state that has clear statistics on mountain bikers. The WA government published the WA Mountain Bike Strategy 2015-2020 to encourage more people to engage in mountain biking. The report clearly states that the number of women who mountain bike is 14,400.
However again, these results do not mean that each of those 14,400 riders engages with MTBA as a sport, but it does list that the top three reasons Western Australians ride mountain bikes is 1) for the outdoor experience, 2) for fitness, and 3) for socialising.
So initial investigations show mixed results about the rates of mountain biking registration and participation.
WA Mountain Bike Strategy 2015-2010
So far, my research has not yet confirmed the actual number of female mountain bikers in the whole of Australia – the rate is still unconfirmed.
One reason for this is that the definition of mountain biking is ambiguous.
Depending on what you read or what states/territory you are in, mountainbiking can be classified as a sport, as recreation, or as transport. This lack of consistency means that it can be difficult to compare data sets.
It is a challenge and a pleasure to be learning more about mountain biking in Australia – and I look forward to sharing more insights and findings as they arise.
I hope mountain biking is more recognised as a sport in the near future and that rates of participants will increase!
For this post, I wanted to see what kind of bicycle tattoos there are out there specifically on thighs.
I’ve seen a wonderful array of individual, quirky and incredible cycling tattoos over the years (go to a Singlespeed World Championship and you will know what I mean!) and I love how bold and unique they are.
I chose the tattoos below, not because they are the best looking tattoos, but because they show a good range of personalities and styles (both in riders and tattoos!).
I divided them up into 4 categories.
Here’s what I found….
1. For the fun of the ride
The first group of thigh bike tattoos include those that are fun, light, playful and a little bit sexy.
Source: Tattooeasily.comSource: Tattooeasily.comSource: Two Wheels Better
2. Colour and movement
Other people prefer some colour and movement in their tattoos.
Source: Bike Reich.tumblr.comSource: i.pinimg.com
3. Each part is a thing of beauty
Tattoos also celebrate the mechanical nature of ‘the parts of the greater whole’ and various types of bikes.
For others, it is the raw pedal power that excites and motivates.
Source; Askideas Source: E bikerig
And there are many others!
Love them or hate them, tattoos are here to stay.
Some riders have bike tattoos and some riders don’t – maybe someone you ride with has one – but you just can’t see it.
So next time you are on a ride, keep your eyes open for a cycling tattoo gem and have a chat with someone who has their tattooed love of bicycles on display.
I remember reading this story ages ago – and it really stuck with me. As a bike rider and dog owner, there is nothing more appealing than hitting endless trails on bikes with a furry mate. For our honeymoon, husband and I took the bikes and Zoe and spent three weeks driving up the east coast of Australia riding all the best MTB trails along the way. We had an amazing time. So when my work gets more than the usual crazy (mostly around marking time) and I’m feeling like there’s a lot going on, I think back to our time on the trails with Zoe and I reread this story…..and it makes everything okay. Just to know that this is an option and there are riders out there living the dream makes me happy. In our house, there continues to be talks of future cycling puppy inclusive cycling travels. Hazah!! Ride on #bikes_CISTA teams! NG.
Joshua Sivarajah sold all his possessions and set out to bike around the UK with just his dog Nero for company – a year later, he has found no reason to stop.
For the first 34 years of my life, I led a fairly conformist existence – university, a succession of jobs, my own sales business – but I never felt fulfilled.
When my mum suggested I move to Indonesia with her, I thought, “Why not?” and started making preparations. But as the departure date got closer, I realised how much I was going to miss the UK.
I decided I’d spend some time touring the country on my bike with Nero, my five-year-old collie.
Giving it all up to cycle the world with your dog
I sold my car, gave away my furniture, quit my flat, bought panniers for my bike and dragged my tent and sleeping bag out from under the stairs.
By the end of the week, I was on my way, Nero trotting beside me.
My plan was to cycle round the UK in about seven weeks. But a fortnight in, I realised there was no need for me to go fast – I just needed to appreciate what was around me.
It was tough going sometimes, but I learned how keen people are to help.
Most nights we camped on farmland or in parks (even in a castle once) but we also met people who were happy to put us up for the night.
Travelling with a dog, you make friends wherever you go.
Very early on, Nero burned his paws on hot tarmac and took to riding on top of my bags; an ironmonger in Whitby welded a special shelf on to my bike for him to sit on.
I’ve seen and done much more than I expected. The west coast of Scotland was particularly thrilling – I learned to sail and fish, I caught wild mackerel for breakfast and saw sea eagles with two-metre wingspans.
It was around that time that I phoned my mum and said, “I don’t think I can come to Jakarta, Ma. This is what I was born to do.”
My only outgoings are food for me and Nero, about £300 a month.
I carry my tent, my sleeping bag, hammock, and my laptop – other than the bare minimum of clothes and a few cooking utensils, that’s all I have.
I feel lighter, both physically and mentally.
We’re now cycling across Europe – we’ve visited France, Spain and Portugal so far. I never want to stop.
We’re slightly limited by Nero’s pet passport, so we can’t go to Africa or Asia, but I hope to cycle in the US next year.
Many of us who ride know the inherent positive health, economic and environmental benefits of biking.
But it is always reassuring to have the hard facts to back it up at the next dinner party you go to…so here is some ripper data from the EU you can wave under the noses of any annoying your non-riders who pooh-pooh cycling’s economic contributions to society.
The ECF is a preeminent cycling advocacy group, whose work centres around progressing cycling via a range of themes including economic, policy, tourism, health and environment, technology and safety and infrastructure to name a few.
This report is interesting because from what it looks like, it was the first European attempt (definitely ECF’s first calculation) to monetise the internal and external benefits that come cycling in the EU-27 (EU 2007-2013 when it had 27 member states).
The ECF calculates the annual economic benefit of cycling in the EU-27 to be at least € 205 bn.
Report Highlights
Here are a few highlights from the report as outlined in a presentation by Chloe Mispelon (ECF):
Current economic benefits of cycling are huge (over 500 billion € for the EU 28, more than 1000€ per inhabitant each year)
The economic potential is important as cycling modal share today is way below its mid XXth century levels in most EU countries.
Cycling economic benefits are spread over a wide range of fields making the case for cross-sectoral strategies on cycling at local, national or EU level
Lack of data prevents research to explore many other cycling related economic benefits
This report is ECF’s second calculation of the internal and external benefits of cycling linked to the current level of cycling in the EU-28. It is an extended and updated version of the first report published in 2013. The calculations have been updated with the latest available figures; in some cases, the methodologies for calculating the benefits have been refined taking into account the feedback received; and more benefits have been added in a systematic way.
So what are the estimates?
Summing up the calculated and estimated benefits of cycling in all these sectors, ECF arrives at the following aggregate figures:
The present report clearly shows that the benefits of cycling occur not only in specific, isolated fields like transport or environmental policy, but in many other areas where the EU has competences as well, like industrial policy, employment, health and social policy.
An integrated EU cycling strategy that includes these fields and considers cycling in all relevant policy areas will therefore enable the whole EU to reap these benefits in the future, including the countries which currently have low rates of cycling.
In some areas, ECF identified benefits of cycling but were not able to give any calculation or estimation yet.
More qualitative and quantitative research is needed in those fields to quantify these benefit.
The aim of this report is therefore also to encourage further research on the subject in order to draw a more precise picture of the economic benefits of cycling in the future.
All images and data in this post come from ECF or the ECF”s Economic Benefits of Cycling in EU-27 Report.
A big thanks to Papa Al for passing on this inspiring story to share! NG.
There can be few better examples of where bicycles create more positive community change than through the bicycle work of Bernard Kiawia.
Bernard Kiwia started out as a bike mechanic in his home country of Tanzania.
While repairing bicycles, he began applying his skills to use pedal power to create products and tools that directly improve to the lives of people in his community.
In 2011, Bernard made a bicycle-powered cellphone charger (see below).
Bernard is now a well-respected social entrepreneur – and bikes still feature prominently in many of his new inventions.
His current work is now focused on applying his (and other people’s) mechanical and technical skills towards addressing manual labour and technology issues in his area.
What we want to show people is they have skills to make their own technology that they can afford, they can repair, they can find the spare parts that they need
With local people, their income is always small and the kind of machines you can buy in the shop are not made for these local people because they’re expensive. That’s why I’m focusing on local.
I create technologies because I realise it’s something that can help my family and the community.
Source: Twende-tanzania.org
Twende – Accelerating Social Innovation
Bernard established Twende, which is a community inventor’s workshop. Twende is a creative workspace for people to come and use tools, problem solve ideas and experiment with making prototypes.
In this way, Twende functions similarly to a Men’s Shed, as it is an open workspace that has tools, resources and people there to support projects.
It also runs three workshop streams
1. Creative Capacity Workshop -entry-level workshops for any level.
Affordable Flashlight (~6 hours)
Automatic Switch (~7 hours)
Solar-Powered Phone Charger (~10 hours)
2. Built It Workshops – mechanically-focused workshops which include:
Spirit Stove (~3 hours)
Bottle Opener (~2 hours)
Electronics Workshop for secondary schools
A few of the Build Its Workshops are also integrated into some schools electronics curriculum.
3. Advanced Offerings – requires some advanced skills and tools (like welding)
Drip Irrigation
Bicycle-Powered Maize Sheller
So far, over 800 local innovators have used Twende, of which most are secondary school students, small-holder farmers, women, and microentrepreneurs.
Bicycles are ubiquitous and versatile (especially as a means to produce energy-efficient power) so it is not surprising that they feature in many of Twende’s inventions.
Source: Flickr Erik (HASH) Hersman
The Twende innovation hub was established as a space to “collaborate with students and community members in Tanzania to identify their challenges and design & create their own solutions to their problems will contribute to a world with improved access to technologies that improve people’s lives, a stronger local economy, and a nation of innovators and problem-solvers.”
are designed with (not just for) communities & partners
…and they make some of their own inventions for use and sale as well
Source: BBC News 1 Video
Twende is such an important grassroots social venture.
It fosters creative ingenuity, recycling, upskilling, empowers local skills, is cost-effective and addresses locally-identified issues – as well as providing a welcoming space for people to test mechanical and technical ideas that have an immediate positive impact.
And all this grew out of one man’s exploration of how a bike could make work and life better – awesome!
Nina Ginsberg and Dale Bracewell (Manager of Transportation Planning. City of Vancouver, Canada).
Recently I attended a very interesting event hosted by BikePedTrans. It was a presentation by Dale Bracewell, Manager of Transportation Planning for the City of Vancouver.
Vancouver has a particular sustainable and social interaction angle for its urban improvements that has created incredible positive change towards biking and active transportation – to a point where Vancouver is an exemplary urban cycling role model almost without rival.
As a bike enthusiast, this is very exciting! I wanted to hear more!
So here’s a quick overview of Dale’s session. It was called ‘FromaTrickletoaStream: Achieving a Major Bike Mode Shift in Canada’.
Ambitious Plans: Achieving a Major Bike Mode Shift in Vancouver
In 1997, Vancouver’s Transportation Plan identified there would be no increase in road capacity for cars and that walking, cycling and transit would be prioritised.
It also set an active travel mode share target of 40% to be achieved by 2008.
Significant progress has since been achieved and the plan was updated in 2012 that increased the targets even more – to 66% of all travel to be via walking bike or PT transit by 2040.
Remarkably, Vancouver achieved these goals well ahead of time – whereby 50% of travel set for 2020 was actually achieved by 2015.
Implementation of an impressive protected bike lane network and an Active Transportation Promotion & Enabling Plan saw daily cycling trips in Vancouver increase to over 50% from 2013 to 2016.
Vancouver’s vision is to support happy and health living by inspiring and enabling people of all ages and abilities to walk or cycle as their prefered way of getting around Vancouver.
Vancouver’s mission is to be leaders and partners in creating and promoting a world-class Active Transporation network in Vancouver.
Vancouver is looking beyond transport and mobility as the foundation for their Active Transportation policy. Their focus addresses and prioritises other eco-socio-cultural dimensions of urban living, to include health, safety, accessibility, economy, public life, environment and resiliency.
Vancouver has 5 Key Cycling Directions:
Upgrade and expand the bike network with routes that are comfortable and convenient
Improve integration with other modes, including via public bike share
Provide secure and abundant paring and end-of-trip facilities
Focus on education and safety
Promote cycling as an everyday option
The implementation principles for Vancouver’s Active Transportation Promotion & Enabling Plan are:
Think Big Picture
Be Opportunistic
Work Together
Invest Wisely
Innovate
Learn and Adapt
Data and Monitoring is key to everything!
Monitoring is key to tracking changes, recording data and observing trends. It is also imperative as evidence to prove positive changes and to encourage (stubborn?) politicians and administrators to act on increasing active transportation.
Vancouver’s monitoring program is impressive. Dale said a number of times that ‘you need to love the data!’. For example, evidence on the time spent sitting and being sedentary can be used to demonstrate causal impacts on health and physical activity outcomes. Dale also stressed the importance of female participation rates as an indicator of achievement of all ages design. Collect data and use it as evidence of success and to justify future initiatives.
What were some of the most interesting ideas?
Dale’s presentation was filled with interesting facts, ideas, learnings, suggestions and insights about Vancouver’s 2040 Transport Plan for biking. There was so much that was interesting, more than I can share here (contact Dale for more!). A quick review of some of the most interesting ideas include:
All ages and all abilities design – the end goal is for all Vancouver cycling infrastructure to all AAA standard. What a great idea!
Must have solid policy backing. Policy needs to recognise and drive issues that are broader than just mobility, for example, safety, health, accessibility, housing affordability, liveability and environment.
High-frequency mass transit is critical in shifting more locals towards using active transportation modes and away from private vehicles. To achieve this, having a minimum grid, forward-thinking strategic decision making and close consultations with stakeholders were key to building interest and momentum.
This presentation was the first time I heard the term ‘conversational bike lanes’ as a way to describe the width of a bike lane. This is used to describe how some bike lanes need to be wider in some places where two bike riders can ride alongside each other (to chat conversationally) as well as having room for one rider coming in the opposite direction (as opposed to just one bike width going both directions). What a lovely ‘social’ way of understanding bike lane usability.
It was inspiring to hear from Dale what could be achieved with political will and a clear strategic vision. What a brilliant model for other cities – a bikable city is achievable.
I am sure I was not the only one in the audience thinking why/how Brisbane could get to this same kind of state.
A trip to Vancouver anyone?
Twitter: @Dale_Bracewell
All images my own and/or from Dale Bracewell’s PPT presentation.
It is my pleasure to announce that Bicycles Create Change is breaking new ground!
I have many exciting plans for this blog and making these ideas into reality will take a concerted amount of effort, organisation, research, networking and resources.
As many of you know, it is a principle of Bicycles Create Change to collaborate with Griffith students and graduates to support and develop advanced personal, academic and professional skills.
These forays have been highly successful so far – such as:
Bella Turner (a Griffith Design (now) graduate) and I worked on a few projects together before she graduated and left for the UK, including the Go Ride app she and her team were working – and our collaboration to create the fun short film LEKI, which won the People’s Choice Award at the Brisbane Bicycle Short Film Festival 2018.
Nao’s assignment: What is the current status of Australian female MTB participation?
Project: Australian women’s participation in mountain biking
Currently, I am working on a number of bike-related projects and initiatives.
One of these is a public lecture investigating the issues and aspects relating to Australian women’s participation in mountain biking.
This is a big research project.
To help with this project, I am delighted to introduce the newest member of the Bicycles Create Change team – Nao Kamakura.
Nao is joining us as a Research Assistant and will be responsible for the background work for this investigation.
Introducing Nao Kamakura
Below, is a little bit about Nao in her own words….
Hello Readers!
My name is Nao and I am from Japan.
I came to Brisbane to study English and study at Griffith University. I want to learn about Australian business culture. After my English studies and a semester at Griffith University, I am now a research assistant for Nina and Bicycles Create Change.
The focus of my research for Bicycles Create Change is investigating aspects of women’s participation and perceptions of mountain biking – with a particular focus on the Australian context.
I’m a Chemist and an Environmentalist.
I believe the past development of the field of Chemistry has unfortunately destroyed our Earth a lot, but further, that future chemical innovations will be able to create a better world!
Therefore, I would like to be a person who contributes to a future where Chemistry can facilitate a more sustainable world.
Here is a link to my website called Enjoy the World. This is where I sometimes write about my greatest hobby – travelling and Australian life. I will let you know now though, it is all written in Japanese!
The BCC Research Assistant role
Nao and I have worked together previously. She is a DEP graduate of my class and for the last 13 weeks, we have been working on a PhD writing course as well while she was completed a semester of Griffith Coursework. Now she is looking for a new challenge.
Nao brings a remarkable set of skills to BCC. She has a science background so has a particular analytical approach to work, which offsets my more global and creative approach to work. She is great at the detail, I work best with the big picture. She is also a thoughtful and proactive environmentalist.
As well as having excellent English skills, Nao is also incredibly well travelled. For the last 8 years, she has kept her own travel blog, which is an amazing record of all the places she has travelled, people she has met and wonderful insights she has garnered along the way.
For this BBC role, Nao ‘s has been charged with finding and collating data, reports and research about the participation, motivations and perceptions of why women either do – or do not- ride mountain bikes in Australia and then to synthesis this information.
You will be able to hear about Nao’s work as she will also be presenting her findings as part of an upcoming Bicycles Create Change Public Symposia I have planned – the details of which will be released very soon. Stay tuned!
In Afghanistan, many children do not go to school. Literacy and school are especially limited in the rural areas, where distance and a lack of access and resources mean that education is unrealistic for many families who live in villages where the closest school is 3 hours away.
Education is paramount to reducing poverty and increasing quality of life.
One local, Saber Hosseini is trying to rectify this.
Every weekend, Saber loads up his ‘bicycle library’ and travels to six surrounding rural villages to share his library so that the locals (who have no access to books) can learn to read and have an opportunity to read.
Adding to this, Afghanistan has a mountainous geography and vast tracks of barren land, which make travel to school impossible. Even if travel was possible, so many schools were destroyed and education was so severely restricted, that rural children from remote villages were forced to drop out.
The Afghani teacher who bicycles books to rural villages
Saber has been riding his bicycle library since 2016. Saber bought his first 200 books with fundraising support from his friends and local literary circles.
Saber had to travel to the Iranian border to buy most of the books as previously, most publications, literature and books were essentially forbidden.
Over the years, Saber has been supported by friends and local volunteers – as well as people overseas. Now his library has 3,500 books and Saber has since been able to open the first ever public library in Bamiyan.
Reports are that literacy rates in the area are rising as a direct result of Saber’s bicycle library.
At the start, the books were simple, but now, more advanced titles have been added as local reading rates have improved.
The library is now so accepted and popular within these communities, that adults are coming to use the library and are borrowing advanced level children’s books.
Saber uses the opportunity to talk to the locals about peace, avoiding drugs, and being more understanding of different people’s beliefs, lifestyles, culture and choices.
The following story about Saber is from the Global Citizen: One time, Saber spoke to children about guns, and used the slogan:
“Say no to guns, Say yes to books.”
The next time he returned to the same village, the children collected all of their toy guns and handed them over to Saber.
This was a heartwarming gesture, but the kids wanted to bargain: they would forfeit their guns if they could be the first village in the next round of book deliveries so that they could get the first pick.
Saber has brought joy to many communities, but there are costs to his endeavor. He has received many threats and many have opposed his caring works.
Even still, Saber continues to make room for the opportunity to learn. A library is more than just a pile of books, it is also a community of individuals willing to learn and discuss and grow
“When I hand the books out to them, I can see their excitement and joy,” Hosseini said. “It is the joy of being able to learn. I am also inspired.”
Below is a video about Saber’s bicycle library.
High Stakes: Girls’ Education in Afghanistan
Saber’s efforts are particularly important given that illiteracy is a major issue in rural Afghanistan.
A recent Joint NGO Briefing Report of Girls Education in Afghanistan entitled High Stakes: Girls’ Education in Afghanistanreports that female education has faced significant obstacles in Afghanistan, yet there have been enormous gains since 2001. Under the Taliban, the majority of girls’ schools were closed and gross enrollment fell from 32% to just 6.4%.
The report also states that:
Female students have high aspirations for their educational achievement.
Many schools do not have the infrastructure needed to provide a quality education.
Poverty was seen as the single biggest obstacle to girls’ access to education. Poverty as a major barrier to girls attending school.
Poverty is also linked to early or forced marriage, which is an additional major obstacle to girls’ education.
The number of available female teachers is insufficient to meet demand.
Availability of education is insufficient to meet demand.
Distance, along with attendance in mixed classes or interaction with male teachers, becomes increasingly problematic as girls approach adolescence, when cultural norms regulating their behaviour become more restrictive.
Decision-making around whether or not girls go to school, and for how long, is complex and extremely varied from province to province and even household to household.
The World Bank’s 2017 Poverty Status Update Report on the socioeconomic progress in Afghanistan, indicates that the last 15 years of growth in Afghanistan is now being undermined by a recent rise in insecurity.
Let’s hope Saber keeps riding his bike, sharing books and helping others – and that his commitment inspires others to do the same.
All Images: Now This/The Daily Motion (video still) unless otherwise indicated.
Plastic is a systemic global issue. As a local Morton Bay rider, I regularly see first-hand the terrible environmental and sealife impact of plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways.
I hope that cyclists and bike riders are active role models – both on AND off the bike – for their families, teams and communities of individuals who are taking positive steps to address the plastic pollution problem.
What do you do as a bike rider to promote a more sustainable, plastic-free future?
Garbage covers the beach days after an extended storm hit the shoreline of Zouq Mosbeh, north of Beirut, Lebanon, on January 22, 2018. Environmentalists say the winter storm pushed a wave of trash onto Lebanese shores, stirring outrage over a waste-management crisis that has choked the country since 2015. Image: Hussein Malla- AP
Plastic pollution is a major social and environmental issue.
There is a growing global awareness of the collective action now needed to deal with the amount of plastic that already exists, and greater pressure for people to take more immediate and direct personal and community responsibility to reduce current single-use (and use in general) plastics.
This week was a perfect case in point, with two major international commemorative dates spotlighting the growing worldwide plastic issue.
June 5th was World Environment Day. The theme this year was ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. For me, the most compelling evidence for World Environment Day came from a series of photos curated by Alan Taylor, (some of which are shown here) which details the disturbing importance, scope and severity of impacts of plastics in various places around the world.
Then, a few days later, on June 8th, it was World Ocean Day. The focus was again was on plastics – but this time on preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for healthier oceans.
Plastic items float atop a garbage-filled creek in Manila, Philippines, on May 12, 2018. Image: Noel Celis AFP
Beat Plastic Pollution – on your bike.
So what has plastics got to do with cycling and bike riding?
A few cyclists have really taken this issue to heart
In her article for Adventurers Against Plastic, Helen Taylor showcased a number of athlete/activists who are working to raise awareness and clean up of plastics. Of these, there are two cyclists from London who are combining their creativity, ingenuity and love of cycling to tackle the plastic issue head-on. Here is what Helen said about the two bike-inspired eco-projects:
1. Dave Cornthwaite.
Dave is the founder of London-based social enterprise SayYesMore, has organised a 1,000-mile community relay along England’s rivers and canals, where a different person each day will ride a specially-made aquatic bicycle whilst removing plastic rubbish from waterways.
He aims to remove one million pieces of rubbish in 25 counties engaging youth groups, schools, and local clean-up initiatives along the way and says: “All in all, not one group, individual or project can solve all aspects of the issue, but it takes a communal mindset to instigate change. Using an innovative adventure relay to get more people outside will help with this – ultimately if people don’t walk or paddle along rivers they don’t care about what’s going on there. If they see for themselves bottles and crisp packets floating alongside wildlife, they’re more likely to take action.”
Images: Emma Karembo Taylor & Tanya Noble
2. Dhruv Boruah.
Dhruv is also using a quirky handmade bamboo waterbike to solve the plastic crisis at the source. As part of his Thames Project, Dhruv has been engaging the public in the issue by using his eye-catching waterbike contraption to collect plastic litter.
Dhruv realises that reactive cleaning isn’t the solution to the problem, but sees the project as an educational process: “Cleaning up is a good way of showing people what’s in the canal, it’s a good way to get people involved, when they come and see what’s in the canal they go back home and think twice – adventure activists need to go in and interact with local communities, engage with them and get them out in their spaces and on the waterways.”
Dhruv has also been lobbying policymakers – environmental charities, London councils and the Mayor of London’s office, the BBC, and large supermarket chains – to encourage them to change their single-use plastic habits, as well as promoting a circular economy.
Images: Adventure Uncovered & Canal Boat.com
Such bicycle projects are admirable.
But not all cyclists need to go to such lengths to take action.
I like to think that my fellow cyclists make their own regular and impactful contributions to improving the environment and reduce plastic waste.
This may be making your own power snacks that forge the copious amounts of packaging used in gel packs, to picking up pieces of rubbish during a ride where possible and putting them in the bin at the cafe at the end of a ride. Seemingly small actions like these are not only needed and necessary, but also demonstrate that cyclists are taking definitive action to reduce plastic pollution.
So next time you are out riding, think about one easy step you are comfortable that will help to reduce plastic dependency and that shows cyclists and bike riders actively care for our beautiful environs.
May all your rides be plastic reduced!
Garbage covers the beach days after an extended storm hit the shoreline of Zouq Mosbeh, north of Beirut, Lebanon, on January 22, 2018. Environmentalists say the winter storm pushed a wave of trash onto Lebanese shores, stirring outrage over a waste-management crisis that has choked the country since 2015. Image: Hussein Malla- APSource: @RedTRaccoonA black-footed albatross chick with plastics in its stomach lies dead on Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands on November 2, 2014. The remote atoll is a delicate sanctuary for millions of seabirds. Midway sits amid a collection of human-made debris called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Along the paths of Midway, there are piles of feathers with rings of plastic in the middle—remnants of birds that died with the plastic in their guts. Each year the agency removes about 20 tons of plastic and debris that wash ashore from surrounding waters. Image: Dan Clark
