Environmental Statistics

• 20 billion extra pounds of CO₂ are released annually due to overweight and obesity in the US.   - Jacobson, S., and D. King, 2009, Measuring the potential for automobile fuel savings in the US: The impact of obesity, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 14, 6-13

• More CO₂ is emitted by the United States' transportation sector than any other nation's entire economy, except for China.   - Greene, D., and Schafer, A., 2003, in Pedroso, M., 2008, Safe Routes to School: Steps to a Greener Future

• A 40% obese population requires 19% more food energy, resulting in an extra 0.4-1.0 Giga tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year (for a population of 1 billion).  - Edwards, P., and I. Roberts, 2009, Population adiposity and climate change, International Journal of Epidemiology

• If all Americans between 10 and 64 were to bicycle instead of drive for 60 minutes a day, the resulting reduction in CO₂ emissions would be 11% of 1990 net US emissions.  - Higgins, P., and M. Higgins, 2005, A healthy reduction in oil consumption and carbon emissions, Energy Policy, 22, 1-4

• A 5% increase in the walkability of a neighborhood is associated with a per capita 32.1% increase in active travel, 6.5% fewer miles driven, 5.6% fewer grams of NO_x emitted, and 5.5% fewer grams of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted.   - Frank, L., et al., 2006, Many pathways from land use to health: Associations between neighborhood walkability and active transportation, body mass index, and air quality, Journal of the American Planning Association, 72, 75-87

• Half of U.S. schoolchildren are dropped off at school in the family car.  If 20% of those living within two miles of school were to bike or walk instead, it would save 4.3 million miles of driving per day.  Over a year, that saved driving would prevent 356,000 tons of CO₂ and 21,500 tons of other pollutants from being emitted.   - Pedroso, M., 2008, Safe Routes to School: Steps to a Greener Future

• If the number of kids who walk and bike to school returned to 1969 levels, it would save 3.2 billion vehicle miles, 1.5 million tons of CO₂, and 89,000 tons of other pollutants annually.  This is the equivalent of keeping more than 250,000 cars off the road for a year.   - Pedroso, M., 2008, Safe Routes to School: Steps to a Greener Future

For more research on youth cycling and the environment, check out the Safe Routes to School National Partnership's Research site

• If 10% of NYC commuters biked to work instead of driving or taking transit just once per week, they could save 120 million pounds of CO₂ emissions per year, equivalent to the amount released by the homes of 25,000 New Yorkers.   -Transportation Alternatives, 2008, Rolling Carbon: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commuting in New York City
  

• If 5% of New Yorkers commuting by private car or taxi switched to biking to work, they could save 150 million pounds of CO₂ emissions per year, equivalent to the amount reduced by planting a forest 1.3 times the size of Manhattan.   - Transportation Alternatives, 2008, Rolling Carbon: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commuting in New York City

• Bicyclists in Philadelphia ride 260,000 miles daily, saving 47,450 tons of CO₂ from being emitted by cars each year.   - Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, 2008, Double Dutch: Bicycling Jumps in Philadelphia

• 89% of Americans believe that transportation investments should support the goals of reducing energy use.  - National Association of Realtors and Transportation for America, 2009, 2009 Growth and Transportation Survey

• Bicycling instead of driving for 5 miles a day reduces individual CO₂ emissions by 1,287 lbs annually*, about 6% of the average U.S. individual’s total emissions¹.

*Assuming bicycling 5 days a week, an average car fuel efficiency of 20.2 mpg², and an average CO₂ content of 20 lbs per gallon of gas³

That’s the energy savings equivalent of:

•    Replacing 13 incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs⁴
•    Recycling 400 pounds of waste instead of sending it to the landfill⁵
•    Replacing 2 old refrigerators with newer Energy Star models⁶
•    Flying 2,429 fewer miles a year⁷

¹ The average U.S. 2-person household produces 41,500 lbs of CO₂ a year, or 20,750 per person.   - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator

² U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends 1975 Through 2007

³ U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “How can a gallon of gasoline produce 20 pounds of carbon dioxide”

⁴ Replacing 1 light bulb saves 100 lbs of CO₂ per year.   - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator

⁵ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator

⁶ Replacing 1 refrigerator saves 521 lbs of CO₂ per year.   - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator

⁷ Based on a CO₂ emission factor of 0.15 kg/km (0.53 lb/mi) for short-range flights.   - The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative, Business Travel Emissions Calculator