Cycle streets carbon saved

[nez]

I looked up a route I have to use later on cycle streets and it reckons 1400 odd gms carbon saved for a 35 min run. How do they know?
Yours "intrigued"

[TonyR]

I would guess that a 35 min ride is about 10-15km. The average UK car emissions for 2012 was 133g/km so that's an estimated 1330 - 1995g average saving depending on the distance

[Mark1978]

Which of course assumes that instead of my 60 mile bike ride I'd drive the route instead...

[nez]

I'm just surprised by the amount. Actually I'm cycling because a) I like it and b) I don't have to park. Of course.

[TonyR]

Which of course assumes that instead of my 60 mile bike ride I'd drive the route instead...

Quite, and in that scenario the more you cycle the more carbon, not less, you produce. But I suspect the authors expect that users can apply a modicum of intelligence to the issue and not interpret it literally.

[Adam S]

I assume at some point somebody has looked at the carbon footprint of the making the various parts of a bike, their transport to where they're assembled, shipping to the UK and transport to the end user via a bike shop. Anybody have a link?

[Mark1978]

I assume at some point somebody has looked at the carbon footprint of the making the various parts of a bike, their transport to where they're assembled, shipping to the UK and transport to the end user via a bike shop. Anybody have a link?

Presumably yes, but if you did that you'd also have to consider motor vehicle construction costs etc.

[Adam S]

If the bike is going to replace a car, rather than be in addition to one then yes. As you suggested, all those kind of calculations assume that the journey would be taken by another means, which isn't true of leisure cycling. Truth be told, I'm just interested in what a bike's carbon footprint might be

[meic]

What about if my car is just an addition to my bicycle and not about to replace it?

Also my leisure cycling emission savings DO count as before it I would have been out in my car or more likely on my motorcycle.

Though the savings can all go up in (diesel) smoke when I drive 60 miles each way to do a 200k Audax.

[Mark1978]

What about if my car is just an addition to my bicycle and not about to replace it?

Also my leisure cycling emission savings DO count as before it I would have been out in my car or more likely on my motorcycle.

Though the savings can all go up in (diesel) smoke when I drive 60 miles each way to do a 200k Audax.

But your emissions from riding will come from food, most of which is in the form of atmospherically fixed carbon into plants, some of which is fuel for the food manufacturing process.

[Adam S]

What about if my car is just an addition to my bicycle and not about to replace it?

I like your thinking.

[TonyR]

But your emissions from riding will come from food, most of which is in the form of atmospherically fixed carbon into plants, some of which is fuel for the food manufacturing process.

You are forgetting the very high carbon footprint of agriculture (fertilizer, farm vehicles etc), the processing and transportation of the resultant food and the cooking of it when you get it home. Those are all mainly fossil fuel based activities. You can readily estimate that a person on an Atkins diet (lots of meat) has a fossil carbon output per mile that exceeds that of the average family car.

[TonyR]

Truth be told, I'm just interested in what a bike's carbon footprint might be

The bike's carbon footprint is pretty small but the consequences can be quite large. It has been estimated for example that the longer life expectancy of cyclists leads to a greater lifetime carbon emission that gives them a bigger carbon footprint than their sedentary car driving counterpart. Tricky stuff this CO2 footprint.

[Mike Sales]

You are forgetting the very high carbon footprint of agriculture (fertilizer, farm vehicles etc), the processing and transportation of the resultant food and the cooking of it when you get it home. Those are all mainly fossil fuel based activities. You can readily estimate that a person on an Atkins diet (lots of meat) has a fossil carbon output per mile that exceeds that of the average family car.

Does this estimate for the average family car's footprint include the driver's food footprint. And the passengers' plus the petrol station attendant's food, the tanker driver's food, the food of the assembly line workers, the food of the iron ore miners etc.etc.?

[wrangler_rover]

I don't buy into this carbon thing at all.
All I know that in the UK, we are being taxed to the hilt on energy bills (green taxes) and on driving due to emissions being linked to road fund license and company car tax while China and India build huge carbon emitting coal fired power stations.
The contribution of reducing carbon emissions on a global scale from the UK (that aircraft carrier Britain as a Russian leader referred to us in the 1960s) is miniscule compared to China, India, Russia & USA.
As one US president (Bush?) said of Kyoto, I am not going to sign up to anything that will in any way disadvantage US industry.
When I was a child in the 1960s, Marks and Spencer had signs up in their shops saying "99% of St Michael goods are British made." Now they have meaningless signs about their low carbon emissions and low carbon footprint.
Don't plants in photosysnthesis take in CO2 and produce oxygen? If so, surely a simpler solution is to plant more plants and trees.