HR: 0800h
AN: PA51A-1465    [Abstracts]
TI: Exercise based transportation reduces oil consumption and carbon emissions
AU: * Higgins, P A
EM: phiggins@nature.berkeley.edu
AF: UC, Berkeley, 151 Hilgard Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3110 United States
AB: Current abuse and misrepresentation of science hinders society's ability to address climate change. Scientific abuse results, in part, from a widespread perception that curbing emissions will require substantial economic, political, or personal sacrifice. Here I provide one example to illustrate that this perception is false. Simply walking or biking the amount recommended for a healthy lifestyle could reduce carbon emissions up to 11 percent if the distances traveled were substituted for car travel. This level of exercise is also sufficient to eliminate obese and overweight conditions in a few years without draconian diet plans. A reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of roughly 35 percent is possible if the revenue saved through decreased health care spending on obesity is redirected toward carbon abatement. This emissions reduction far exceeds that required by the Kyoto Protocol at no net cost. Finally, widespread substitution of driving with distances traveled during recommended daily exercise would considerably ease societal dependence on oil, which leads not only to climate change but also to air pollution, political and economic instability and habitat degradation. Thus, exercise based transportation constitutes a potentially favorable alternative to the energy and diet plans that are currently under consideration and a substantial step toward dealing with the threat of climate change.
DE: 6399 General or miscellaneous
DE: 6620 Science policy
DE: 1699 General or miscellaneous
SC: Public Affairs [PA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting