 |
| Shared on PublicDomainPictures.net by Eric Verhaeghe (Unfortunately we don't have any photos of Leonardo DiCaprio cycling as they are all fully copyrighted) |
According to a study that was published in the American Journal of Public Health, dated April 2013, increasing the median time of walking and cycling can cut down the burden of cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
The study was carried out in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, the US. It focused on travel patterns and injuries, physical activity, fine particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions in the Bay Area.
It found that the burden of cardiovascular disease and diabetes was lowered by 14% when median daily walking and cycling was raised from 4 minutes to 22 minutes. There was also a 14% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when median daily walking and cycling increased from 4 minutes to 22 minutes.
While this study took place in the US, the same principles and theories used in the study could more or less apply to a metropolitan area such as Kuala Lumpur and the Greater Klang Valley area. Unfortunately, there is no readily available study in Malaysia on the benefits of walking and cycling in controlling not only health issues but also the environment.
Despite this shortcoming, we at YTX are advocates of cycling for health and the environment. Do your part by taking up cycling as a regular activity. If your workplace is too far and public transport such as the LRT (or the upcoming MRT) do not have stops near your workplace, at least take up cycling as an activity that you can do near your home. If you need some things from the grocery, cycle instead of taking the car. If your home is near a shopping complex, cycle there instead of taking the car. You not only save on fuel (and thus, cut down on CO2 emission), but also get fit in the process.
No comments:
Post a Comment