Since I arrived in Denmark, I have been impressed by how commonplace bicycling is. Bike lanes are ubiquitous. On the Cop-15 bus ride back to our hotel, I often notice traffic jams of bikes because there are so many bikers. This morning I saw little kids riding their mini bikes to school (it was cute). These two-wheeled friends are everywhere.
It wasn’t until a presentation on green building US technology this morning that I realized how significant this Danish transportation habit is. According to Roger Platt, of the US Green Building Council, Danes spend 90% of their lifetime indoors. Mr. Platt joked that Americans spend 90% of their life in their cars. The fact that 10% of a Danish lifetime is spent outdoors is impressive yet perplexing to me. As someone who is not particularly active outdoors, all morning I have been struggling to estimate what proportion of time I spend outdoors. I’ve resolved that it is “probably just not enough.”
Regardless, in the context of climate change policy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, these types of lifestyle difference are important to study. As a policy studies student, I am tackling this issue from a policy approach: What policies would we need to change behavior in the US? Would adding bike lanes to most streets be enough? I doubt it. Americans love their SUV’s (or Priuses). Another significant concern with increased bike use in the US is theft. Two of my friends had their bikes stolen on our college campus in the past year. There’s a trust issue involved, which is interesting because most Danes in Copenhagen don’t lock their bikes. Friendly, right?
Clearly their are structural and cultural factors that help explain differences in international transportation usage. I think the Danes have it right. Change in America is certainly possible, but will progress one lane at a time.
