Changing consumption patterns will only get us so far. Any long lasting social and economic change requires that governments enact laws that benefit or punish forms of behaviour and consumption. CFLs and fabric shopping bags are great, but its not until a gradual phase-out through government action that occurs that we see real change.

At the same time, governments can also offer positive incentives, such as removing provincial sales taxes on bikes sold in Ontario.

As for being “dazzled and distracted by tricks”, go visit any bmx track, inner city skate park or bike path in a park. Bikes play a vital role in getting people outdoors. They take us into the public spaces that make up our neighbourhoods and our communities, the very places threatened by climate change.

Bikes can be part of that first step, of knowing what surrounds us locally. Then, with that sense of place, we can act in a way that hopes to benefit everyone and everything we value.

I think you have started down the right road with the disposable mug. You have to take that first step before taking the second step. By making a first change, it makes people more aware so that you can take the next step. For instance, changing light bulbs to CFLs and driving less/biking more are easy steps for everyone to do start down the right path. I have noticed that when you are biking to work, more people in cars notice you and I hope they are thinking - I should be doing that too!

Ryan, have you talked to your sponsors and to other competitors to see how you raise awareness and take more environmentally friendly actions?

Have to admit though, and in accordance to what you’re saying, that the idea of becoming a privateer and riding my bikes until they fall apart and wearing nothing but patagonia clothing has crossed my mind, but at this point I could not do what I do without their support, and I am fortunate enough to have a title sponsor (Norco), who now has a “green team” of which I am proud to be a part of. Again using recycled paper won’t save the world, but the small steps add up and are contagious.

I appreciate your comments…

Let me also use the bicycle and riding as an example. As long as we are dazzled and distracted by the tricks being performed on them, we will never understand the consequences of buying many different flavors of bike that are fabricated on the opposite side of globe only because the dollar per hour of human labour is lower. These numbers are also more economically favorable for us if their environmental protection and workplace safety standards are not as high as we would expect them to be if they were being made at home. But we can’t see that from here, so who knows.

Disposable tea cups are not the problem, it’s being addicted to two cups of tea per day. Sorry, you won’t save the world by riding a Norco.

I’ve done that, it works very well.

Nice work on the article. Now it’s time to ride my bike to work in the rain. .