Dutch people cycle an average of 2.6 kilometres each per day. If this pattern was replicated worldwide, the study suggests, annual global carbon emissions would drop by 686 million tonnes.
This mammoth figure exceeds the entire carbon footprint of most countries, including the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia.
I’d love to see reductions in car usage because I very much dislike cars and car culture. I don’t personally mind inconvenience - I wait for mass transit when friends are like “just take an Uber lol” (not even touching the labor dimension there). I also always say electric cars and self driving cars are solving the wrong problems.
I’m just pessimistic that we’ll make much progress voluntarily. A lot of people are stupid and selfish, and the rich have power to keep things shitty for their personal benefit.