By Elena Zevallos:
It’s finally May, a time that is recognized and celebrated nationwide as bike month. All around the country, bike events and festivals are held to promote awareness on the importance of using alternative transportation methods in place of our carbon-emitting vehicles. Here in Santa Barbara, we have Cyclemaynia, a fun social biking event that encourages our community to implement the world of two-wheels into our lives. But, given the current circumstances, all local and national events have been cancelled. This by no means should discourage us from actively trying out these alternative transportation routines in our own lives.
A recent article that was published by online magazine “Reasons to Be Cheerful” (you can read it here) brings to light the current process of governments around the world who are aiming to keep their carless streets closed to four-wheeled vehicles and accessible to bikers and pedestrians. The main reason behind this motive is to allow safe distancing practices to continue after the pandemic subsides and the lockdowns are lifted. This only goes to show that we can make decisions that provide a win-win scenario for both our planet and our society. Pretty interesting, isn’t it?
There are ways to live in alignment with our health alongside the planet’s as well. One way can be through participating in our newest campaign, “20 Santa Barbara Health and Wellness Tips”. Let's take into consideration what’s right for our bodies and what’s right for our planet under such tricky situations. We can reduce the amount of filth that pollutes our skies by taking steps towards a more advantageous lifestyle.
While there are restrictions in place in order to keep us safe, we can still use biking, walking or even running to our advantage. Most of us still have errands to run or perhaps even work to attend. Why not find a way to get to these places without releasing more toxic fumes into our atmosphere? If you have a bike and need to take a trip to the supermarket, grab the handlebars and pedal away!