Blogger: Jane Warren, Green Team Representative
I have a lot of affection for my first bike. It was red, my brother’s was identical, but blue. We spent long summer days cycling round the Norfolk countryside, or so I remember. Come adolescence, the bike got parked in the shed. It wasn’t till I was at uni a few years later that I rediscovered the joys of cycling. A touring bike with drop handlebars that one summer took me from San Sebastián to Bordeaux. Part and parcel of that rediscovery was a reconnection to that child peddling furiously along narrow country lanes. The freedom. The speed. And the delight of staying upright on two wheels.
Since then, there has always been a bike in my life. The current model is a dependable hybrid - blue this time. Yesterday morning, it helped me transport bagsful of croissants and rolls for the office Bikers’ Breakfast.
The breakfast is part of our National Bike Week celebrations, free to all staff who dumped the car and cycled, walked or took public transport to work. Around 20 of us gathered at the Thorpe Road office in Norwich and managed to get through a fair few croissants and pains au chocolat. Amazingly, the weather held, and we breakfasted outside in glorious sunshine.
Bike Week, the UK's largest mass participation cycling event, provides an annual opportunity to promote cycling for fitness and fun – and reduce our carbon footprint. It’s all about encouraging ‘everyday cycling for everyone’. Not to mention that cycling to work in the morning is the best way to really wake up!
The RSPB is committed to reducing its carbon footprint. We have set ourselves a target to reduce carbon emissions by 3% each year. Climate change is the biggest single threat to wildlife, and it is estimated that transport accounts for around a quarter of the UK's energy use and carbon emissions. Reducing fuel usage and greening transport to and from work is all part of our environmental message. Travelling to RSPB reserves in a green way, instead of by car, is also a great way to help the environment, and improve health.
Me and my bike. I like to think that we’re doing our bit to reduce carbon emissions too. What about you? If you don’t have a bike, and want to cycle to work, find out about the Cycle to Work Scheme here.