WEBVTT

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- Ami Eckard-Lee: How do you
typically get around?

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Well, for the majority
of Americans,

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the answer is
in a gas-powered vehicle.

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And so what?

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Why is that significant?

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Because our reliance
on gas-powered vehicles

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is one of the
biggest contributors

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to climate change today.

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But what makes gas-powered
vehicles so harmful

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for our environment?

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[bright music]

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Life in the fast lane

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has put us on the fast track
to changes in climate.

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Gas-powered vehicles
like most cars, buses,

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and airplanes burn fossil fuels
for energy.

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Fossil fuels are the result

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of the heat and pressure
of the Earth's crust

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transforming the ancient remains
of plants and animals

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into an energy-rich resource.

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But it's a non-renewable
resource.

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Crude oil, natural gas, and coal

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are all examples of fossil fuels
we use today.

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And when they burn, they emit
carbon dioxide, or CO2,

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into the atmosphere.

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But too much CO2
in the atmosphere

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causes something known
as the greenhouse effect.

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This effect traps heat,
kind of like a greenhouse,

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leading to the entire planet
becoming warmer.

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So, we burn fossil fuels
for our transportation needs.

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Burning fossil fuels emits CO2.

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Too much CO2 leads to the
greenhouse effect.

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And the whole result
is a major contribution

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to climate change.

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But how does this impact us?

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- Hi, Jonathan.
- Jonathan Patz: Hi, Ami.

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- Hey, I have a climate question
for you.

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How much CO2 is emitted
from transportation

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in the United States each year?

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- In the United States,

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transportation is the
largest emitting sector

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of greenhouse gas emissions.

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Transportation emissions
come from all over the place,

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be it from cars and trucks,

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off-road vehicles,
to ferries and ships

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contributing to warming
of the planet.

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- How does our reliance
on fossil fuel

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impact people everywhere?

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- When you burn fossil fuels,

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you emit all these
dangerous pollutants.

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Globally, burning fossil fuels

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causes more than 5 million
premature deaths every year.

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When you breathe in these
fine particles,

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it gets into your bloodstream.

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It affects your heart,
it affects your lungs.

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And, you know,
there are issues with asthma,

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lung cancer, heart disease.

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Those are some
of the main issues,

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but it also
affects mental health.

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And there studies that show
an impact on learning,

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you know, being a compromise
with air pollution.

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- What can an individual do
to make a difference?

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- Well, what I can tell you
is that we drive too much.

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In the United States,
a majority of car trips

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are short car trips,
less than five kilometers.

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And there would be
enormous benefits

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if we could convert those
short car trips

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into active travel,
say by bicycle,

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because you're avoiding the
emissions.

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And at the same time,

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you're promoting physical
fitness and exercise.

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So, this is a strong reason
to start designing cities

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for people rather
than just for cars.

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You know, bike and walk
as much as you can,

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and the world
and you will be better for it.

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- So, as you can see,
our reliance on fossil fuels

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is a pretty big contributor
to climate change.

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But how can we move away
from this?

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And what's stopping us?

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Well, for many people,
it's a lack of access

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to a more sustainable means
of transportation.

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Take biking, for example.

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It's a great alternative
means of transportation

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that doesn't produce
any CO2 emissions.

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But not everyone has a bike
or knows how to fix it

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if it breaks.

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Or maybe they just
don't have access

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to safe bike routes to get them
to their destination.

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Thankfully, there are
individuals and organizations

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dedicated to increasing
accessibility to safe,

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sustainable means
of transportation right here

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in our communities and schools.

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Let's head to Madison East
High School and take a look

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at how one student's idea

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changed the way his peers
show up to class.

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- This about right?

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- Andy Nguyen: Maybe
a little bit more, actually.

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There you go.

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I started the club last year,

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which is halfway
through my junior year.

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So, I saw a ton of bikes
in the front bike rack.

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Not well maintained, broken,
low tire pressure, no brakes.

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And with a background in cycling
and bike repair,

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I decided to put my talent
to use

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and educate my peers
on how to repair bikes.

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I see climate change
as a big issue

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because we only have one planet,

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so biking opens up
another form of transportation

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that people can consciously
choose

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and reduces the reliance
on cars.

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And just riding my bike,

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it helps you get a better
perspective on the world.

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- Oh!
- Yeah.

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You guys wanna give it a try?

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- Silas Hunter: I got taught
by Andy and my uncle,

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and it's super cool 'cause now

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I'm able to teach
even more people

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through what they have
taught me.

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And it's kind of this very cool
trickle-down effect

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'cause, like, they've taught
multiple people

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and now I've taught
multiple people,

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and it just keeps growing.

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- Andy: People can stand up
for what they believe in.

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Many people see climate change
as such a big issue

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and that their impact
is too little.

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I wish more people would start
somewhere,

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starting with just cycling
to work

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or cycling places
is a good start.

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And every little bit counts.

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- Ami: Big changes
have to start somewhere,

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and it's often one person

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who causes a chain reaction
for those around them.

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Andy saw an issue at his school
and realized

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he had the knowledge and the
power to fix it, so he did.

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Thanks to him,
there are now

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even more students
biking to school

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and lowering their school
community's carbon footprint.

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A carbon footprint refers to the
amount of carbon dioxide

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released into the atmosphere
by a specific person or entity.

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A carbon footprint
can be calculated

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for individuals, businesses,
schools,

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communities, states,
or even entire countries.

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Some of the biggest contributors
to a carbon footprint

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include electricity, heating
and cooling our homes,

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and food waste.

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But by far, the biggest factor
is our transportation habits.

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So, one of the most effective
ways to lower a carbon footprint

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is to choose more sustainable
transportation methods

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that release little or no CO2

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into the atmosphere,
like riding your bike.

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Let's take a look
at how a similar club

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at Omro Middle School grew
into a community-wide program,

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all thanks to one person
who saw a need and filled it.

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- Joe Horvath: It's amazing
the number of bikes here

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that came out of a dump

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and people just get rid of 'em,
and that's to our benefit.

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I never turn down bikes

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'cause you never know
what you're gonna find.

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They know in the community now,
rather than throw 'em out,

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they'll just come
and drop 'em off.

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So, people know that bikes
aren't gonna go to waste.

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- It's very interesting to me

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that such a small
and rural community

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would be so excited about bikes,
when often I think of, like,

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bike transportation and stuff
as being something really urban.

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- Right.

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We became more involved
in biking

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through the Safe Routes
to School initiative.

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We developed safe routes
from all corners

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of the community
to bike and walk to school.

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- Why do you think biking
is important?

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- Elizabeth Schubert: 'Cause it
helps to stop air pollution

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and so then we don't use up all
our natural resources

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like gas and oil in the Earth.

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'Cause once we run out,
we're out.

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- Maddie Fisher: Bikes,
they're not like cars.

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They don't pollute the
environment.

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If, say, one person rode a bike
instead of taking a car,

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every day, that's one less car
emitting fumes.

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- So, one bike at a time.
- One bike at the time.

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- I want the kids to know
there's things that they can do,

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like ride your bike to school.

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We're trying to build a culture.

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We need people that care.

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And you may not realize you have
a skill you can pass on

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that's valuable, and especially
if it has anything to do

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with the changes

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that our environment
is going through.

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And you just pass it on
to one kid at a time.

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And that will just blow up.
- One thing, one kid,

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one community.
- Right.

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- Ami: These clubs
or community groups

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are an effective form
of advocacy

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that empowers others
and encourages communities

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to build infrastructure
to support sustainable habits.

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Another great option is to
utilize public transportation

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and carpooling.

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If some of these options don't
exist in your community,

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become an advocate for them.

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It's easy to feel like our
actions have little impact

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on the big picture,
but it's individuals

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who get the wheels of change
turning.

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So, what sustainable
means of transportation

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are you already using
in your life?

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And which ones
are you going to add?

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Together,
we can shift gears

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towards a more
sustainable future.

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[cheers]
I'm gonna get there so fast!

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This is as fast as I can go!

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[group cheers]

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Wait, you guys,
it has no brakes!

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[group laughs]