There are sooooo many reasons-
- Walking and biking to school provide opportunities for children and families to reduce their carbon usage and contribute to the health of the environment.
- If a family chooses to walk to school (rather than drive a personal vehicle)
they can reduce their carbon use by .164 metric tons annually.
- If half of the students at an average size elementary school choose to walk to school their impact could be a savings of over 39 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year. This is the equivalent of the carbon-removing abilities of 1,000 trees.
- Leaving the car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by an average of 1,600 pounds per year.
- Private vehicle emissions contribute to air pollution and global climate
change, both of which threaten human and environmental health.
- Passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and SUVs together account for 62 percent of transportation related greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector is responsible for one-third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. Air pollutants can be especially harmful to children because their respiratory systems are still developing.
- Air pollution has negative effects on lung development in children and can reduce lung function, increase respiratory infection, and aggravate asthma symptoms.
- Childhood asthma rates more than doubled from 1980 to the mid-1990s and they remain at historically high rates today. Presently, asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases and is a major cause of childhood disability. At least 14 million school days are missed annually due to asthma.
- Exposure to nature and time for free outdoor play can have multiple health benefits including stress reduction, relief ofADHD symptoms in children, and increased cognitive and motor functioning.
