Car free day stunt 2007- Carbon footprint

Press Release:  Car Free Day - Cyclist Launch  monument to "Big Foot" motorist

From:  Dublin Cycling Campaign 

Date:  Thursday 20 September

Event Date:    Saturday 22 September at 12 Noon 

Event Location:  The Spire  on O'Connell street

For Immediate Use  (Excellent Photo Op.) - Giant Motorist foot and  tiny cyclist's foot 

BIG FOOT MOTORIST!

A display will be mounted by the Dublin Cycling Campaign at the ‘Spike’ of a giant motorist’s foot (2.2m high) and tiny cyclist's foot compared on the basis of carbon dioxide output for the same commuting journey. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases. Commuting transport by car is a major producer of this gas in Ireland. 

The Dublin Cycling Campaign (DCC at http://home.connect.ie/dcc/) has announced it intends to mark Car-Free Day (part of European Mobility Week. See http://www.mobilityweek.eu/) by unveiling a ‘monument’ at the ‘Spike’ showing the giant

carbon footprint of a motorist along with the tiny footprint of a cyclist. “Bigfoot Motorist” rules in Dublin City!

Dr. Mike McKillen, chairman of DCC, explains, "the display gives a very effective visual demonstration of just how massive an impact the car has on carbon dioxide emissions compared to commuters who walk or cycle for the same journey. A commuter

who drives a 10 km journey to work every day and back will emit around 3-5 kg of emissions everyday. That's over a tonne a year. A cyclist could cover this same distance in 30 minutes; cause no pollution or congestion and burn 200-700 kilocalories (depending on effort). The cyclist can use the journey as a training run to maintain aerobic fitness and keep obesity in check”! 

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley TD, has indicated that he hopes to attend. This would make a great change from the zero support the Day has received from past Ministers for the Environment.

Dr. McKillen concluded by stating "Our planners and decision makers need to stop thinking CAR and start thinking PEOPLE, COST and ENVIRONMENT otherwise we are going nowhere!" 

ENDS 

Dr. Mike McKillen:  087-2314 613; 01-896 1613 (W) is Chairman of the Dublin Cycling Campaign

The Dublin Cycling Campaign is a voluntary organisation that has represented Dublin's commuting cyclists for over 15 years. 

USEFUL FACTS 

1. Vehicular transport accounts for 18.4% of total national greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport accounting for an estimated 93% of the GHGs emitted by the transport sector in Ireland in 2003. [See www.transport.ie] 

2. Irelands target under Kyoto Protocol limits the growth of greenhouse gas emissions to a maximum of 13% above 1990 levels for the 2008-2012 period. In 2004, actual national emissions were 23.1% above 1990 levels. The State is way off course on meeting this target. 

3. Carbon dioxide output for saloon cars can be found on manufacturers’ web-sites under technical specifications or atSustainable Energy Ireland at http://www.sei.ie/index.asp?locID=147&docID=-1. Costs associated with commuting by car are posted on the AA web-site at http://www.theaa.ie/ 

4. When petrol or diesel fuel is burnt to power a car engine the main by products are water vapour and CO2 - about 100 kg CO2 is emitted per 40 litres of fuel. 

5. A typical saloon car such as the Toyota Corolla 1.6 VVT-i Terra Verso uses about 9.4 L of fuel for 100 km travelled under urban test simulation. This equates to 1740 g carbon dioxide/10km. 

6. The cyclist produces about 50 L of carbon dioxide for the 10 km journey. This equates to about 90 g. But so does the car driver in breathing! The car produces 1740 g for the same journey by burning fossil fuel! A disparity of 19.3-fold. 

7. If the cyclist’s foot is 32 cm long (size 46 shoe) then the Bigfoot Motorist’s is 6.2 m long to the same scale!

RTE TV report: http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0922/carfree_av.html?2291266,null,230