Eco-Friendly Motorcycles And Carbon Footprint

Eco-friendly motorcycles are the latest offering of bike manufacturing companies. Although the concept has been there for a long time but actual realization into something tangible has come about only now. Eco-friendly motorcycles are a broad term used to categorize the new fuel-efficient, hybrid, electric, low weight, better and efficient motorcycles. These bikes are still in their nascent stage of their development and still require undergoing refinement. Eco-friendly motorcycles can be a great way for carbon offsetting. Transportation is a major industry and according to research, about 21% of the total carbon emissions in United States are from 221 million registered automobiles.

Motorcycles sales are rising everywhere, fueled by the rising prices of the gasoline world over. Commuters are resorting to bikes as a bike gives a mileage of 50-75 miles in a gallon of gasoline. Even with those prices and mileage a motorcycle results into huge savings, it requires lesser maintenance than a car. So why not focus on motorcycles as a simple way to carbon offsetting initially then move on to the bigger cars and trucks. We have been using the term carbon offsetting which means to reduce the carbon footprint. Nevertheless, let me explain the two terms to you briefly in next few lines.

Carbon footprint is a more recent term. It is a measurement of the impact that all human activities have on the overall environment, in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced and released into the environment. The emissions are measured in the units of carbon dioxide. In simpler words it is the total carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by a human activity or over the complete life cycle of any product or service. The activities can range from heating, cooking, manufacturing, eating, transporting, watching TV, working, electricity generation, etc. The gases are produced mainly due to burning of fossil fuels used in these activities.

The aim of carbon footprint measurement is to facilitate a better understanding of global warming among people and organizations. So that they are able to conceptualize as well as realize their contribution to the global warming phenomena thus reducing it at a personal level. Carbon offsetting is a tool to reduce carbon footprint. It involves the development and use of alternate energy projects to mitigate the carbon emissions.

The quality of the air that we breathe has changed significantly and is worsening by the day. Eco-friendly motorcycles include bikes that run on bio-fuels, biodiesel, ethanol, solar powers cells, hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cells, electricity and now even on compressed air. These new motorcycles require no or lesser gas and oil. They are almost silent - don't make any sound. They do not release gaseous compounds and are not over heated. They are light weight, slim and almost maintenance free. According to a research the eco-friendly motorcycles can reduce the carbon footprint of urban commuters by 85%. This proves that with some effort and proper guidelines the humans can reduce their carbon footprint using eco-friendly motorcycles instead of normal fossil fuel powered bikes.