Like it or not, the world is getting warmer and wetter, this is due to the fact that we are burning up fossil fuel at an incredible rate. It is not rocket science to understand that global warming is happening right outside our window.

Just take a look around at the latest weather pattern. Summer is becoming hotter, on most days consecutively hitting up to 45 degrees and winter is everlasting. Of course, we can’t stop the climate change process, but we can definitely choose to work together and certainly adapt to it.

This is a popular topic that is still being debated amongst our politicians and the general public in regards to the split of opinions on ways of tackling climate change. On the one hand, you have people who advocate for the increment of our bills to pay for activities leading to carbon emissions. They expect this to eventually lead us to new technologies that will make humans more carbon neutral. On the other hand, you have people like me who strongly oppose the idea and believe that passing a bill and enforcing that everyone ride a bike to work, in my opinion is more important than paying tax on carbon.

I think that it is important that the public is made aware that global warming is a serious issue and that we don’t need to wait for the politicians to make changes. Each and every one of us can all do something as little and as simple as contributing to riding our bicycles daily to help make a difference to this world.

A research study conducted by CNT shows that bicycling is the most effective form of transport mode in reducing carbon emission to zero. In knowing all this, how do we get people to get out there and start cycling? At this stage, there are really only two key points in increasing the density of cycling.

The first is that we as a society need to change the way in which we perceive bicycle riders. We need to get people to re-think the way in which they are using transport to transit around Sydney. Socially, we have this idea that it is embarrassing to ride our bicycles in heavily dominated traffic and fear being compared to that of professional bike riders when we are cycling. We also dislike the idea of being seen riding next to someone who owns a Mercedes Benz, because for us, that is not ‘cool’. Thus, the exact reason why we need to propagate for cycling promotion through our education systems and the media is to get our message across saying that is okay and important for us, as a nation to start cycling today.

Finally, how do we use cycle chic as a new form of transportation mode? Cycling should become a national trend. We need to learn from other already successful cities such as Copenhagen, Vienna and Amsterdam. How can they ride in style over there in large proportions without any fear whatsoever? Culturally, their perception is different to ours. It is ‘cool’ for them to ride their bikes to work, and ‘cool’ for them to do their groceries on their bikes, and even ‘cool’ to pick up their kids on their bikes. They also don’t have to wear helmets over there and are free to ride in style because their streets are safe and full of bicycle riders including people from all walks of lives such as ordinary mums, dads to kids. However, here in Sydney, it is a part of the law to wear a helmet because there are too many car accidents involving cyclists.

At the end of the day, it is only in our perception which controls the sustainability for our future. So get out there and start cycling, it is the only way to encourage others to join.