Legislator says cyclists’ heavy breathing causes pollution as they ride…. No worries on doing any exercise, just as long as you hold your breath!
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SEATTLE —
A state
legislator started a firestorm by claiming bicyclists add to greenhouse gas emissions
by breathing heavily as they ride.
Bike shop
owner Dale Carlson said he was so concerned about a proposal to tax bicycle
sales that he wrote to state legislators.
The email
he received back from the transportation committee’s ranking Republican, Ed
Orcutt of Kalama, made an unusual claim.
“He talked
about the effect on global warming we have from breathing hard,” said Carlson.
Orcutt
refuted the idea that cycling is environmentally friendly by explaining that
cyclists have “an increased heart rate and respiration.”
Orcutt
wrote that means “the act of riding a bike results in greater emissions of
carbon dioxide from the rider. Since CO2 is deemed to be a greenhouse gas
and a pollutant, bicyclists are actually polluting when they ride,” the email
said.
“Oh, I
thought that was amusing,” said Carlson.
Carlson
forwarded Orcutt’s email to a friend. It’s now all over cycling blogs and
social media.
In an
interview with the Seattle Bike Blog, Orcutt went a step further and was quoted
saying “you would be giving off more CO2 if you are riding a bike than driving
a car.”
When KIRO 7
Eyewitness News reporter Graham Johnson reached Orcutt by phone, he retracted
what he had said.
“I was over
the top on that one and I do apologize to the cycling community for that,” said
Orcutt.
Orcutt
acknowledged there was no merit to his claims.
“It’s not a
strong enough argument. I really shouldn’t have even brought it up,” said
Orcutt.
“That’s
good to hear,” said Carlson.
Carlson
hopes attention turns to the House Democrats’ proposed bike tax.
The tax
would help fund road improvements with a $25 sales fee on bikes worth $500 or
more.
Opponents
say it would hurt cyclists and small businesses.
