Pedal with a Purpose

While some are ostentatious about their shade of emerald, others are going green as a matter of course. “Being green is not my primary goal,” says OIT Systems Admin Ted Knab. Yet on select sunny days, you can find him pedaling his bike to campus- from Centreville. He rides 35 miles two days a week, mostly for the exercise and the pleasure of riding a bike through the green fields of the Eastern Shore. The rest of the week he drives to work, as do many faculty and staff who find they can’t live in Chestertown.


Yet by cutting his drive down on two days of the week, Ted reduces his weekly driving from 350 to 280 miles- for a carbon dioxide savings yearly of nearly 4000 pounds! While he rides his bike mostly for exercise, burning about 1000 calories each way, he’s also saving about ½ to ¾ gallon of gas, which adds up 2-3 gallons less per week. This is a great example of how going green doesn’t have to be something outside your daily routine. Even small activities you probably already do can make a big difference!

At home, Ted has also improved his insulation and installed more efficient lighting- and has noticed the savings on his energy bills. A desire to save the environment does not have to be the primary reason for going green, though it certainly doesn’t hurt. For most people it probably won’t be. But one of the things we like to point out is that activities like riding a bike to work and improving the insulation in your house make sense. Bike riding is great exercise, gets you outside and into the fresh air, and gives you a better appreciation for the outdoors and the environment- in addition to using renewable human power instead of relying on fossil fuels, and keeping harmful carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

There’s always more than one reason to go green- so kudos goes to whoever carries the banner, no matter the reason!