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Improve Nonmotorized Transportation

Provided by: Project Drawdown |Published on: March 4, 2026

Scientific Reports

9101112AP

Synopsis

This article from Project Drawdown analyzes the increased use of nonmotorized transportation, such as walking, personal bicycles, and shared bicycles, as a climate solution.
Students will understand how this solution can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing additional benefits and how things like infrastructure and proximity to services influence the solution's implementation.

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Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering

Authors: Project Drawdown

Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

This solution is great for high school students to explore as they begin to make their own transportation decisions.
When students hover over the highlighted vocabulary terms, a definition pops up, making it easy for students to quickly define new or unknown words.

Prerequisites

Students will benefit from understanding the relationship between climate change, carbon emissions, and fossil fuel use.

Differentiation & Implementation

After reading this article, students may enjoy viewing this video as a practical example of this solution in action or this video on a system of bicycle-only roads in the Netherlands.
Students can take their own data by surveying other students in the school to ask what nonmotorized mode of transportation they are most likely to take. Then, students can use this data to propose infrastructure to support this mode in their town, such as more bike lanes or sidewalks.
Students can check out other suggestions like this one using the Project Drawdown Explorer. Students can compare other transportation sector solutions, such as carpooling.
After reading, students can debate whether assessments of this solution should factor in the emissions from food that pedestrians and bicyclists consume to fuel their transportation, as briefly discussed in the article.

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About the Partner Provider

Project Drawdown

Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “drawdown”—the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. Cities, universities, corporations, philanthropies, policymakers, communities, educators, activists, and more turn to Project Drawdown as they look to advance effective climate action. Project Drawdown resources for educators include the database of Drawdown Solutions, educational video series Climate Solutions 101, the Drawdown Stories initiative, and more.

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All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.

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Improve Nonmotorized Transportation

Synopsis

Teaching Materials

About the Partner Provider

Related Teaching Resources