Abstract of a paper to be presented at the 8th International VELO-CITY Conference in Basel, Switzerland, September, 1995
Appropriate and Inappropriate Use of Bicycles:
Mountain Biking versus Wildlife
Humans believe that they own, and have a right to dominate, every square inch of the Earth. The consequence is that wildlife species are being driven to extinction at an enormous rate, comparable to that of any of the greatest mass extinctions in the Earth's history. This process threatens our enjoyment of life, the availability of foods, medicines, and other useful chemicals, and even our survival as a species. Bicyclists, like everyone else, must choose whether they want to continue this ancient, human- centered tradition, or help create a new biocentric ethic that cherishes and protects biodiversity. In our righteous enthusiasm for the bicycle, let's not forget that it is a machine, and that it can do harm as well as good. Let's use the bicycle to replace motor vehicles, not to expand man's already excessive reach into wildlife habitat!