Republican lawmaker Ed Orcutt, a member of the Washington State legislature, was forced to backtrack after claiming bicyclists contribute to global warming, which is part of why he was supporting taxing bike sales.

In an email message to a constituent opposing the bike tax, Orcutt wrote: “If I am not mistaken, a cyclists [sic] has an increased heart rate and respiration. That means that 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.”

When queried by bike enthusiasts about his position, he added: “You would be giving off more CO₂ if you are riding a bike than driving in a car.”

“You can’t just say that there’s no pollution as a result of riding a bicycle,” he told the Seattle Bike Blog.

Orcutt admitted he has not “done any analysis” comparing the difference between the CO2 released by bicyclists and that emitted by car engines. But the European Cyclists Federation has, claiming CO₂ emissions from biking are about 10 times less than driving a car.

Orcutt later apologized for the position he had taken, admitting that “It was over the top.”

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Rep. Orcutt Says Bicycle Carbon Emissions ‘Not a Point Worthy of even Mentioning’ (by Tom Fucoloro, Seattle Bike Blog)

State Lawmaker Defends Bike Tax, Says Bicycling Is Not Good For The Environment (by Tom Fucoloro, Seattle Bike Blog)

Washington Republican: Bicycles Cause More Pollution Than Cars (by Stephen Webster, Raw Story)

Legislator To Small Business Owner: Bicycling Bad For The Environment (by M.J. Kelly, Cascade Bike Blog)