EARTH CAR FREE DAY 2001 STOP.
Riding a bicycle or plain walking makes you and your earth healthier. This year the first ever Earth Carfree Day was held on April 19th as a part of Earth Day events. People in 200 cities around the world participated by not using motor vehicles.

This year, tens of millions of people from around the world celebrated Earth Day 2001 on Sunday April 22nd, by organising symposiums, walks and river clean-ups. The Earth Day Network urged those attending Earth Day events not to use their cars on Thursday, April 19th.

Interestingly, it was decided that Earth Carfree Day would always fall on Thursday, a normal weekday. This was because it would allow people to see the difference. Observing it on a Sunday or a holiday, would tell us nothing about the effect of cars on our city.

Led by The Commons together with the Earth Day Network, the goal of this international cooperative project is to spark and support thousands of events and demonstrations around the world: all based on the common theme of personal responsibility and vital public, private, community partnerships.

Earth Carfree Day 2001 is not a day in which all cars are officially pulled off the streets in all places by officials. It is rather a day of open and cooperative thinking on the problem of cars and traffic in cities. This also allows people to think of the alternative ways of travelling in a less-car environment. The 2001 theme for this first year: "No project is too small". Not many people know this but even before the Earth Carfree Day, September 21st was designated "World Carfree Day" by several international groups and European governments.

Among the celebrations for Earth Carfree Day were a 50-kilometre bicycle race in Manila, Philippines, an exhibit on the impact of cars on city life in Prague, Czechoslovakia and a pledge by the city government in Singapore to make public transit free for a day. Sierra James of the Earth Day Network is co-coordinator of Earth Carfree Day. "It can change people's way of looking at things," says Ms. James. "It can get people to become more aware of their transportation choices and how those affect other people and the environment." Sierra James says Earth Carfree Day can empower citizens to take a more active role in lowering auto emissions like carbon dioxide, the most prevalent of the greenhouse gases thought to cause global warming.

Girl guides in Dhaka (below) support a ‘two stroke vehicle free street’ demonstration in Dhaka, organised by ESDO.Children cheer participants of a Earth Day cycle rally in Pune.

Taiwan President Chen Shui-ban biked to work to mark Earth Day on Sunday together with top officials from Taiwan's environment and transportation agencies. Meanwhile, environment ministers from six countries (the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, South African, and Sweden ) took a quick bike ride around the UN complex in New York City to call attention to the benefits of bicycles over cars.

The first group to call a meeting of NGOs in Pune for a Carfree Day was Econet. Parisar, Econet, Gomukh and Radicalz were the groups who planned and carried out this whole programme. Their intention was to link the Earth Carfree Day with the whole issue of Urban Traffic and Transport Policy, and to make the policy makers aware that it is not enough to simply build more flyovers and underpasses.

If it’s cars in Europe, it’s two-wheelers in Asia. Pune and Dhaka observed the Earth Carfree Day or rather Earth Automobile-free Day as 70% of the vehicles in South Asia are inefficient, polluting two stroke scooters and bikes

There are several groups who advocate cycling as an environment friendly mode of transport in Pune, which was a cycling city not too long ago. It was only right that it should observe the Earth Carfree Day. It was called Earth Automobile-free Day instead of Carfree day as 70% of the vehicles in Pune are two wheelers. About 150 individuals participated in a cycle rally.

There are arguments both for and against cars. However much we would like cars to be off the roads forever, we know that this is not possible. What you can do is instead of waiting for the Earth Carfree Day, organise School carfree days when those of you who usually come to school on cars do not. Also, you can organise bicycle rallies during the holidays. Cycling is one great way to have clean and healthy fun. So, are you still waiting for the next year?