| Description |
The Anthropocene, or perhaps better referred to as the Capitalocene, has been marked by human activity that is intense both in depth and breadth. Human interactions with the greater ecology of the planet have, since the Industrial Revolution, been markedly onesided, with a misguided perception of human dominance over other life forms and earth systems. This mentality is manifest on local scales via car-centric city development and sprawl, and on global scales via rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and surface temperatures. Capitalist ideology has similarly fostered a culture of individualism at the detriment of community consciousness and accountability, which are integral to one's wellbeing at a time of ecological and social unrest. Within these contexts, I propose the bicycle as a vehicle with which to transform our understanding of place within morethan- human ecologies on a changing planet. The transition from car to bicycle has the potential to catalyze further transitions from capitalism to collectivism and from arrogance to humility in order to nurture a web of symbiotic relationships between humans and nonhumans alike. In this paper, I aim to give agency to the bicycle through exploration of its faceted value in building climate resilience, creating community, and making sanctuary. Guided by philosophy, ecology, and anthropology, I examine how bicycle infrastructure, the act of riding a bicycle, and the physical bicycle itself embody an ethic of humility and provide counsel for how to live and die together on a transformed planet. |
