bicycle power 543
Bicycle Power
The bicycle may be one of the greatest machines
ever invented. Bicycles provide an easy way to
get around using only human energy, and have
countless benefits for people’s health and the
environment. But more than this, human power
can be harnessed by bicycles and used as
energy for running many different kinds of
machines.
Some machines run on
human bicycle power.
Adding a battery, bicycles
can power lights, televisions
and other machines.
Maya Pedal bicycle power
In 1997, a group came together in
Chimaltenango, Guatemala, to promote
sustainable development. Called Maya Pedal,
this NGO promotes health, environmental
protection, and a sustainable rural
economy through bicycle power.
They began by collecting used bicycle
parts to build bicycle-powered machines
to meet the needs of rural people. Maya
Pedal sold bicycle-powered machines to
anyone who wanted to buy one, but groups
that wanted to start sustainable development
projects were offered especially low prices.
A women’s collective asked for a bicycle-powered blender to produce
shampoo made from aloe vera grown in their own gardens. With the money
they make from the shampoo, the women support their families and fund
their town’s reforestation project. Another group asked for a bicycle-powered
grain mill. They use the mill to grind corn for animal feed which they sell at
low cost to local communities. People everywhere have found creative ways
to use bicycle power. (See Where There Is No Dentist, page 151, for a photo of
people using a bicycle-powered dental drill!)
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012