THE WORLD PUBLIC VEHICLE OF 21ST CENTURY-A CYCLE

Today around 40% of the world’s energy resources are being used for various modes of transportation. Everyday about .2 billion barrels of fuel is used for it. Oil pools the world over are very limited. Lest usage of fuel keeps increasing alarmingly at this rate then in future times not only will natural founts of fuel get emptied but that along with this speedy vehicles moving because of fuel usage may not fulfill our requirements and because they also augment pollution many innocents shall die. Under such circumstances the cycle shall become the world public vehicle for travel as per the opinion of various specialists.

The scientists and well known researchers of Washington’s ‘World Watch Institute’ which is a research institute in a widespread study have opined that for traveling the cycle is the most apt vehicle. A majority of the population of highly populated India and China even today prefer cycles in comparison to other vehicles of transport. The renowned female scientist Marcia Lowe has said that the cycle is the most apt vehicle for the 21st century and further elaborates that this is indeed ironic that where on the one hand developed countries are shying away from buying cars there people of poor countries are buying cars wherein a major portion of it is used for it. So many people take loans to buy cars. Marcia Lowe says that the time has arrived wherein man will have to deeply cogitate that since petroleum products for the automobile industry is limited, oil pools are diminishing hence instead of buying expensive vehicles why not make use of cheap easily available vehicles like cycles the world over? Within the realm of cycle industry she has cited India as its leading producer and said that by giving more encouragement for cycle usage it can induce the world to use it in a major way. Not only as a result the alarming rise of poisonous pollution in the environment can be obstructed but that dependence on fossil fuels shall diminish greatly and this saved energy resource can be used for other requirements of importance.

According to the scientist Marcia Lowe akin to India even China and Japan are making use of cycles for transportation in a big way. Even New York residents prefer cycles to cars for traveling. She further elaborates that for short distance travel cycles are best but for long distance journeys cycle is said to be tiring and very time consuming. And yet scientists of a Technical University of Kiel, West Germany have found a solution to this problem. They have designed such a self propelling cycle which from the standpoint of work potential is no less powerful than a scooter and motor cycle and no petroleum product is required for its usage. These cycles use solar energy for mobility. This cycle designed with the use of assembling of DC Motor can continuously be used for 3 hours with the speed of 45 kilometers per hour. For some time this cycle is left like that for absorbing solar energy and thus its motor is again ready for travelling. In between a normal cycle can be made use of. Scientists conclude that in future days to come such vehicles shall come in vogue wherein greater stress shall be given to usage of cycles in comparison to cars using fossil fuel for transportation.

As per one research study amongst vehicles using 2 wheels cycle is being given greater weight age. In it, efforts are being made to reform them for the better. In order to encourage cycle based travel one company of London made arrangements to give their workers transportation allowance wherein instead of using vehicles that gobble up a lot of fuel, cycles are used. The company honchos opine that in order to buy and maintain such light vehicles like cycles not much expense is involved and further there is no need for fossil fuels. We can take cycles wherever we want and if there is a need it can be hoisted on one’s shoulders too. Those office goers who lead redundant lifestyles by sitting on chairs for the entire day can use cycles which is a good way to exercise and work out.

On noting that pollution is on the rise perilously, oil and petrol prices too are increasing every few days and that in the next few decades oil pools shall dry up the world over, today for travel purpose people are naturally being attracted to using cycles. Today there exists only the cycle which is not bound by the above mentioned problems. It neither enhances pollution, it is neither expensive to buy and it can be easily used both on wide roads in urban areas and very narrow alleys in rural areas too. Under such situations if it is labeled as a very important and modish vehicle it is certainly not an overstatement.

The biggest problem related to fuel using vehicles is pollution. These vehicles maybe scooters, motorcycles, rickshaws or big buses, all of them pollute the environment. When fuel in the form of diesel, petrol etc enter the vehicle’s engine they let off many poisonous gases in the atmosphere as a result of which the air gets polluted which in turn deteriorates our health and diseases of various types attack our body. Today the world’s most polluted city is said to be Tokyo in Japan. Although we cannot allege that only fuel using vehicles are responsible for this pollution yet there are no 2 opinions that they play a major role in polluting the environment. Further these vehicles emit a lot of noise. Many a time vehicles running without silencers create so much commotion that heart disease patients get affected in a big way. It is because of this that in leading cities of the world permissible noise levels have been demarcated and if noise emission crosses these limits it is considered a crime because it affects everyone’s health.

Cycles do not pollute the atmosphere like other fuel based vehicles hence from the health standpoint it is said to be safe and beneficial too. It also helps us exercise and work out which is not possible if we use fuel oriented vehicles as transport. According to a scientific researcher of California University Dr E Griffith if ceaselessly for a long time span we sit in fuel using vehicles there are high chances of ill health related to the spine and bones. This conclusion was made by him after due research studies conducted by him. During his experiments he found that amongst people who traveled long distances in cars or other automatic vehicles about 70-80% developed spine diseases and only 20-30% escaped such diseases. While giving the reason for this Dr Griffith says that such diseases manifest because people while traveling long distances sit in a bent position and that for a fair length of time their bodily parts like hands, legs etc remain immobile. On the other hand amongst those who used a cycle daily for transport very few faced such problems. At the moment from these research studies we can realize that cycles not only protect us from dangers pertaining to fuel and automatic vehicles but that in today’s fast paced life it fulfills our need of work outs and exercising.

From the financial standpoint too cycles cannot be said to be expensive that an ordinary lay citizen cannot afford to buy it. It can be parked anywhere easily. Very little expense is required to repair cycles. If someone has even a little knowledge regarding its repairs money can be saved whereas this is not applicable to petrol driven vehicles. First and foremost for people eking out very small incomes, buying cars is a fairy dream, secondly a lot of money is used up in car maintenance and also buying fuel is very costly. One more benefit of using cycles is that since its girth and form is very small as compared to cars, it can easily be used in very small alleyways and high traffic areas. All this is not possible for fuel gulping vehicles.

Realizing the benefits of cycle usage and the perils to be faced while using petrol based vehicles China has taken very welcome steps in the direction of rendering cycles the iconic vehicle of the 21st century. It is China who first encouraged cycles. As a result of this not only in villages but in urban areas too cycles are preferred. In villages cycles are mainly used for transport and in city like areas too in comparison to motor cars we can see children being made to sit in front and back of the cycles while traveling on city roads. From this standpoint roads in China have been widened so much that apart from cars 3 to 4 cycles can move in one row. As per some statistics in the year 1987 in China there were about 3 billion cycles and 1.2 million fuel using vehicles which means that for every 250 cycles there was 1 car whereas in India for every 30 cycles there is 1 car. It means in India there are .5 billion cycles and 1.5 million cars. From this it can be inferred how pedal power is loved in China whereas in our country India, cycles are virtually ignored and looked down upon. And yet the cycle has come in vogue in USA and in large numbers one can see cyclists on the cycling on the road. But of course in comparison to China, USA yet lags behind. In America on an average for every 3 persons there is 1 car. In the West, Netherland is only one country cycle use has taken the form of a big revolution. Its population is .15 billion whereas the number of cycles is .125 which means a little less than 1 cycle for every person. In our country India there is 1 cycle for every 20 people. In Netherlands there is a major city called Groningen where more than 50% daily travel is done via cycles whereas in New Delhi, India daily cycle usage is only 20%.

countries is quite less. Under such situations for people of India the cycle is most useful from the viewpoint of easy accessibility, cheapness and geographical considerations. If it comes in vogue problems related to fuel gobbling vehicles can be sorted out and the curse of rich and poor differences too can be overcome. In fact a sense of brotherhood and unity will prevail everywhere. Although India leads in cycle production yet it lags behind other nations as far as its daily usage is concerned. Further Gulf Country problems may take the form of a war. If this danger insists on increasing along with India other countries shall have to face scarcity of oil, petrol etc and even if in some way it is obstructed even then the question arises that for how long are Gulf Countries going to fulfill the oil needs of the world? At some point in future these oil pools are going to get depleted. Under such circumstances in order to ward of such future situations of hardships it is best that we start unearthing other options and commence its usage. In future the situation should not be dire akin to start digging wells for water since fire has erupted in the vicinity. Under such situations not only for India but for the entire world cycle usage in a war footing way is the only solution. Especially for poor countries like India it is most required and desirable that cycle transport be encouraged more and more.

IN THE 21ST CENTURY WHAT WILL BE THE NATURE OF COMMUNICATION ARRANGEMENT?:

Recently as per a news item published by PTI in a seminar of World Future Society held in Emporia (Kansas, USA) it was said that: In future times the present potential of the human brain shall advance so much that communication between individuals shall not be wires but shall be Alpha Radiations/Waves emitted by brain neurons. In order to overcome tension based agitation more and more western culture followers by taking recourse to Yoga Practices of Ancient Spirituality shall render their brain potential more brilliant so that mutual tuning of brain waves can set in. This mode of activity that at present appears impossible and a wild figment of imagination shall in future so speedily put into action by world laymen that everyone shall be mind boggled to know that the medium of communication can be without any electrical wire connection, satellites etc and will simply be based on a well advanced/evolved Extra Sensory Perception of human brains. Every futurist and great seer present in the seminar agreed to the above declarations of various speakers.

SUCH SHALL BE THE NATURE OF THE WORLD IN THE 21ST CENTURY:

A British born in Madras (India) called Robert Wald who is looked upon as a leading scientist of futurology has written a book co authored by his wife. In this revolutionary book they write that: In future times to come the medium of communication shall pass through a widespread revolutionary curve. Via TV newspapers shall be read (today’s computer and internet) which despite getting printed can be viewed on television. In place of entertainment this TV shall play the role of knowledge communication and sanctification of world human psyche. The tasks of news, banking and electronic delivery too shall be done by it. Teachers seated in studios shall give new information of knowledge-science to students in far off villages, town etc. Thus it will don the role of an Open University. The author further states that in days to come people will give up flesh eating and opt for food like soya bean and thus their very thinking shall become sacred. If the world population increases there shall be less space. In order to fulfill this lack, cold houses shall be built in desserts and swimming cities shall be built in the ocean. That very process via which plants ‘cook’ food man too will use it to make tons of food in laboratories. In the 21st century for pure air per individual there shall grow 2.5 square meters of grass and thus people shall no longer have stand in a long queue in the doctor’s clinic. This is because the patient by finding out the symptoms, condition and exact disease via the computer shall not only find cures for himself but many thousands other patients too. Surgery and therapies shall be executed via communication satellites.

THE 21ST CENTURY SHALL BELONG TO WORLD YOUTH:

Recently India’s Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi while inauguration the Year of Youth said: 71% of India’s population has entered youth. This class of youth nurtured in precincts of Indian culture has become so powerful that on seeing this we must have faith that the 21st century shall belong to the youth.

Over here what needs to be noted is that in these days according to great world thinkers and seers the biggest danger faced regarding youths is the net of deadly drug intoxication. The new American government has placed before its Federal Reserve the goal of fighting all forms of intoxication and inebriation. From this it is clear that world humanity is so concerned about the fact that youth energy is straying from the right path. These are those very youths regarding whom Swami Vivekananda had said: Even if 100 youths of half of India awaken the entire lopsided world of today can be straightened aptly. It seems most definite that Swamiji’s utterances shall commence getting realized initially from India itself.