DURHAM, N.C. – Recent Nicholas School graduate Michael Stringer (DEL-MEM ’08) is using a new Web site he created, www.velocommuter.org, to help fight global warming by encouraging people to leave their cars at home and bike to work – if only for a day.

“Biking benefits everyone,” says Stringer, who bikes to and from his workplace in Ashland, Ore., each day. “It’s a win-win proposition. Even if we all only did it once, it would make a difference. And if everyone did it one day a week, it could remove hundreds of thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere annually, and help us shed excess pounds of body fat, too.”

Stop-and-go urban commuting, typical of what’s found in most metropolitan areas nationwide, is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Stringer’s goal is for Americans to keep one million pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere by biking to work instead. Currently, he estimates that people who have taken part in his Web-based initiative have reduced their collective carbon output by 176,807 pounds. 

Stringer received a Duke Environmental Leadership Master of Environmental Management (DEL-MEM) 91 from the Nicholas School this May.

The DEL-MEM is a two-year, 30-credit program that emphasizes interdisciplinary and global themes, strategic approaches to environmental management, communication and effective leadership. Coursework is completed through a combination of weeklong place-based sessions and online learning.

Stringer says his experience as a DEL student helped inspire him to launch the Velocommuter Web site.

 “I was already interested in social marketing and Web design, and the DEL coursework helped me refine the idea, define the mission statement, and identify the target audiences and most effective messages for a Web site promoting bicycling as a viable commuting alternative,” he says. 

“Velo” is the French word for bicycle. Stringer coined the term “velocommuter” because he thought it sounded cooler than “bike commuter” and would appeal to his 18- to 22-year-old target audience.

“Biking,” he says, “is a viable source of transportation. It’s not only clean and green, but also sexy and cool. I wanted a term that reflected that.”

On the Velocommuter Web site, people can pledge to bike to work every day, some days, or only once. An online calculator provides immediate positive feedback by telling them how many pounds of carbon dioxide they will keep out of the atmosphere, based on the distance they commute.

The website – which uses the motto, “Cure your commute, ride a bike” – also includes sections on the health, environmental and economic benefits of biking; guides for biking safety and bike maintenance; information of how to pick the perfect bike for you; and inspirational news nuggets to keep you biking once you’ve started.

“Whether you already love to bike, or are just curious and want to learn more, the Web site is designed to be very welcoming and informative,” Stringer says.

Stringer currently provides all monetary support for the Web site. In the future, he says, he plans to work with other social-minded organizations and individuals to co-brand Velocommuter and help defray the costs of its operation.

For more information about the DEL program, go to , or call or email the program administrators at (919) 613-8082 or del@nicholas.duke.edu .