Not too much to say about this. It’s too depressing to think about. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a dump that is estimated to be twice the size of Texas has formed. It’s just human-created debris. Visit “The Great Garbage Patch” for more information.
You Don't Have to Bike Like This!
The cold weather is here in the U.S. and those of us on the east coast have been taken a bit by surprise with the recent cold-weather snap. Many people wonder how it’s possible to still bike in colder weather, but I can assure you that, with the right gear, you don’t have to stop bike commuting simply because it’s cold outside. Following are a few cold-weather bike commuting tips that might come in handy.
It’s almost here! A guide for everyone interested in bike commuting. You can visit the Bike To Work Web Site to get more information or to download the Bike To Work Podcast.
Several months ago, I began my odyssey of embarking on a mega-commute each day from the suburbs of Washington, DC to my downtown office. I started out driving to the train station, taking a train into the city, getting off near the Hill, and walking to my office. This whole journey took me anywhere from 60-90 minutes each way and left me feeling antsy, under-exercised, and just generally lazy. In addition, I was stuck having to return to whatever Amtrak station I left my car at; if the train broke down or was running very late, I was at the mercy of getting back to wherever I left my car. I hated it. And then, one day, I was purusing on the train system’s Web site and saw that folding bikes were allowed on the train at all times. I had recently seen several people with folders and thought, "Hmmm, those don’t look as dorky as I thought they would." I also recalled a coworker who had this awesome folding bike that basically went as fast as your ordinary road bike.
After doing much research, I selected a Dahon Speed Pro TT (2008 model). I had to wait 4 weeks for the bike because it was on back-order, but this thing has been worth every dime I spent and day I waited. Not only is it just a great all-around bike, but the flexibility it has added to my commute is infinite. Oh, and this HAS to be helping the planet.
Now, my commute is actually fun! I get up, get showered, walk the dog, and then head out on my little folder. I either ride to the Amtrak station (which is about a mile from my house) or to a Metro station (about 5 miles from my house). I fold my bike up and board either the Metro or the train. Once in the city, I can get off at any station and then bike the rest of the way to my office. I can get in anywhere from 4 to 10 miles on my morning ride. When I leave the office at the end of the day, I can head to the Amtrak station or I can opt for Metro. If one is running late, I opt for the other. Regardless, I have my wheels with me, so I am free to do whatever I want. I can also easily board any bus and get home too.
Folders are extremely popular in Europe, especially the UK, where homes are small and riding trains is a must for just about everyone. However, they are gaining in popularity here too as more people ditch their cars for trains, buses, and subways. In the past several months, I have noticed more and more people on folding bikes taking to the streets of DC and the surrounding ‘burbs. Amtrak officials told me that more and more passengers are bringing folders onto trains and while this has created some space issues, they are readily complying with their "folder friendly" policy to promote the use of these bikes. Yesterday, in the span of five minutes, I saw two other people on Dahon folders riding along Rhode Island Ave NW. I get stopped all the time with inquiries about my bike and have even had people write down the model of my bike and the name of the company. Hopefully, I will be seeing a few of those on folders in the near future.
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The personal vehicle is one of the primary culprits of global warming. It is also one of the primary culprits of traffic, pollution, energy consumption, and obesity. Every time we get in our cars, no matter for how long, we are spewing carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. We are also just sitting there, burning few calories and thus causing our waist lines (and our health care expenditures to grow).
Plastic bags are bad, bad, bad for the environment! They never biodegrade and the microscopic plastic particles infiltrate every corner of our environment, from the stomachs of Arctic animals to all our deep forests. We MUST stop using plastic bags. I have done this myself and, while it was hard at first, it proved to be very easy with a few minor changes. I have invested in a set of reusable bags. I take a pocket-sized one with me everywhere I go. Visit Reusablebags.com (click on image below) to get your own reusable bags. It’s one of those small efforts that we can take collectively to improve our planet.
"The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman provides a fascinating look at our planet and what humans have done to the environment during their existence. While this author’s main premise is to examine what would happen to the world if humans suddenly disappeared, the book is really examining what humans have done to the planet, through agriculture, development, and the chemical insults we have released on the environment. The best part of this book is that Weisman successfully ties in the interconnectivity of our ecosystem, how plastic bags dumped in one part of the world go on to create havoc thousands of miles away. It is a must-read for understanding the environmental impacts we are unleashing and the drastic measures we are going to have to undertake to stop them.
Visit this great Web site for some cool gear to send a great message while cycling. Want to show people what you pay for gas while on a bike? Get one of these cool patches and brag away while they stare at your lycra-clad self while burning gas that costs $4 (and soon maybe more) per gallon!