Instead of going to the gym, downing diet pills, or getting gastric bypass to get thin and beautiful, why not just take mass transit? According to a recent report by USA Today, taking public transportation instead of driving is a proven way to lose weight and improve your overall health.
U.S. travelers–frustrated by gas prices, traffic congestion, and the hassle and delays of air travel–are increasingly rediscovering the train. One in four domestic flights arrived late in 2007. Add in the maddening yellow-orange-mauve alert security checks, and it’s understandable why passengers are fed up.
So Fat, It’s Normal: Kids Ditch Walking To School and Drive Instead
Suburban sprawl is polluting our planet—and our population. As if we needed further evidence that sprawl is something to be stopped, numerous reports have recently been published on the skyrocketing rate of childhood obesity. One of the major culprits? Cars, of course.
Pastor Peter’s Pedal Power: Bokamoso Bicycle Project
Bikes are a great transport tool in any environment. They keep their pilots fit, are relatively pollution-free, and are the most efficient method of transforming energy into motion. In developed settings, bikes represent a wonderful transportation alternative to cars. But in more rural areas, they can literally be a lifeline.
Voluntours, a South African charity foundation, started the Bokamoso Bicycle Project in an effort to improve the villagers’ mobility. The closest town to Bokamoso is about a 40-minute walk each way, and taxis don’t service the region due to its rural nature and poor road conditions. The closest city, Mabopane, which provides the region’s shopping centers, is a 3-hour walk away.
Ethanol Not An Eco-Darling, After All
Despite their popularity, the future for gas-guzzling, inefficient cars doesn’t look promising. As gas prices rise and oil grows scarce, Western nations are scrambling to become self-sufficient in producing their own fuel. In the search for alternative energy sources, ethanol has emerged as a favorite. A recent study by scientists at Stanford University, however, has knocked ethanol from its eco-pedestal.
This past summer, Yes Men “agents” managed to infiltrate GO-EXPO, the biggest oil conference in Canada. Two members of the organization posed as industry executives and delivered a presentation to over 300 oilmen.
Among the big topics of discussion at the Calgary, Alberta conference was the nearby Alberta Oil Sands project. As the reality of peak oil looms on the horizon, oil execs will squeeze oil wherever it may lie, in spite of recent reports that the Alberta Oil Sands is the most destructive project on earth. It was in response to this type of callous disregard by the oil industry both for the planet and its inhabitants that the Yes Men sprang into action.
What if Public Transportation Could Advertise Like Cars?
Advertising helps keep the car markets going strong. Can you imagine a world where public transportation had a similar budget to create TV ads on par with the automobile variety? Maybe commuters would come to believe that riding the train had just as much sex appeal as sitting in traffic in a Lexus SUV.
For a vision of what such a world might look like, check out the ad we have posted for Madrid Metro.
Lance’s New Bike Shop: For Commuters
Lance Armstrong plans to open a bike shop, commuting center, training facility, and café in his home town of Austin, Texas. It’s no surprise that the Tour de France champion is continuing to work in the cycling industry. However, rather than using his name to hock the latest, greatest, ultra-bling racing bikes, Armstrong is hoping to inspire everyday people to get out and ride – as he always has.
Aquaduct Improves Bicycle’s Brilliance
It’s no secret that we at Carectomy have a bit of a bike fetish. The smog-free human-powered machine offers the world a one hundred year-old solution to its transportation needs.
Thanks to the Innovate or Die – Pedal Powered Machine Contest, we’ve seen bike technology tweaked and put to some interesting new uses. But the winner, the Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Device, could very well change the world.
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