StreetFilms is at it again. We linked to their great coverage of the 9th Avenue bike lane project in New York City. Now they’ve put together a video piece on an international city whose government has pulled out all stops to bring alternative transportation and a healthy lifestyle to its citizens.
Bogota, Colombia is the city, and Ciclovia:Bogota is the name of the very cool 10 minute video snippet (embedded above).
Boulder, recently ranked among the world's top bike-friendly travel destinations, is the place to be on Thursday nights. Happy Thursday is a weekly cruiser ride typically drawing over 500 bikers. All you'll need is a low-tech bike of some sort and a youthful attitude.
"There's a lot you can do for fun without burning fossil fuels," says one rider. "Our mantra is 'Happy Thursday,'" adds another regular. "We also say, 'One speed is all you need' and 'Less Gears, More Beers.'"
Your Environmental Road Trip (aka YERT) brings us the above video. YERT is a "year-long eco-expedition through all 50 United States. With video camera in hand and tongue in cheek, (they) explore the landscape of America's unique approach to environmental sustainability."
A recent article by the BBC reports that bike racks near urban buildings and transportation hubs, like railway stations, may be banished to protect such public, high-traffic locations against attacks.
Amidst high anxiety over recent terrorist attacks in Europe and the U.S., the U.K. has proposed that it kick protections against terrorism into high gear. Engineers and other experts have recommended that bike racks in key, terrorist-targeted locations be removed as a precaution, as their presence may present a threat.
With fuel prices still skyrocketing, a Canadian company is lending new meaning to the phrase “waste not, want not.” AMEC, a Quebec-based engineering and project management company spoke to the Canadian Press on the behalf of an unnamed client that plans to turn dirty diapers into diesel fuel.
Despite record sales of Hummers, behemoth trucks, and four-wheel-drive vehicles (beloved by soccer moms), the future of fuel-guzzling vehicles looks bleak. The New York Times reports that Democratic leaders in the U.S. House reached a deal late last Friday to raise fuel-economy standards for cars and light-duty trucks by the year 2020. Currently, SUVs and pickups are required to drive at least 22.2 mpg, while cars are required to meet a 27.5 mpg standard.
This legislation, which is part of a larger energy bill slated for voting on Wednesday, would require a 40 percent increase in those standards, and would raise the bar to 35 mpg. The bill aims to conserve energy and cut emissions, but it’s also further evidence of the nation’s unrelenting love affair with four wheels (the bigger, the better). Although it addresses environmental issues, the bill is expected to pass because it plays to consumer concerns about the rising cost of fuel. (For this reason, the bill may please President Bush, who drives a 4WD pickup.)
It may not be a groundbreaking scientific discovery, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction: Early this week, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a statement that suggests walking or biking instead of driving can combat both obesity and global warming. Although it may not be news to us, it’s a fact that eludes much of the S.U.V-driving, freeway-loving public, particularly in America, where obesity and climate change are at an all-time high.
if all Americans between 10 and 74 walked just half an hour a day instead of driving, they would cut the annual U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, by 64 million tons.” That would save “about 6.5 billion gallons of gasoline…And Americans would also shed more than 3 billion pounds overall, according to these calculations.”
Some of the nation’s top universities are encouraging students and staff to ditch their cars in favor of a smarter mode of transport. Ivy Leaguers like Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell are urging their communities to wise up and walk or bike to campus instead of driving.
Emory University, named a “new Ivy,” is at the head of the class. The recent launch of a pro-bike commuting campaign has inspired Emory students and staff to ditch four wheels in favor of two. The university has partnered with Fuji Bikes and Bicycle South, an area bike shop, to offer deep discounts on bike purchases. For every bike sold, Emory and Fuji offer an unbeatable promotion that provides all staff with a free helmet, U-lock, and rear safety light. For those who live in faraway neighborhoods or off of the central campus, the package includes a $50-100 gift certificate from the shop. Registered cycling commuters can get other free perks, too, such as membership to Flexcar, a car-sharing program that reduces the number of cars on the road and, thus, nasty emissions.
Cars are the most inconvenient convenience we have. We're required to have them, but increasingly, we dislike them. At Carectomy, we're trying to figure out how to extract cars from people.
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