Carectomy - Removing Cars from People

Car-free in Japan

For the last few weeks I have been living and doing research in rural Japan. Japan is well known for high-speed rail, jam-packed commuter trains, and big, well-connected cities.
I am not living in a place with any of those things. Two years ago when I spent time outside of Tokyo, I was. It was a [...]

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Sex Sells Bikes, Bikes Sell Sex?

I have to admit that I don’t quite understand lingerie company Triumph’s rationale behind the publicity stunt captured on video below. Women in their underwear riding in and parading behind a pedicab down a main street in Copenhagen. Cycling is so widespread and mainstream, perhaps it helps to market the merchandise? Without doubt, the hot [...]

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Bikes Belong at National Party Conventions

Bike advocacy group Bikes Belong is teaming up with health insurance company Humana to provide free loaner bikes to both upcoming political national conventions. 1,000 bikes will be available at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado from August 25-28 and at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota from September 1-4.
What better way [...]

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Biofuels Are Starving Us

The impact of the rising biofuels market on global food prices is much worse than predicted. According to an as yet unpublished study commissioned by the World Bank, biofuels have caused food prices to rise 75%.
The World Bank completed the study, which has been leaked by the Guardian, at the end of April but has [...]

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Cycling Increases S.F. Pollution?

Thanks to through-the-roof gas prices, the number of cyclists nationwide has increased dramatically. As cities rush to improve cycling-friendly infrastructure and implement bike-sharing systems, San Francisco’s progress has been hamstrung by eccentric political activist Rob Anderson.
Just as S.F. was on the brink of implementing a comprehensive pro-bike plan citywide in 2005, Anderson sued to have [...]

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Consumers Fed Up with Ethanol

At Carectomy, we’ve spent significant ink (err… pixels) lambasting the “solution” that biofuels provide. Now, as the NY Times reports, consumers are getting fed up with the ethanol mixed in with their gas to boot. It’s not an awakening of conscience; they just don’t think the stuff works.

From the NY Times:
Many consumers complain that ethanol, [...]

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Bloomberg Supports Parking Lot for Big Box Store?

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, famous for his attempts to decrease car traffic in Manhattan, has endorsed construction of a new Costco retail store along with its 2,300 parking spaces.
From the NY Sun:
At a press conference yesterday, Mr. Bloomberg said bringing the big-box warehouse chain to the city would help New Yorkers weather a [...]

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Car vs Bike Tensions Heat Up

Dan Cooley of Louisville, KY lost fifteen pounds in four months – and saved cash and a bit of the environment along the way. Cooley, like many, was fed up with rising gas prices and temperatures and turned to bicycle commuting.
But on the morning July 25th, Cooley fell victim to a malicious act of road [...]

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Northampton Awaits “Death of the Combustion Engine”

Although the auto’s funeral may be premature, Jill Turner is doing her part to help usher it along. Turner is organizing the “Death of the Combustion Engine: A bicycle and hoola hoop procession performance” in Northampton, Massachusetts.
The event, slated for Northampton Arts Night Out on Friday, September 12h, will feature a parade-style march/roll through NoHo [...]

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Biking in Tandem Saves a Marriage

The simple machine known as the bicycle remains the most efficient form of transportation on the planet. Although people may congregate into groups and ride together in makeshift pelotons, there is something inherently individual about biking. Riders rely on their own power for propulsion and are rewarded with independence, freedom, and all the sights, sounds, [...]

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