Bicycle! Bicycle! (Cue Queen's "Bicycle Race")

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

Earlier this week, I wrote about "gas guzzling" and the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?". So it is definitely apropos that I follow up that post, with the subject of today's post: BICYCLES! May is National Bike Month. This week is Bay State Bike Week. I actually rode my bike to and from my day job all week. And this morning, as I turned onto Mass Ave from Beacon Street, to head across the river to Cambridge, I was greeted by a Bay State Bike Week volunteer who promptly handed me a nice water bottle with the cutest logo on it, that I had seen earlier this week. Check it out!

Kick gas, indeed! There are many virtues to bike riding; not only is it environmentally friendly, it is a great workout! And depending on where you're going (and how far!), it is usually a lot faster than public transportation. It is also easy on your wallet. Each year, I spend very little on bicycle repairs and save lots of money on train and bus fare and by not filling up my gas tank. And most important of all? It's fun!

Today is the deadline to register for the 50,000 Mile Commuter Challenge. You can sign up by CLICKING HERE. For more information about Bay State Bike Week, CLICK HERE. And save the date: September 21, 2008 is this year's Hub on Wheels, which is a citywide bike ride and festival. Storrow Drive is completely closed to traffic that day, to make way for bikes! Go to Hub on Wheels' site by CLICKING HERE. Can't wait until September? This coming Sunday, May 18th is Bicycle Beacon Street Day in Brookline, where Beacon Street will be completely closed to traffic from end-to-end, allowing cyclists to pedal the length of Beacon Street without having to share the road with cars. Want more info? CLICK HERE

Have fun, get out there and cycle! Great exercise, great for the environment and saves you money. Don't own a bike? Not to worry! There are plenty of places to rent one! Landry's on Commonwealth Ave (at St. Paul Street), Boston Bicycle Shop on Beacon Street (at Arundel near Park Drive) or Back Bay Bicycles on Commonwealth Ave (at Mass Ave, subterranean), among others.

The Gas Guzzler & The Meat Guzzler

GAS GUZZLING
As gasoline prices near $4 per gallon, most people are finding it difficult to keep up with the mounting costs associated with car ownership. For people who live in the city, public transportation is an option and walking or biking is also a viable means to get where we are going. But what about those living in the suburbs or more rural communities? A car is most definitely a necessity.

For anyone who is troubled (or outraged) about the current trend in oil prices (which will likely only continue to increase), I have a recommendation. Although it won't immediately solve the oil gouging crisis, it will serve to educate people and will hopefully bring about some change, as more and more people refuse to tolerate this situation. You need to see the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?". I watched this documentary back in 2006 when it was playing in independent movie theaters. This excellent film is available on DVD; you can rent in via Netflix or Blockbuster and you can also purchase it for only $10 from Amazon.com. Forget what you think you know and approach this film with an open mind. You will likely be shocked at what you see.

Electric cars are quieter, cleaner and cheaper to run than gas-powered cars. As to why they haven't been fully adopted yet - watch “Who Killed the Electric Car?” for the whole story.

Here, in a nutshell, are a few key benefits of electric cars:

1. Electricity is cheaper than gas, and can come from renewable resources such as solar and wind power.

2. Electric cars pollute less than gas-powered cars (especially when renewable energy sources are used to generate the electricity).

3. Electric cars are much more reliable and require less maintenance than gas-powered cars. You don't even need to get your quarterly oil change!

4. By using domestically-generated electricity rather than relying on foreign oil, we can achieve energy independence and will no longer need to engage in costly wars in the Middle East to secure an energy supply.

5. Electric cars can utilize the existing electric grid rather than require the development of a new, expensive energy infrastructure (as would be the case with hydrogen).

For more information on electric cars, including answers to those skeptical questions, please see Plug In America's Frequently Asked Questions

For the film's official website, CLICK HERE.

MEAT GUZZLING
Back in January, Mark Bittman wrote an excellent piece for the New York Times. The name of the article was "Rethinking the Meat Guzzler". This popular piece quickly made the rounds. If you are concerned about global climate change, food safety, healthy eating or sustainability, I encourage you to read this fascinating article. Here is a glimpse:

"A sea change in the consumption of a resource that Americans take for granted may be in store — something cheap, plentiful, widely enjoyed and a part of daily life. And it isn’t oil.

It’s meat.

The two commodities share a great deal: Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible."

To continue reading this excellent and thought-provoking article, please CLICK HERE.