health

I make no secret about my feelings about internal combustion engines and other forms of conspicuous waste. This leads some folks to jump to conclusions about me like I am some sort of extreme tree-hugger or I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" and went off the deep end. I have meaning for a while to write down the reasons I have chosen this lifestyle so here goes.

1) Waste. Cars are the right tool for some jobs. I appreciate the speed of an ambulance ride. The problem is that most people view a car as the right tool for every job. My goal was to use the most efficient tool for getting around. It didn't take long to realize that I really don't need a car at all.

2) Patriotism. America's dependence on foreign oil makes us vulnerable to our enemies and tempts our leaders to make stupid decisions. Riding a bicycle does more to support the troops than putting a yellow sticker on anything. (I won't speak for others, but chances are unless you live in an oil exporting country the same probably holds true.)

3) Family. Oil is finite. At some point we will have used it all. Much sooner than that it is going to become very expensive and even more environmentally destructive to obtain. We need to start a transition towards a sustainable lifestyle as soon as possible. We owe it to our children, not only to address the problem of global warming while we might still be able to do something about it, but to prepare them for a future where there will be less energy available for everything.

4) Health. Most people do not get enough exercise. Getting everywhere under my own power goes a long way to solve this problem.

5) Time. Even though it takes longer to get places now, I have more free time. First of all I don't have to set aside extra time for exercise. More than that I think much more about the trips I take now and as a result make fewer of them. It's amazing how much time can be saved by not driving to the store for a quart of milk, or driving out to the dry cleaner, or driving to dinner. When you ride a bicycle, you learn to triple-check the shopping list and cooking suddenly doesn't sound like so much work after all.

6) Role Model. My dad rode a bike to work when he could up into his sixties. I learned from him to think more clearly about transportation and many other things. What are you role modeling for your children?