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I decided not to make this
particular part of my web page a link. I decided to put this up
front because it is something that I feel strongly about.
Our country is at war and we have
a serious energy dependence problem. During the World War II era
we were fighting a true total war. A total war where every person
in the country was asked or required to give a great deal to the
war effort. Whether it meant your life, an offspring's life, a
temporary injury, a lifetime disability, long hours in a factory,
food and gas rationing, or any other number of inconveniences in
order to support the war effort.
Everyone in one way or another
supported the war effort. If not directly then definitely
indirectly. I don't think that is so true today with this war.
Most of us do not have someone directly involved in the war
overseas. Our country is so massive and rich that for the most
part the war is still something far away and does not touch us on
a day to day basis like it did our last generations.
Whether you agree with the war in
Iraq or Afghanistan or not, it is undeniable that we are at war.
Secondly, it is equally difficult to impossible to deny that our
dependence on foreign oil makes us vulnerable to the whims,
wishes, or disasters in other countries with respect to our energy
needs.
It is my firm belief that each of
us can and should do more. I think that every abled body
person should commute to work on human power whenever possible or
see it as a duty to conserve as much energy as possible.
Whether traveling by regular bike, recumbent, walking, running, or
getting a smaller vehicle; it just doesn't make sense that if the
bike lanes exist and our troops are out there risking their lives
and we have abled body persons here state side, why so many are
still driving around in large gas guzzling vehicles. I don't
think this should be a permanent condition, but while we are at
war or until a more permanent plan is in place, it is the least we
can do.
For some this is something that
hasn't even been thought of as an option. Now that we have seen
gas at over $4/gallon, it does seem that our focus is drawn
towards the decline of the full size SUV, more bike riders, and
the use of scooters and motorcycles. Commuting to work saves wear
and tear on your car, promotes better physical health, and of
course saves gas.
The country should push for the
use of solar water heating, solar energy, wind energy, better
energy conservation, and maybe alternate energy sources for our
vehicles. Until then however, I would implore all that read this
to seriously consider taking a bike to work. Even if you live 15+
miles from work, buy a bike rack and put your bike on the rack.
Drive half way and ride the rest; that is what I did when I used
to work at Pax River Naval Base. I lived 20 miles from work and
the Pax River bridge was impassible by bike. So I drove 12 miles
and cycled the rest of the way, parking my car in a Target parking
lot.
Can you imagine how much would be
saved if even a small percentage of people started to do this?
How much of an impact would we have on the global economy? I think
that the act itself would lead to a totally different way of
seeing the problem. For those with problems on a regular bike, I
would encourage a recumbent bike or trike.
Encourage your work place to set
up shower trailers if a gym or shower facility does not exist.
Considering what our grandparents went through to win World
War II, is this really asking too much of our rich and affluent
society? This is also something that can be done TODAY. It is
something that anyone of any age can do as well. You may also find
a new aspect of living you had never though about or lost when you
were a kid. The love of riding a bike - it isn't just for kids.
You also get a 1 hour workout per
day. Lots of people pay lots of money for a gym membership that
you can have for free
To end this I will give you one
of my most treasured biking tips - WEAR SANDALS. My friend Ed
(www.bike4vets.org) went cross country from St. Augustine,
FL to San Diego, CA wearing only sandals (over 5,000 miles and
over 3 months). They make sandals with pedal clips as well. In
cold weather wear two sets of socks. If you are concerned about
your toes getting scraped in a fall - then wear sandals that cover
the toes (I have a pair that I got at Wal-mart for $16). If they
get wet, so what? No more soggy shoes and great ventilation in hot
weather. Socks will take care of you in cold weather (been there
done that). This has been by far the best decision I have ever
made when it comes to riding a bike, the second was switching to a
recumbent bike.
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There
is of course also animal power.