Car-free.This is a goal that I have been striving for over the last year and I have to admit, I have not being doing as well I could, especially recently. While I still do not own a car and I definitely ride my bike everyday, I am still heavily dependent on cars and other internal combustion engine powered transportation on a pretty regular basis. There is a good chance you will judge me, but I am going to admit my last month of travel so I can take an honest and critical look at my own choices.
Car Rides: 23 (All of these were carpooling situations and most of them were to work on John's Island)
Flights: 8 (I only flew two places, MS & FL, but I had connecting flights for each)
Boat: 1
Bus: 2
Keep in mind that this month is really an exception and is by no means the rule but it still makes me wonder how much of a difference I am making by not owning a car. There are definitely steps I could take to reduce the insane numbers above.
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Bike to work: I have considered trying to make the ride to Johns Island for work but I would definitely want someone to come with me and I am just really nervous about getting squished because there are no bike lanes and cars are going around 60 mph on rural roads. It is also 13 miles away with an estimated 30 minute driving time, meaning that it would take me at least an hour and half and most likely longer because I am not a distance rider. Also, there is no shower at the office, so it would make for one juicy day at the work.
This would be my route:
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Ride Shares: I could try and do ride shares for traveling instead of renting cars or taking flights but there is always that "am I going to end up in a trash bag in small bits on the edge of the highway?" fear lingering in the back of your mind.
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No more flying: Considering my mom lives in Florida and I love traveling abroad, this could be an issue. Also, there cost and time associated with driving instead and in the end I am still burning fuel. The key here I think is to just limit this types of trips.
It seems I am not the only one struggling with this issue. Below is a excerpt from my friend Cedric's traveling update:
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Increasingly, this question of flying is not so much about can as it is about should. I have realized that the year I spent commuting to work by bicycle (2,300 car-free miles) probably about equals the carbon emissions I became personally responsible for when I stepped onto the trusty Boeing that brought us from New York to Ireland in February. I can no longer accept that the challenge of mitigating the effects of global change (because there is no fix at this point, only contingency plans) is about fighting for someone or something to change. The fight is now with myself and my current lifestyle. So we will be attempting a return to the US via a lower-carbon mode of transportation."The following images are from a 60x96" display created by Chris Jordan: www.chrisjordan.com. I strongly suggest visiting his site, his work is amazing he just posted new stuff. The images below depicts 11,000 jet trails, equal to the number of commercial flights in the US every eight hours. The first image is how the painting would appear at a distance and then second is what you would see when got close to it.
But before you find yourself slumped in your chair defeated by the challenges of travel and the imagines from above, consider the fact our declining economy and increase in fuel costs has resulted in the the increase in public transportation, bicycle ridership, and the reduction of unfilled planes in the air (I can attest to this, good-lord were the planes packed!). Yet what we really need is a shift in mindset, planning, and governance that creates a drastic and permanent change in our society. If not, I have a feeling we will be forced to reap what we have been sowing.
For now I am putting my faith in all of the people out there like myself, Cedric, and so many others that are hanging up there keys and hopping on their bikes because they know that the one thing we all have control over is our own lives and how we chose to live them. Perhaps if we clear the path, others will soon follow. At the end of the day I have to remind myself that I am not alone in this struggle...
As mentioned in my previous post, I am working my way across the US with my friend Geoff and we are now in Yellowstone National Park. There really are not words to describe how unbelievable every inch of the park is, so I will not even begin to try. Even pictures cannot capture the captivating and often bizarre formations within the borders of this place. Unfortunately we have only had two days to see it all which means we did almost all of it by car (which does not do it justice). Along the way, I caught myself passing cyclists with a longing in my eye, wishing I could join them as they took in the scenery on two wheels. I had originally hoped to bike across the country this summer but the amount of planning, training, and money required were just too much to mix into my thesis, graduation, conference agenda. Since then I have met a number of people that have managed to get themselves together and make the journey. I happen to meet three such people biking through Yellowstone.
When I stopped these guys, I had a feeling that they would have a story because of all of their gear... little did I know they were on a serious cross country journey for the environment. After passing out tangerines and cookies, Dave, Steve, and Nick (if I remember correctly) told me about their trip. Their goal is to bike from Florida to Washington while sharing their knowledge about the environment and inspiring people to get involved. Over the last two months and 9 days, they have traveled almost 3,000 miles.
When I asked for advice on biking they said "Get a good pair of sunglasses" and "You don't have to pay to camp". As far as gear, they had all the basics of traveling like extra tires, tubes, water and tents but also some extras like a hatchet, machete, and superhero... all obvious necessities when on the open road. Just talking to them makes me want to start training to do some road trips- maybe not across the United States quite yet :-) Check out their blog for the details: http://bikingforbalance.org/
