Back again with thoughts on bikes....

So previously this blog was for my thoughts on Latin. But now that I'm not teaching Latin anymore, I don't really have too many thoughts on Latin that need to be recorded. Hmmm. So today we move to my thoughts on human-powered transportation and carbon footprint reduction!

I've been reading No Impact Man, a blog on reducing our impact on the environment. It's been interesting reading and has given me a few things to think about as I consider new ways to minimize my own carbon footprint. I certainly won't go to the extremes this guy goes to, but then I'm not trying to make a big point either. His is a year long project and mine is... well, mine is just the way I live my life on a daily basis. I try to make good decisions to limit my impact when I can, but I am not an extremist. We recycle, compost, drive a Prius, buy certain things (like potatoes) that are grown locally, cloth diaper, carpool when possible, and a few other things. Like bicycle for transportation. Okay, so I don't really do that. But Leif does. A few days a week he rides his bike to work (15 miles each way) instead of driving. Bozeman is generally a bike friendly town. But it certainly could be more so. A recent post on NIM explained how some larger European cities are adopting bike share programs. What a great idea!! I would definitely ride a bike more often if I had access to one like this. Right now we have Leif's bike and a tandem bike that we ride together. But I don't have my own bike, and I don't see myself purchasing one in the near future. So right now I can't just put Ellie in the trailer and hop on the bike to ride to Albertson's for groceries. But I'd like to be able to. Or ride down to get the mail on those days that it's TOO HOT to walk. Bike sharing? That would be uber cool.

Speaking of heat... I know that there are those out there who poo-pooh global warming. But out of the last 6 days, 5 have been over 100 degrees here - and this is Montana. At the same time, it's been raining and flooding like crazy in Texas, where I'm from. So to all you nay-sayers out there: Don't tell me there's no such thing as global warming, because you're going to have a VERY hard time convincing me that all of the heat and flooding is coincidental.