Someone's chalk Art I found on sidewalk a week, or two, ago.
Painting party before and block party after ride. Events in front of Make.shift Art Gallery 306 Flora in downtown Bellingham. Friday June 7 2019.
Article I wrote for Betty Pages about:
Stripping down the carbon footprint
We need to find ways to make reducing the carbon footprint more fun. Just asking people to make sacrifices doesn't usually go over well.
Improving technology can help us reduce fossil fuel consumption. Things like LED lights can help as they use a lot less energy than old fashioned incandescent lighting. Generating more of our energy from solar power is needed also. Problem is, it takes a lot of time for the use of these new technologies to become widespread.
In the meantime, population keeps growing and more of the world's people rise out of poverty. Consumption of fossil fuels continues to increase. Few folks want to go back to the Dark Ages and sacrifice the pleasures of modern life.
How can we make conservation more enjoyable so the idea becomes popular?
One way is to think of other benefits besides just the value of having money and material wealth. How about the benefit of good health?
Bicycling may not be as fast as driving, but it's a good way to integrate exercise into one's means of transportation. Depending on the circumstances, it can be a lot of fun.
One really fun ride is the World Naked Bike Ride. This happens in many cities around the world; including here in Bellingham. Our local version of this ride is planned for Friday, June 7th. Starts by the Makeshift Gallery, 306 Flora around 6 pm.
The ride is non competitive. It can be enjoyed by folks from a wide range of ages and body types. One need not even be naked to participate. There are many versions of dress, or undress, depending on one's level of comfort. Volunteers are needed and quite a few folks just come downtown to cheer on the riders.
More information is available on their website.
There is usually a fun dance after the ride. I got to thinking that dancing is a form of exercise that a lot of people enjoy. They usually don't think of it as a chore; like maybe going to the gym. This is how we ought to view things like bicycling. We can also view other forms of reducing the carbon footprint in this way as well.
Folks are often striving to increase the GDP of our economy. This can be hard work and a burden for both the individual and the planet. How about spending more time away from the job? More time for friends and family, or even just time to get an adequate amount of sleep.
If we could measure the success of our economy in terms of our health, or the amount of connection we have with community, our task of reducing the carbon footprint would be a lot easier.
By Robert Ashworth
No comments:
Post a Comment