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Driving to work takes me 15 minutes; biking to work takes me 10 minutes. Although this seems to be an unnatural phenomenon, it’s a result of traffic and stoplights.
In the Seventh Annual NYC Commuter race, a bicyclist, a driver, and a subway rider raced from Fort Greene to Union Square. The result: the bicyclist wins at 16.5 minutes, the driver pulls in at 22 minutes and the subway rider lagged behind with 29 minutes.
Biking can be faster than driving, but of even more value is that biking will save you money.
The math of savings. Let’s say you live five miles from work. That’s 10 miles of driving each day, or 50 miles a week. With gas in the absurdity of three dollars a gallon, you are burning more than $300 a year. Most of us would rather burn a few calories.
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Dear EarthTalk: A fisherman friend of mine told me that trout populations in the Interior West of the U.S. are already shrinking due to global warming. Is this true? And what is the long term prognosis for the trout? – Jon Klein, Portsmouth, NH
Most scientists agree that the effects of global warming are starting to show up all around the world in many forms. Throughout America’s Rocky Mountain West, rivers and streams are getting hotter and drier, presenting new challenges for trout already struggling with habitat fragmentation and pollution.
A recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Montana Trout Unlimited (MTU) found that global warming is shrinking cold-water fish habitat, threatening the trout and other fish that depend upon it. Scientists believe that the nearly five degree (F) temperature increase forecasted for the Interior West could reduce trout habitat by half in this century, sending trout populations into a tailspin.
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What does it mean to be a “Buddhist?”
This brings the question of what it means to be any -ist or to be considered a member of an -ism. My life’s pattern has been not to join, and these days I am feeling a return to those roots.
Webster’s defines “eclectic” as “selecting what appears the best in various doctrines or methods.
Many years ago, my credo went like this: Wisconsin should secede from the United States, Winnebago County should secede from Wisconsin, Menasha should do the same with the county, and I should do likewise with Menasha, declaring myself free and adhered to no government body.
I’ve never been a joiner. No pun indeed, I think of myself as a seer. Wait, not that kind!
I’m not looking into Webster. The definition of seer is, of course, “one who sees!”
I look within eyeshot of where I sitting as I compose this column. What do I see?
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By Deborah Adams
Will you escape the cold Wisconsin winter for a few days, maybe even a week or two of sun and fun? Pack an extra swimsuit, don’t forget the sunscreen and send the rest of us a postcard!
For those unable to get away, due to schedule or tight finances, you can still enjoy a Spring Break from the usual, a chance to clear your mind and renew your spirit with a one-day get-a-way in your own backyard.
Consider visiting a local spa for a mini vacation. Try to pick one that offers more than just massage or hair services, especially if you could hang out there for a couple of hours enjoying a soak in a whirlpool or a warm-up in a sauna before getting a great spa services, or ask if you can also enjoy a lunch between your spa treatments. Invite a friend or spouse along to share some rest and relaxation or go it alone and bring that book you keep meaning to read. Take the time to get away from the outside world for a bit to recoup and re-gather your thoughts.
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By Julia Lillian
Looking out at the little dark-eyed juncos scratching their way along, with a steady shower of snowflakes falling gently on their backs, it seems impossible to believe that spring is just around the corner. Yet even with these new flakes promising to put another inch or two beneath their feet, the avians of the world have started taking notice of the lengthening daylight and preparations are being made for a season of new life.
Through the nocturnal music of the owl, the drumming of the woodpecker and the changing song of the chickadee we are given subtle reminders that, despite the landscape, the species of the world are about to spring into life. I too feel an awakening, a sort of restless excitement at the impending arrival of some of my dearest summer friends and the prospect of making a new acquaintance or two.
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