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Posts Tagged ‘Commute Greener!’

Traffic jams and commute chains

Hi everybody!

Everyday on my way home, I see long lines of cars with a single person in them. They move at very slow speed, 10-20 km/h at most and are constantly starting and stopping. This is what makes the commute the worst part of the day for so many people. And I know you have been exposed to this as well.

While those drivers slowly crawl toward their homes, buses, trams and other means of public transportation drive by them in special lanes. The public transit is warmer, noisier and crowded, but also faster in this situation. But for some reason people still choose to commute by car.

Of course, I look at it from a North European point of view. Gothenburg have a good public transit system with special lanes for buses and for bicycles. Real time updates on when the bus/tram will arrive is a natural thing. It is easy to promote non car alternatives in those circumstances. But even in places with less developed transit systems it is often possible to switch to a bus commute.

Do you remember when I discussed commute chains?. Lets repeat the concept. If you calculate the time and cost of driving from point A to B, and then calculate the time and cost of taking the bus to the train station, hopping on to a train and so on, and compare those to to taking the bike to the train/bus station, you might be surprised to find that little time is lost, but time for work and/or relaxation and exercise is added. Sounds complicated? It only takes two minutes with Commute Greener! :-)

One of the benefits of doing this kind of calculation is that it shows how much time is spent idly sitting in the car while waiting for the line to start moving. That is after all a huge source of stress, especially in cities with long commutes and vast amount of traffic. Perhaps it is possible to cycle to the bus station, and take a bus from there?

The bottom line is that something have to be done to reduce traffic jams during rush hour. Public transportation is one area with large potential for improvement, if only the politicians and city planers understand that more roads for more cars is like pouring gasoline on the fire. If more people used mass transit, and commute chains became a more common subject, we might even raise awareness about environmental, health and wealth benefits of a public commute.

Well, that’s all for today. Have a nice day, follow us on twitter and facebook, watch us on youtube and use the new facebookapp.

By the way, vacation time have started here in Sweden, so there will not be as many updates for a while. Have a nice summer everyone!

I’m off

Fredrik

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NOx, revisited – Acid Rain

Hi! I’m back!

I found a very interesting article about acid rain today. Do you remember when I wrote about NOx, and mentioned acid rain? This little problem, that have fallen from the spotlight have crawled its way up into the debate again.

Time to harp on drivers again! No, I’m kidding. But CO2 aside, transportation is a huge source of pollution. Particles, NOx, sulphur (mostly from ships) and runoff can do nasty things to our beloved environment. Acid rain is one of those things. It works like this:

Acid rain picture from Wikipedia Commons

In the 70′s and 80′s, sulphur was the main villain. Three-way-converters (a Volvo innovation by the way)  became more common in cars, and NOx from transportation was thought to be more or less a non-issue. (And that is why the picture don’t show it as a contributor, but the principle is the same.) Coal power plants got strict regulations on sulphur emissions, as did petrol manufacturers. So, problem solved, right?

Well, no. We still had the problem of fertilizers, one of the dirtiest but most important parts of the green revolution. And no, I don’t mean the wave of eco-friendliness that moves like a tsunami over the internet right now. I mean agriculture wave during the 50′s that is still in progress today… Fertilizer leak nitrogen via runoff from fields and through vaporising. And it is the biggest contributor to acid rain there is. This is old news, and lots are being done to change this.

The second biggest contributor to acidification used to be coal plants, but with the vast number of vehicles that are on the roads today it is no surprise that transportation have taken that place. Vehicles today are much cleaner and more effective than old ones, but there are a significantly higher number of cars and trucks on the roads today. You can see where I am going with that argument.

What is so bad about acid rain then? Well, excessive acidification damages plants, and may destroy sensitive limnic (freshwater) ecosystems. Acid lakes contain little life, and many types of trees can’t grow in acid soil. In urban areas acid rain damages concrete buildings and wither stonework. Take a look at an old statue that have been exposed to acid rain… not a pretty sight:

Damaged by acid rain

And as of late, the acidification of the oceans have become a focus in the environmental debate. I must admit that I don’t know enough to comment on this, but it does sound scary…

But what do we do about this problem? Well, I’m no scientist, and even if I was I wouldn’t have the answer. Many things play a part here, as in every subject of environmental science. However, we will have to stop our excessive driving. Telecommuting (ie working from home), public transportation, new infrastructure to let bike riders commute safely, etc will play a huge role in coming to terms with many problems. But it is not a total solution. There is no complete solution that I know of yet. Feel free to link to any research to prove me wrong, as I am always looking for things like that.

But once again, you who use Commute Greener!, and everyone that choose public transportation or zero emission alternatives are playing a part for a better environment. Not only are you helping the reduction of the worlds carbon emissions, you are helping the reduction of acidification (the result of acid rain) and many different things. You can feel proud of yourselves!

I hope you have found this interesting. I did! Remember to follow us on twitter and facebook and to Commute Greener!

I’m off for today

Fredrik

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Time to open our eyes!

Hi everyone!

This Monday, I went of on a rant about transportation, campaigns and some other stuff. Today, I red an article at grist.org. It is about the rather pessimistic tone the environmental debate have taken in USA, were the “left” wing present ideas to solve environmental problems and the right wing shoots them down, in the name of the market. This is a very simplified picture of course. And I am sure it isn’t totally like this in USA.

But it does raise a couple of new questions that I have touched before. The government need to understand that the car isn’t sacred, and that mass transit actually is a good thing. The car isn’t sacred, as the Michael Linds article that the Grist article was based on seems to assume. It is true that rich countries have a higher density of cars, as people can afford them. Does that mean that public transportation isn’t an option in the future, especially in urban areas? And the reason many drive to work from the suburbs is 1) habit and 2) lack  of descent mass transit systems. So when new suburbs are built, make sure there are bus-lines! Trains may be expensive, but buses use the same infrastructure as the rest of the traffic. This is how it is done in Sweden, at least in cities that think ahead.

Michael Lind is right on one thing though… Asphalt may not be exciting, but new and low particle emitting asphalt is something to pay out for. It reduces wear and tear on the road, noise, particles and lowers fuel consumption, and thereby CO2 and NOx…
But the bottom line is that there have to be an attitude shift. I have said that before, haven’t I. Both from the politicians point of view and from the people. I am not talking about USA here, but in general. While the European governments are less conservative and are more keen on discussing CO2, there is still to much discussion and to little action. And climate denialists and traditionalists exist here to. The difference is that religion is less of an issue in the politic game in Europe and the climate model is the norm. I am not going to harp about religion being bad, because in itself there is nothing wrong with being religious. Hiding behind it or using the argument “god wants it” is a bit medieval though, right?

Ok, I got sidetracked again… Sorry. Attitude shifts… I really think that the conservative wing, regardless of continent view environmentalists as smug, self righteous, smug hippies. And there are many of them around. You know who you are! Many seems to hate cars, or even development. But is this how most people who work with environmental issues are. Is this how most interested persons out there are? Once again, to much focus is placed in the wrong places. Get serious and see opportunities instead of sticking the head in the sand. So much could be done for the environment if one started to look for opportunities. Wind and solar power and publit transportation are some of those opportunities. In Europe, they have expanded. Why haven’t they in North America? With the oil-spill, declining amount of fossil fuels, climate change, thinning glaciers and disturbed weather, it is time to open our eyes!

Well, I’m off. I have some statistics to finish. Have a nice one, and remember to follow us on facebook and twitter, and to Commute Greener!

/

Fredrik

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Back to the environmental problems; VOCs

Hi!

It’s been a while since I wrote about environmental problems. Ranting is just more fun, especially at the end of the day. But while writing yesterday, I realised I have forgotten one of the more important but obscure environmental problems; VOC’s. This is why I love environmental issues; there are always more angles to look at, and more contributing factors.

Ok, what the heck is a VOC? Yep it’s another of those funny letter-codes that no one gets. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound. These compounds come from MANY sources. Natural VOC like turpentine come from pine trees while common anthropogenic sources are paint, fuel, printers (the ink) building material and combustions. This group of substances is as varied as a high school, and just as unruly. The VOC group include everything from carbon monoxide and turpentine to formaldehyde and pesticides. The only common ground is that they have a carbon base and mix with the air in gaseous form. Many VOCs are carcinogenic like benzene and carbon compounds are a part of the smog-build up chain. So we need to take it seriously, don’t you agree. Added to that most chemicals we use in day to day life and in industry emit VOCs during use and storage and we have a problem. Even dry products like impregnated wood and furniture release a steady stream of organic compounds.

VOC’s are an environmental problem, but mostly in an indoor environment. Malls and buildings with indoor parking spaces can have high levels of benzene. During my studies, some students tested benzene levels in one of Gothenburg’s largest malls with adsorbent tubes and air pumps. The levels were higher then it should have been as air got filtrated down from the garage on the third floor.Benzene-aromatic-3D-balls

(Fun story from this survey; if I remember correctly, there were some very funny readings when the first tube was analysed… it turned out that a random junkie had decided to smoke under the equipment, and I’m not talking about tobacco here. I wish was there to see the students faces when they saw TBC on the analysis results).

Truth to be told, VOCs are unavoidable. When we drive, take the bus, ride a bike, or were clothes we contribute to the emissions of VOCs. But much is being done for cleaner air. One example is that PFOS (a substance used as fire retardant) is being phased out.Fire retardants in general are developed to release as little as possible now, but there have been a huge increase in flame-proof clothing, furniture and machinery…

By using public transportation we can reduce a number of environmental problems, but this is one we will never be totally free from. And most of them do no real harm to humans anyway. You need a high and long term exposure to benzene to get cancer, or develop other problems. Smog is another issue that need to be addressed, but it is more common to approach that issue from the NOx angle.

I hope you have found this interesting. If you want more information, check out US EPA, they have good information about VOC and a number of other subjects. And if you have questions, feel free to ask here or at facebook or twitter.

I’m off to lunch!

Fredrik

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Some random afternoon thoughts

Hi!

Somehow, I survived the midsummer traffic. I’m amazed how smooth it went, despite rail repairs and hot weather.The train was even on schedule.

Anyway, I have been toying with some ideas lately. The commute is the least favourite part of the day for most people, yet one of the habits they are least inclined to change. Do we need a paradigm shift? Is this the politicians responsibility, or do the change have to come from the grass roots? And more importantly, why do people hate the commute?

Transportation is one of the largest contributors to environmental problems. CO2, NOx, particles, VOC’s (I haven’t written about them yet, right?), ozone and smog are no brainers, and many know about at least some of the problems.  Runoff from roads and chemicals from washing at the driveway are other important problems that are often forgotten. Considering all these issues, why do the society promote driving over every other mode of transportation?

Not that driving have to be a bad thing. It is after all a good way to travel long distances in a short time. There are many ways to reduce the environmental impact from driving, like eco driving, pumping up the tires and getting rid of roof boxes.

London, Shanghai, Copenhagen, Berlin, and many other cities all over the world is upgrading their public transportation system. Shanghai is buying electric buses, London is getting new double deckers. Bike lanes and a good environment is high on the agenda for the politicians. In North America it seems like public transportation is for the poor or for losers. I don’t want to offend anyone, but this is the impression I get. If you can afford it, you have to have a car.

I wonder if awareness campaigns like bike-to-work day, and all the nudist cyclist events actually does anything good. They reach people that are interested in the environment, but do they change any habits or actually raise awareness? I don’t know, but I doubt it. They raise a commotion, people look at those crazy hippies, and continue with their life like they always have. Names of the bigger forums is an issue in close relation to this. Take Treehugger for example, a site I absolutely love. That name is catchy, but I don’t think it impresses people not interested in the environment (or people that really love trees:-) )

What I’m getting at here is that there need to be a shift of focus from the top. Trying to scare people with climate change and standing over them with the whip is not the way to go, but there have to be campaigns aimed at regular people, based on actual traceable facts from a governmental standpoint. A real effort to get people to get out of the car and looking for other modes of transportation. At the same time, the grassroots have to understand that there are other ways to get around then driving. We all need look beyond our noses and realize that oil isn’t going to be an option in the future. And politicians and regular people alike must realize that saving our globe cost money. Environmental taxes ARE needed, as is stricter regulations like US EPA’s newest rules and Californians assembly bill 32. Deal with it.

Enough ranting for today. You know the drill, follow us on facebook, check out the new application, follow us on twitter, watch our videos at youtube and take a look at our flikr account.

I’m out of here

Fredrik

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Changing haits for a sustainable commute

Hi everybody!

Changing habits can be really hard, right? Who haven’t promised to give up smoking, loose weight, drink less or start going to the gym. I know I have (well not smoking… that is one habit I just don’t get). The same is true with the commute. Most people seems to  complain about their commute. It is boring, take to much time, is straining and hundreds of other things. And most people seems to drive to work. And in Europe were bicycle is a common mode of transportation many promise to ride the bike to work during the summer. Many do it for a week and get tired of it.

Changing commuting habits is the same as changing any habits. You have to make a commitment, the family/co-workers need to be supportive etc. I would like to share a couple of tips on the way to changing habits.

  1. ) One thing at a the time! This is usually were I fall. I always try to change to much to fast. Start small, like taking the bus/bicycle one day a week. Get used to that first.
  2. ) Commitment! This is why some competition is good. It is easier to commit to something if you have others to compare yourself to. If you start to get sloppy with habitual changes, they will not succeed. We all know this, right? Write down your progress (easy with Commute Greener!), and set a fixed date to use alternative transportation (ie. every Friday or something like this) and stick to it.
  3. ) Support! Get others to support you. It is easier to do things in a group. And much more fun. Get together in a group and ride the bus together, or share the car. Or, if everyone around you refuse, join an online community and discuss with other commuters. There are lots of websites for this out there. And the 100 % man Jan Arvidsson (as well as his colleagues) have shown what a bit of support can do for morale.
  4. ) Support others! If other people try to change commuting habits, support them. Do unto others and so on.
  5. ) Reward yourself! It is easy to just see the whip, and not the carrot when one commit to a change of habits. Don’t do this. Make it fun and interesting instead of difficult and boring. Buy a new book to read, and keep getting interesting reading material, get a new pair of walking shoes or other clothing. But make it feel like a real reward!
  6. ) Track the results! Keep track of your results. Use Commute Greener! and all tools you can get your hands on. But be careful to monitor your progress carefully.

Oh, and don’t nag others about following your example. It is not polite, and have the opposite effect. Plus, there are many ways to go about it that is not as offensive. I wouldn’t even bring it up but I have encountered too many extremists in my day…

Well, I think this is all for the day. I have some other things to do today. Keep following us on facebook, twitter and remember to Commute Greener!

By the way, try our new app on facebook. It let you update your Commute Greener! status and progress to facebook. Think of the bragging rights :-)

/

I’m off

Fredrik

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My take on the climate debate

Hi everyone!

It is time to talk about climate change again. And Science! YAY!

I know, I have gone on about climate change before. I’m not going to repeat myself (even if I am an expert at that). A dark shadow have lurked its way into the scientific climate “debate”. While “Climate Gate” wasn’t the start, it has gotten peoples attention. And now scientists are being verbally assaulted and threatened. In my opinion that is not acceptable. Not on any level.

I actually appreciate that climate deniers exist. If they didn’t, laymen wouldn’t be interested in climate science. Media wouldn’t be as interested either. Scientists would have no real reason explain their results in a somewhat simple way so ordinary people could understand, and even though the peer review system has always been very throughout, it will have to be extra tough now. And that leads to higher quality, at least in theory.

However, the deniers have their negative effects to. The “debate” of today holds very low standard, with name calling and other childish behaviour. This is a common on BOTH sides of the fence. Just choose a random environmental forum and take a look.

But to threaten climatic scientists? What is the point in that? What have they done wrong, other then doing their job? If anyone wants the climate change to not exist it is the climate scientists. And what do you really accomplish by threatening a climatologist?  It is not like the science will go away, or that the CO2 emissions will stop affecting the climate (oh yea, they don’t believe this is true… oh well). Violence and bullying have no place in serious discussions, or in a democracy. And come on, why is this behaviour not getting more attention in media? This is a serious issue.

Global warming is the best model of explanation of what is happening with our globe. A majority of the scientists agree. This does not make the climate change model 100%  true. Science doesn’t work that way after all.

If climate change is all a big fake (what a relief that would be) we may have gotten a better world with our technological and social changes anyway. If it does exist like a majority of the climate scientist’s studies say, do we have any choice but to act? Can we afford not to?

In the Swedish environmental law, there is a principle about being carefulness and risk minimizing. If there are any risk at all that something that may endanger the environment or people it must be minimized. The same applies here. Magnus posted an entry with a video about this a while ago. Take a look at it, it does have a point.

Video for: What is the worst thing that could happen?

Video for: What is the worst thing that could happen?

That’s all for today folks. Drop a line, follow us on twitter and facebook, and as always: Commute Greener!

I’m off

Fredrik

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Changing habits: the 100 % man

Hi!

Yesterday’s entry had a serious tone and a very serious subject, so let’s lighten up the mood with a user story. A story about changing habits. While not all of this users success can be attributed to Commute Greener!, it helped along the way.

Jan Arvidsson at Gothenburg City Biskopsgården is called the 100 % man by his colleges. Biskopsgarden, a part of Gothenburg, have been using Commute Greener! for two months now. As a whole, the 750 employees have reduced their emissions from commuting by about 10 %. The different branches of the administration, ranging from schools and daycare to the social office and clinics have competed in saved CO2. It is always fun to look at the statistics from the different departments. They are doing really well.

Jan used to be a habitual driver, ie. he drove out of habit. Nothing special or unusual with that. When they started using Commute Greener!  and a bicycle initiative at work he made a commitment. Switch from driving to bike commute.

Orust vinterdag 009 Jan Arvidsson a windy day at Orust

Jan have stood by his word to a 100%. He seldom use the car nowadays, and only for long distance meetings. If he have to drive he leaves the car at home on his way back, opting for the bike the rest of the way. He states that changing habits aren’t hard, but one must make a commitment and show some dedication. It takes some preparation and afterthought and planning after all. Rainproof clothes and a change of clothes  are good to have at the office on hot or rainy days. Commuting by bicycle does require a bit more time to. The fact that Gothenburg is a good city for cycling with lots of bicycle lanes, scenery and few real hills certainly helps.

As a result of the change of habits, Jan states that he feel healthier, have gained some stamina and that he get to enjoy the scenery more then when he drove. He even use the bike on weekends for errands most of the time.  Now that is commitment!

The question is if this change had come to if the whole organisation hadn’t started to use Commute Greener!, as a starting point if nothing else.  There have of course been discussions, some groaning and complaints. But as a whole the organisation have adopted a positive attitude. Jan’s colleges have been supportive, and try to change their habits as well. They now call him the 100% man, and while we spoke Jan took the opportunity to point out that I am not exactly a good example for Commute Greener! since I don’t commute by bike regularly. I suppose he is right as I only live 5,5 km from work. I don’t have an excuse not to cycle other then loving the half an hour of reading on the way home.

As you all can see, even a habitual driver can change habits. Anyone can. The only thing you need is some commitment, a stubborn attitude and plan the day a bit. I guess I will have to get my bike out to. It’s time to walk the talk.

That’s all for today. Have a nice one

I’m off

Fredrik

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Oil, attitudes and habits. Prepare for a rant

Hello.

Today’s entry will have a more serious tone then yesterdays. Once again, I had something else planned but got sidetracked. Through one of our followers on twitter, I came across this article. I promised myself not to delve into the oil-spill, but here I go. The article is about the BP oil spill, and what have to be done to reduce the effects. The author makes a good case about what he thinks  must be done. For all of you that don’t have time to read a full article, here is the short version: The gulf oil-spill is causing a shortage of oil in USA. Instead of trying to remedy that with short term oil imports there have to be long term changes in attitudes from drivers and government. Public transportation needs to be spruced up, and bicycle lanes need to be better planned and constructed. And a total of 20% of reduction of driving is required.

Commute Greener! is all about reducing needless driving and promoting use of public transportation and bicycle lanes. 20% reductions of driving sounds harsh, but statistics from users show that IT IS possible. But many reductions pre-suppose the existence of well planned and proportioned public transportation network, as well as bicycle lanes. The main part that struck me in the article was how different views Americans have compared to the situation for me on this side of the pond. The car is holy, taxes are bad and a tax on gasoline is sacrilege. And petrol is dirt cheep. I have of course known this for a long time but never really considered the problems of trying to change the citizens’ habits.

When I look at this article and the environmental debate in USA from an outsider’s perspective, I see a need for stronger regulations and environmental taxes. I come from Sweden however, and that is what is normal for me. The problem of excessive driving is very much an economical issue as well as one based on attitudes. People are afraid of change. And as long as it is cheep to take the car, why take the bus. As long as the gasoline is somewhat expensive, they may consider different options. The problem here is that interest groups of habitual drivers always get so much attention in the debate. While I understand the need for a car, driving five miles to work is not a sustainable way of commuting. But if you never have taken the bus and have heard all kinds of bad things about it, or never rode the bike in town, would you really dare to try? busstop

There has to be a change of attitudes from the top to stimulate the public transportation system. At the same time I am a huge advocate of grassroot action, but for something as big as this, will also need governments to take actions as well. California’s “new” Assembly Bill 32 may bring an interesting and inspiring change in 2011. Only time will tell.

What I wrote yesterday about that there is a demand for bicycle lanes that is very important. If you like to use the bike you will have to demand proper and safe roads from the politicians. If the public transportation system is under-dimensioned and slow, get active. The politicians don’t know if they should act if no one tells them. After all, they are there to serve you, the voters. I do understand that there are many of them who don’t care about the environment, and think that climate change is a hoax, but they will think about the election. The same is true for a better public transportation system.

Most of what I have written today is aimed at USA but is true in other parts of the world as well. Canada, UK, China, Japan, Sweden, it doesn’t matter which country; CO2 emissions must be reduced. Building functioning and environmental friendly commute systems are a crucial factor in changing the habits of commuters. We can’t reduce the dependence on oil, and the following environmental problems, without changing habits. And then we are back were we started.

Well, I think I have ranted enough for today. Feel free to comment, and give tips about how to change people’s habits. Good ones will be quoted in a later entry. And remember to follow us on twitter and facebook. And Commute Greener!

/

Fredrik

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Save the environment, ride the bike to work

Hi everybody! (hi dr Nick)

Ok, sorry about the Simpson reference, I just couldn’t resist today. I have been itching to use that one.

I have been browsing a bit for interesting things to write about, and to my big surprise there are lots of biking blogs out there. Many are about mountain biking and sports, but a fair amount is all about commuting. That shouldn’t be a surprise though. We all have to get to work and some people prefer to use alternative modes of transportation. And cycling is fun, with the side effect of getting in shape. I have written about cycling before, and what I said there still stands: how many drive to the gym some times a week to get exercise, when they could just spend an hour a day on the bike… And people still go to the gym. The car is such a natural part of everyday life that nobody seems to consider other options.

Then, what is the benefit of commuting by bike? Well, health and economy are no brainers.  And bikes don’t need fuel. Fuel cost money, and lots of it. A report has shown that New Yorkers save lots of money using public transportation, bicycles and their feet. Getting exercise is a good thing, and save time in the end. Who need to visit a gym if they have been exercising on the bike for an hour a day?

A bike commute can also be a social thing. Meet new and old friends, have fun and compete about getting in shape and save carbon dioxide. You don’t have to be an athlete for a bike commute. Lord knows I’m not, and I do it from time to time. All the free exercise will probably make you more popular among the ladies, gentlemen… Just saying :-)

Then of course there are environmental issues. There are no particle emissions, or very low, no chemicals from car washing and from oil, no anthropogenic CO2 and no NOx emissions. And in my book, this is a major thing. It doesn’t take that much more time to commute by bicycle, but you reduce your carbon footprint a significant amount.

“Ok, so I reduce my footprint, but I get to work covered in sweat and I can’t wear a suit. And when it is raining I get soaked!” Ummm… let me think about that one… Nope, no excuse. There are many tips about how to get around the issues. My personal favourites are the Bike Commute Tips Blog and Bikecommuters. Some common sense helps of course. You do have that, right? Rainproof clothing and bags, some planning and a slow and smooth tempo can solve a lot of the issues with cycling. No one said you have to ride at top speed all the way, or even part of the way.

“Butt there are no bike lanes were I live, so I must drive”. Well apparently people still use the bike. You can ride at the side of the roads in most countries, if you are careful and follow the rules. Remember, be CAREFUL. Cars are heavy, fast, and have a tendency to make mincemeat of unprotected persons if they collide. But cycling is usually quite safe if you just are careful and respect the rules, and keep off the streets with heavy traffic. And start a petition demanding bike lanes. Most politicians today consider Climate change a real issue, and want to reduce fuel based transportation. Sitting around at home whining doesn’t help anything (of course, I am a Swede, so I do it all the time anyway :-) ). Starting a petition can get things moving, joining Bike to Work events at company level is another. But get active! Demand those lanes!

“You can’t commute by bike in business clothes!“ Well, I have already answered this one, but here we go. You can in Boston apparently, and I have seen an increasing amount of blogs about cycling in a suit or dress. You just have to take it careful and slow, or even have a suit at work. In Europe, cycling in ordinary clothes is more or less the norm.

I could go on all day. But the main thing is that there is no real excuse to not try taking the bike for a week. At least if one live at a reasonable distance from work. There are a lot to say about this. And a lot of solutions to common bike commuting problems. I hope you realize that raking up the zero emission kilometres/miles in Commute Greener! give huge bragging rights:P But I think we should end this for today. I hope you found this interesting. Remember to visit us at facebook and twitter, and watch our videos at youtube.   And continue to Commute Greener!

And before I go; A big thank you to Project China, that have been promoting Commute Greener! to students in Bejing. You are really great!

I’m off

Fredrik

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