"Finally, I suspect that it is by entering that deep place inside us where our secrets are kept that we come perhaps closer than we do anywhere else to the One who, whether we realize it or not, is of all our secrets the most telling and the most precious we have to tell." Frederick Buechner
Come in! Come in!
"If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a Hope-er, a Pray-er, a Magic Bean buyer; if you're a pretender, come sit by my fire. For we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!" -- Shel Silverstein
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
How angry are you?
Enough to stop - or seriously limit - your use of fossil fuels?
Have done for years. I have never driven, refuse to, personal car ownership is just simple economic disaster. I have always advocated and used public transport. From the time I first managed a budget for a public building I have spent long hours 'gently persuading' people to switch lights off and still do with incredible regularity. The building I manage now still has a monthly electricity bill of £1500.00.
I can't say that my hands are completely clean here. I have a valid driver's license and do like to keep what I think of as my "driving mojo" in tune. There are times when (as you all know) it's helpful to be able to take the wheel. But I don't own a car. I take the bus, bike, walk, bum rides from other people. I haven't given up traveling by plane, either.
I'm in fortunate circumstances - no children or frail seniors living with me, short walk or bike ride to work and church, flexible schedule so I'm not hitting the public transport system at rush hour. It makes me sad to think that we used to have an infrastructure that made a car-free life possible for many people.
When I visit the southern US, I'm struck by how impractical my lifestyle would be outside my little bubble. For those people who don't have the luxuries I do, I wonder what support systems they'd need to help them drive less.
Our public transportation, outside of places like Atlanta, is notoriously poor and poorly-staffed. Walking is practical, sometimes, if you don't have far to go. Most of the year, here in Southwest Georgia, walking to work means having to shower when you get there, and walking in broad daylight on pavement and asphalt is a grueling test of heat endurance and car-dodging ability (Southern drivers tend to pedestrian discourtesy bordering on homicidal).
Many of us have pushed for a state rail system, but it doesn't materialize: public transportation seems to be a little too socialist. In any case, how much of a problem are we really solving by trading a few (realistically - as long as they can, people will opt for private transport) cars for gas-burning buses and diesel trains?
Don't forget the part about plastics. I think I heard somewhere that only 10% of each barrel of crude eventually finds its way into the gas tanks of the drivers of America. The rest goes to jillions of plastic products.
Wonderful video. Here in small town south Louisiana, life without driving would be not quite impossible but nearly so. And the plastics.... We are all complicit.
13 comments:
I'm sharing this. Where do you FIND this amazing stuff?? And how do you have time to look for it???
People send me stuff all the time. This one was a real keeper, right?
It is a keeper.
One more reason I'd better move to Philly real soon!
Have done for years.
I have never driven, refuse to, personal car ownership is just simple economic disaster. I have always advocated and used public transport. From the time I first managed a budget for a public building I have spent long hours 'gently persuading' people to switch lights off and still do with incredible regularity. The building I manage now still has a monthly electricity bill of £1500.00.
Good for you, TMTIM.
Bloody Brilliant!
I can't say that my hands are completely clean here. I have a valid driver's license and do like to keep what I think of as my "driving mojo" in tune. There are times when (as you all know) it's helpful to be able to take the wheel. But I don't own a car. I take the bus, bike, walk, bum rides from other people. I haven't given up traveling by plane, either.
I'm in fortunate circumstances - no children or frail seniors living with me, short walk or bike ride to work and church, flexible schedule so I'm not hitting the public transport system at rush hour. It makes me sad to think that we used to have an infrastructure that made a car-free life possible for many people.
When I visit the southern US, I'm struck by how impractical my lifestyle would be outside my little bubble. For those people who don't have the luxuries I do, I wonder what support systems they'd need to help them drive less.
It is impractical for many in the South.
Our public transportation, outside of places like Atlanta, is notoriously poor and poorly-staffed. Walking is practical, sometimes, if you don't have far to go. Most of the year, here in Southwest Georgia, walking to work means having to shower when you get there, and walking in broad daylight on pavement and asphalt is a grueling test of heat endurance and car-dodging ability (Southern drivers tend to pedestrian discourtesy bordering on homicidal).
Many of us have pushed for a state rail system, but it doesn't materialize: public transportation seems to be a little too socialist. In any case, how much of a problem are we really solving by trading a few (realistically - as long as they can, people will opt for private transport) cars for gas-burning buses and diesel trains?
Don't forget the part about plastics. I think I heard somewhere that only 10% of each barrel of crude eventually finds its way into the gas tanks of the drivers of America. The rest goes to jillions of plastic products.
Plastics are probably harder to give up than glass or cans.
Wonderful video. Here in small town south Louisiana, life without driving would be not quite impossible but nearly so. And the plastics.... We are all complicit.
TheMe, you do more than your part.
Oh, goodie! I'm so glad you liked it. You were most on my heart when I decided to reproduce it here.
We have so much work to do to rid ourselves of our addiction on fossil fuels. It's sometimes daunting.
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