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OK, I know I'm running behind but please forgive me, things have been truly nuts. This months site of the month was supplied by a blog reader named Kathleen (thanks Kathleen!) who sent Gettin' Around my way.
I don't talk a lot about transpo on this site but anyone who knows anything about internal combustion engines knows that in the waste department, they are king! So enter Gettin' Around. Self described as "one couples personal challenge to find and use alternative transportation in the Pacific Northwest" it's a pretty cool site.
Basically, they decided to try and shun "standard" forms of transportation for transpo that was a little lighter on the ole carbon footprint-o-meter, namely biking. Every week they report how many miles they have gone on bike, bus, and walked, and then what the costs were versus driving, gas saved, etc, to really give you a full idea of what they have accomplished (or not).
I like what they are up to because, quite like me, they seem like to regular folks (well maybe not like me then) who just figured there must be a better way, and then set out to do it. Very cool if you ask me.
So head on over to Gettin'Around and see what they're up to.
Dave
6 comments:
Yes! This is an issue dear to my own heart. Two years ago I saw this as my own personal challenge. I set out to see if I could live without a car (I'm also in the rainy Northwest).... my goal was to sell my car if I could "survive" without it for 2 months.... EASY! I sold my car after 30 days, and haven't looked back. Since then I've had many challenges along the way: Rain, dentist visits, groceries - they have all proven easily surmountable. I think the biggest hurdles are in our heads. In fact, I know it.
Here's my own project: www.900mpg.org
Per calorie of energy input a bicyclist gets 900mpg, compared to cars, thus the name.
Great blog, Kathleen!
Cool stuff Kathleen. Keep up the good work. Where'd you get the 900mpg number from?
dave
Cool stuff Kathleen. Keep up the good work. Where'd you get the 900mpg number from?
dave
Short answer:
HERE'S THE MATH - A gallon of gasoline contains about 34,000 calories - which can fuel a car for 20-40 miles, depending on your MPG - not bad.
A bicyclist burns about 600 calories per hour when riding at 16 miles per hour - that's a pretty casual pace. At 600 calories per hour, that bicyclist could ride for 56 hours on those 34,000 calories - and at that speed, would cover about 900 miles. Thus, 900 miles per gallon.
I know, it's not quite apples-to-apples, but it's just about energy efficiency.
A little more info:
http://900mpg.org/about.php
WOW! We're honored Dave.
I feel badly that the site's gone stagnant. Looking for work and moving to a new city tends to do things like taking priority over blogging...
I hope to be back to updating the blog soon. Living right downtown in the city (Seattle) will help us to do more by foot, rather than by car.
Mark
My pleasure Mark. Shoot me an email when you have a chance. Contact info is up top.
Dave
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