$4 Gas and Still no more Bicyclists?

According to an article by Reuters, Americans don't seem to be picking up the habit of riding their bikes regularly to work, despite the fact that gas is over $4 a gallon in some parts of the country.

The article points out that some who can ride their bike to work, might do it. But the majority of people still live too far away from work to consider it. Their is also the danger of traffic congested roads mixed with bicyclists which can get ugly if the streets weren't designed to share the road. The article also mentions that the amount of people that regularly ride their bikes is also down compared to previous years.

Here in Oregon, however, bicyclists seem to be a staple characteristic of what makes Oregon so green. College towns are notorious for bicyclists like Corvallis and Eugene, but even some local studies suggest that ridership is down compared to previous years. The cited reason for reduced bicyclists is poor city planning and the monopolistic car to street relationship. The local studies say if more bicycle routes and paths were developed that ridership would be up.

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Either way, I am personally making a commitment to ride my bike to work starting June 1st until September. My work is only 7 miles away and I have the leisure of taking a beautiful bike path along the Amazon Creek all the way to work. If you have the ability to ride your bike due to the proximity of your home and work, please consider riding your bike. It saves the air and saves you money from our outrageous gas prices.

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New Hybrid: The Aptera

Gas prices are skyrocketing and now more than ever we can agree we're sick of it. Fortunately, so were the people at Aptera who not only created a new hybrid but one like any other. Want a full electric version? They have that too.

If fifty miles per gallon sounds good to you, how does bumping the mileage up to 230 miles per gallon sound? The new Aptera Hybrid can take you further than any hybrid available today. Its space age design is not only pleasing esthetically but it also is receiving high ratings in simulated crash testing. The Aptera will be available for purchase this year starting in October however it is only initially being released to California residents. Check out the website at Aptera.com or the video below for more details.



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20% Wind Energy by 2030?

A report just came out from the U.S. Department of Energy at 20percentwind.org called 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply. As the name suggests the report lays out the feasibility of being able to achieve 20% of its energy from wind power!

Under the 20% wind scenario, installations of new wind power capacity would increase to more than 16,000 megawatts per year by 2018, and continue at that rate through 2030. The U.S. doesn't even does have more than 16,000 MW in wind turbines currently installed--we passed that level in 2007. We're at about 18,000 now.

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The report identifies the problems with actually achieving 20% wind energy which includes transmission, siting, and manufacturing. However, the report gives solutions to overcome these road blocks while highlighting its potential to stave off global warming.

The American Wind Energy Association states: as of the end of 2006 the United States had an estimated 11,603 MW of wind energy generating per year. Even though this figure seems low, there have been improvements and gains over the years. However, wind energy only accounts for 0.7% of the U.S. energy mix. If the government helped stimulate the renewable energy market, imagine where we could be today.

We need to continue to press our elected officials to continue to secure our energy through renewable means. If we can elect a plan to achieve 20% by 2030, the United States will be recognized around the world as an environmental leader as opposed to its current backwards thinking. Lets create change, lets create jobs, lets help our country evolve.

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Organic Food Prices On the Rise

With the prices of conventionally grown food continuing to rise as time goes on, the prices of organic food is also rising. In some cases, the prices of organic food is now going beyond the reach of the lower and middle class. If the cost for organic food is nearly twice that of conventional products, then many people will just buy what they can afford.

Most people buy organic food to ensure they are not receiving potentially carcinogenic toxics in their body from chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and synthetic hormones.

As a single guy, I spend more money on groceries from the price of organics compared to my coworker who feeds an entire family of four with conventional products. Someone who can't afford to buy organic food for an entire family will buy what makes financial sense to them.

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Some farmers are actually switching back to growing conventional foods because the prices of certain crops are so high, there is no need to go through USDA organic certification. This can eventually reduce the amount of selection for organics and cause prices to go up even further.

Due to these economic hard times with inflation and a looming recession, it feels as if a serious problem could arise if the economy doesn't stabilize soon. Simply put, organic food will only be affordable to the wealthy. What kind of world do we live in?

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