Go Green, Save Money, Get Fit. Go Dutch and Ride a Bike!

I just came back to Austin, Texas after a semester studying abroad in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I am convinced Amsterdam is the coolest city on the planet. Not because of the drugs, prostitution, canals, or tulips, but because of the bicycles! The Netherlands is below sea level so the entire country is mostly flat, which makes it the most bike friendly country in the world. It is an amazing sight to see. People young and old are cruisin’ through the city on their bikes. It doesn’t matter if you a have a dog and three kids, you can just attach a wagon to your bike and throw them all in.

Only the Dutch know how to use a bike to replace an SUV. They say you aren’t Dutch until you know how to take a child, groceries, and flowers all on your bike and ride it home. Everywhere you go in Amsterdam is bike friendly, there are bike lanes everywhere and even bike traffic lights. They even make bikes for physically handicapped people. Ah Utopia!

In America, however, bike riding can be more of a nightmare than a Utopia due to the lack of bike lanes, the excessive amount of humongo vehicles, and the lack of respect that drivers have for cyclists on the road. Because of this, most of the beautiful bicycles in America stay hidden in the corner of a garage and are never used. However riding a bike in the United States is possible! Here are some tips on how to ride a bike in a car infested city:

1. Use bike lanes whenever possible. Go to any local bike repair shop and you can usually buy a map that highlights where all the bike paths and lanes are located in the city.

2. Find alternate routes. You rarely have to ride your bike on a busy street. You can almost always find a more pleasant, scenic, and quiet street in surrounding residential areas. This way you don’t have to worry about being in the way of cars and fear losing your life. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: green living | Posted in General | No Comments »

Going Green But Feeling Oh, So Blue

Before the new year, Dad and I talked about some issues affecting our environment, specifically my home’s energy efficiency. He suggested I replace my incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones, expressing the fact that if every American household used CFLs we would save enough energy to light a third of America for one year (Energy Star). However, switching from incandescent to fluorescent became more of a hassle than I first expected, and that is why I decided to blog about the importance of lighting. Not only is lighting crucial in our homes, but also on any video production shoot. To the professional or amateur filmmaker, lighting can make or break your mood.

I finally picked up a few CFLs; put one in the lamp above my bed, three next to my front door, two in the kitchen, and one above the breakfast table. I turned them on and off, on and off, on and off. I kept looking at the walls. Everything was blue. “This is not right,” I said to myself. “Why is it so much bluer in here than before?” I turned on an old-school incandescent lamp that I had not yet replaced. “Ah, this is nice,” I thought. “Warm again.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: energy efficiency, green living, light bulbs | Posted in Life and Learning | 1 Comment »

China bans free plastic grocery bags. We should too.

An AP article today reported that China plans to ban all free grocery bags in an effort to fight litter and pollution. I believe we should do the same. Moreover, I wonder if this does not foreshadow a broader trend where China may lead the US in “green” initiatives and technology out of sheer necessity.

I started thinking about plastic bags after moving to Austin a couple of years ago and getting the choice of “paper or plastic” for the first time in a long time while shopping at Whole Foods. While I try to be environmentally conscious, I was ashamed that I didn’t know the “best” option. So, I decided to put it back on the cashiers, telling them “your choice.” To my surprise, the cashiers were split about 50/50, with one even picking plastic explaining that I “look like I recycle” (after looking myself up and down, I decided that was a compliment). I became more confused when I read a few articles claiming that plastic bags had several advantages over paper, including being more energy efficient to produce and recycle (see Wikipedia excerpt below for a complete list of advantages and disadvantages). Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Environment, green living | Posted in Life and Learning | 3 Comments »