Cycling and a litte fresh air

[Guest guest]

Hi Gang,

 

It's me Christian. No I didn't move back, sorry it's cold enough here

right now and I hear it's been horribly wet where you are. Although

maybe you guys heard that we've had minor flooding here in Sacramento

too. I can't go certain ways on the bike trails right now. I did

have to go the long way downtown for a while, but it's dried up enough

that I can once again get downtown easily, but one of my regular

routes through the city is still flooded. For those of you that don't

already know this, I sold my Acura and have been riding a bike

exclusively for almost 5 years now. It's been the second most

pleasant lifestyle change of my life. The first of course, being a

raw food diet.

 

I have an MP3 player that I use to listen to books on tape while i

ride my bike, so I'm learning while I'm getting places. In addition

I'm getting sunshine, exercise, and fresh air. So you could say that

in this regard I'm an expert multi-tasker. I love it when I go to the

gym, because almost everyone is so pale, and I can sport my healthy

sunshine-glow from logging hours on my bicycle. I just throw a shirt

on when I get places and nobody ever knows the difference.

 

I know in one of my Lorainne Day audio tapes she references a study

where some animals (fails me which species, but I think was either

dogs or rats) lived twice as long while breathing fresh air vs.

outdoor air. So I'm sure that stale car air can't be good for you

either. In the absence of oxygen our bodies have to create energy

anaerobically which is extremely inefficient. Just try running a mile

while holding your breath and see how far you get. While being in a

stale room isn't that bad, the efficiency of your life processes are

fractionally impaired.

 

Thanks,

Christian

[Guest guest]

Christian,

It's great to hear from you, even greater to hear about the car-free

change! A few years ago I gave up driving for Lent - because of it our

family of five gets by fine with one car (a Toyota Corolla). I still ride

in the car, but I've given up driving anyplace for myself by myself and I

don't accept rides from anyone unless it's on their way. To do my 25 mile

daily commute I now ride the bus exclusively and they let me carry my bike

on - I have about a mile ride at either end.

 

I've also started a non-profit bike shop (positivespin.org) to promote

cycling and other more positive transportation choices in the community. In

February I plan to start having Saturday " Car-Free Support Group " nights.

I've found that driving (like cooked and processed food) is an addiction and

one of the first things you need to do to break it is take people out of the

peer group that got them addicted. This group will model the behavior they

are trying to achieve.

 

There is a world-wide community of car-free citizens accessible through

the website carfree.com. The experience is very liberating and like raw

food, the other people who share car-free convictions are an interesting

bunch in many other ways. Driving cars is a really hurtful thing to do to

ourselves and the other living things on our Earth. Second-hand car exhaust

is 3 times as damaging as second-hand cigarette smoke.

 

Best wishes for peace in your heart, home and world,

Nick Hein

Morgantown, WV

 

 

 

 

-

" Christian Blackburn " <Christian_Blackburn

<RawSeattle >

Tuesday, January 17, 2006 3:40 AM

[RawSeattle] Cycling and a litte fresh air

 

 

> Hi Gang,

>

> It's me Christian. No I didn't move back, sorry it's cold enough here

> right now and I hear it's been horribly wet where you are. Although

> maybe you guys heard that we've had minor flooding here in Sacramento

> too. I can't go certain ways on the bike trails right now. I did

> have to go the long way downtown for a while, but it's dried up enough

> that I can once again get downtown easily, but one of my regular

> routes through the city is still flooded. For those of you that don't

> already know this, I sold my Acura and have been riding a bike

> exclusively for almost 5 years now. It's been the second most

> pleasant lifestyle change of my life. The first of course, being a

> raw food diet.

>

> I have an MP3 player that I use to listen to books on tape while i

> ride my bike, so I'm learning while I'm getting places. In addition

> I'm getting sunshine, exercise, and fresh air. So you could say that

> in this regard I'm an expert multi-tasker. I love it when I go to the

> gym, because almost everyone is so pale, and I can sport my healthy

> sunshine-glow from logging hours on my bicycle. I just throw a shirt

> on when I get places and nobody ever knows the difference.

>

> I know in one of my Lorainne Day audio tapes she references a study

> where some animals (fails me which species, but I think was either

> dogs or rats) lived twice as long while breathing fresh air vs.

> outdoor air. So I'm sure that stale car air can't be good for you

> either. In the absence of oxygen our bodies have to create energy

> anaerobically which is extremely inefficient. Just try running a mile

> while holding your breath and see how far you get. While being in a

> stale room isn't that bad, the efficiency of your life processes are

> fractionally impaired.

>

> Thanks,

> Christian

>

>

>

>

>

>

>