tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11626279.post6636080027333047669..comments2024-01-19T09:04:03.601-08:00Comments on powering down: i ride my bikenulinegvgvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05007178148902846658noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11626279.post-59863308918598100482007-09-26T20:22:00.000-07:002007-09-26T20:22:00.000-07:00It's been a year of changes. I moved back to Alask...It's been a year of changes. I moved back to Alaska from four years in Wisconsin at the end of January. It took until July before I made the mental shift to see how many days I could go without driving by riding my bike (I've been a commuter cyclist for decades). Once I got into it, it didn't really occur to me to weenie out when I was tired and take the car instead of the bike. Then I got into a phase of many road trips for my work. Oh well... It won't go on for much longer.<BR/><BR/>Every place else I've lived in the US I could ride my bike for most of the year. I'm even up for riding in the negative numbers but, boy, the bike sure isn't too thrilled with that idea. Here in Alaska, the season is short - mid April to mid to late October. Then it's too snowy and icy to try to play chicken with the cars. There are some real diehards here that will ride year round but I have a heavy risk avoidance gene that kicks in during the winter.<BR/><BR/>Once the snow flies for real, I'll switch to taking the bus. I've already had the presence of mind to 1) find the nearest bus stop heading in the general direction of my job 2) discover a bus that actually gets pretty close to that job 3) find out what the daily and monthly fares are and 4) see what sort of schedule that particular bus runs on. The public transit system here is about adequate which means timing is everything. I'm sure I'll get into that groove in the not so distant future.<BR/><BR/>But as to making small steps with pretty good results, I finally had a friend help me install a retractable clothesline on the covered balcony of my apartment. I'm using it to dry clothes for the first time today. Now, mind you, the temperature may drop to the low 40s tonight and it's been quite rainy so it may take a day or so to get everything dry. That's why I'm having a smaller retractable clothesline installed in the bathroon. I hear freeze drying works but it takes a bit of time to do so. Having a simplified wardrobe means that having access to the clean clothes again in a short turn around time is pretty important.<BR/><BR/>So little things do add up. Biking to work or anywhere for that matter is doable for many people. Hanging the clothes up instead of using a dryer takes a bit of thought to get a system set up but it's doable as well. By doing a little thing here and a little thing there, before you know it, your carbon footprint has gotten way, way smaller.<BR/><BR/>But I haven't quite pledged not to fly anymore...<BR/><BR/>KerriAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11626279.post-49454517510175400422007-09-26T15:20:00.000-07:002007-09-26T15:20:00.000-07:00We got rid of one car when I started working from ...We got rid of one car when I started working from home and all I have now are my feet and a bike. It's never been so freeing! Not only am I polluting less, but we don't have that cost of the extra car.<BR/><BR/>Congrats!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com