I would say that riding a bike for any reason, including "being green" is good and to be supported. I agree that saying biking is green is neither the best nor the easiest sell, but if that particular reasoning gets someone on a bike who can't imagine it being fun and liberating, they may soon enough notice that it IS fun and liberating, and likely will continue, now for reasons in addition to being green. In other words, get your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors and casual acquaintances riding any which way you can, even if it means playing the "green" card.
To quote Ghandi as well: "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." That about sums it up for me. Ride your bike for whatever reason you choose, just ride it whenever you can. Gernot PS: I am not sure that Europe is better off for the US's immense military spending in this day and age, and its own military spending is not THAT far behind the US: US 4.3% of GDP, UK 2.5%, France 2.3%, Russia 3.5% Germany 1.3%, Italy 1.7% (there appear to be longterm advantages to losing a war or two). Interesting to note, too, that most of the countries with a higher military spending (as % of GDP) than the US are middle eastern OPEC countries. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures GH On Jan 20, 12:33 pm, SFF <jgre...@earthlink.net> wrote: > Oh man, I can be a real drag on this subject - just ask my family and > all my ex-friends. > > I'm 90% bike and 10% car these days. That is hard for me to believe > but it has happened...not overnight but slowly over the past couple of > years. You can't jump to the absolute - you have to evolve to it over > time and that is what I've done. I see things differently now that I'm > an open air commuter not a windshield commuter. I don't claim to be > green or an environmentalist because I bike to work - maybe the term > could be environmental practitioner. I practice techniques that reduce > my burden on the electric grid, water table, landfill and roadway. > > But then I'm just one guy. I'm not making a dent - I know that. It > upsets me sometimes but I don't let it get me down. > > Different topic: > I'm reading "Empire of the Summer Moon" by S.C.Gwynne - about the rise > and fall of the Comanches and the wild ol west. Anyway, Sitting Bull > was a member of the Sioux tribe and his specific band was HUNKPAPA. > Strange, maybe thats where the name originated? > > Joel > (I don't know where my car keys are and don't really care...) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
