The 1 Mile Solution

Okay. I can imagine the (ahem) conversations this topic could ignite, but I found the idea intriguing. It was linked from the Velonews news feed (is that redundant?).

For the hyperlink averse, here's the summary. Draw a 1-mile radius around your house on a map. Pick a destination within that circle where you normally travel. One time per week, walk or ride your bike there instead of driving. It's not about adding a trip, it's about driving once less.

Now, regardless of your political leanings, your thoughts on the environment, on oil prices, etc. I can't imagine a normal scenario where biking/walking once a week to replace a trip in your car is a bad idea. It might not always be practical, it's definitely not convenient. For some, a 1 mile radius might not get them anywhere they need to go. I have a cousin whose mailbox isn't within a mile (not kidding). But I was intrigued by the idea, so with a little help from the good folks at Google, I made a map of the places I go in a 1 mile radius. It's not a very long list, but outside the Christmas season when trips to the mall seem like a daily occurence, a lot of our errands take place at this short list of businesses.


View Larger Map

I can think of two reasons why this is a great idea, and they have nothing to do with carbon footprints.

First, it's good economic sense, let's review the facts.

1. Cars cost money (lots of money, generally speaking)
2. Gas costs money
3. Cars burn gas less efficiently when the engine is cold.
4. Cars wear faster when driven on a cold engine (i.e. an exhaust system that doesn't heat up enough to expel water vapor from the engine, rusting from the inside out)
5. Bikes are inexpensive (relative to cars, mind you)
6. Shoes are cheaper then bikes.

This argument loses some of its impact since I can drive down the street and gas up for $1.35 (now there's a pickle, it's less than a mile), but the point remains. Short drives wear a car out faster than long drives and use more fuel. The cost of ownership of a bike is a fraction of the cost of ownership of a car, so racking up those short trips on your bike don't cost as much as putting them on your car.

The second reason it makes a lot of sense comes from a health standpoint. A year and a half ago I found out I have high cholesterol. One of the ways to control it is to exercise. I have a hard time finding time to exercise for the sake of exercise, but if I need to make a run to the grocery store, why not hop on the bike instead of in the civic and raise my HDL in the process.

I have some other thoughts, but I think I'm going to save them for another conversation.

Winter's upon us

Technically, winter is still a week away. Nobody told that to the cold front that came through on Sunday, dropping the temperature 50 degrees in 24 hours. When we got up for church, it was 61 degrees. When we came out of church, it was 34 degrees. Monday morning it was 10 degrees. Fortunately we've wrapped up on campus for the semester and we're done with team meetings, so we can stay at home and work on things we've been putting off all semester, and take care of details for DCC that we forgot about until now.

In the meantime I've continued my self-paced course in drywall 101 (in the office). The end is in sight (I think). I even bought paint today, we'll see how long it sits unopened. I hope to put up some pictures soon.

We're celebrating our Christmas on Thursday. Then on Sunday, Sarah's family will be coming through on their way to Nebraska, and we'll celebrate Davy family Christmas here with them before we all head north, where they know the true meaning of "Cold." (Unless of course you come from someplace further north than Nebraska, it's all relative)

NCAA to review policy on whining

(AP) Austin- The NCAA has declared a moratorium on whining, effective immediately, which will last through the 2008-09 bowl season. Following the bowl games, a specially appointed commission on whining will review the facts and issue a ruling about the future of whining in Division I (not to be confused with fBS) football.
In a press release issued earlier today, NCAA commissioner Butch Fleeberpants said that, "Whining is a privilege, not a right." He went on to add, "If teams would focus more on outscoring their opponents, and less on how unfair the system is, they'd probably still lose, but at least they would have less time to whine."
In already troubled economic times, the announcement sent shockwaves through the world of sports journalism. Said one columnist who spoke on condition of anonymity, "I've got three kids to feed, and Christmas is on the way. What do they want me to write about?"
For now, would-be whiners are hoping that cooler heads will prevail and repeal the decision at the end of the season, but until then, they'll just have to talk about the weather.