Make enough green-minded friends, and even your party convos start taking on a green bent.
At a party in Silverlake last night, I went to get a mojito refill, and returned to Anna (left) and Sara deep into a discussion about biodiesel.
About an hour later, I checked in with Anna again — She was deep in a convo with Alison about getting local and organic food in schools.
Blame it on the greenish mojitos. The pics of the party here are to illustrate that talking green is sexy and fun :P Perfect party conversation, in fact.
Okay — So not everyone was talking about the environment. But! Let’s start a party here. To my last Tuesday question about how to make alternatives to driving sexy, I got some really, really amazing ideas. I also realized that asking about “alternatives to driving” may be a bit broad for one post and its attendant string of comments.
Thus: I’m separating out walking, biking, bus riding, and train/rail riding, each to get its own post with the comments from the original post integrated in.
The posts are intended to stimulate discussion — and, by proxy, actual local action — to stimulate de-car-ing in LA.
Why’s de-car-ing important? Check out the stats from Worldwatch Institute, which give us an energy used per passenger-mile (calories) stat for various forms of transportation. Auto use is v. v. wasteful, at 1,860.
Buses, which aren’t even all that efficient, still use only half that, at 920. Rail, which for pretty much all intents and purposes, doesn’t exist for me in LA (I’ve never lived close to one of the few stations) burns 885. Walking’s 100 a mile, and biking’s the most efficient, at just 35 cals a mile.
So while I’m all for people opting for hybrids and keeping their cars longer and using biofuels and other such as temporary solutions, I think it’s really important to try and move LA in a direction that make walking, biking, and taking public transport a sexier — and more convenient — option than car ownership.
Let’s make that happen. First up for discussion, the bus, tomorrow.
Updates: Here’s The Bus, part I and part II, and part IV (join an advocacy group — or get into activist blogging!)
Here’s The Bike, part I (apps to map out bike routes) and part II (bike lanes or just wider roads?).
I’m jumpting the gun here, i know buses are on the docket, but was thinking this morning about bikes as a means for going “out on the town”, which people are skeptical of sometimes when dressed up, in fancy shoes, etc. Summer had a great post on this recently…
We should organize a “chic biker chicks” nite, where we get all our sassy lady friends together for a pub crawl/happy hour, and cruise around on our bikes fully decked out - heels, sexy outfits, etc. We could even make up a fun little flyer w/ bike friendly tips to pass out to any interested observers……
Comment by Anna — July 10, 2006 @ 10:06 am
Bad idea anna you can’t drink and cycle as you would not be in the control of your vechicle it would be very foolish. Cycling is very popular in Holland for one reason it is a flat country. Unless you can deal with the hills creating cycle lanes (Don’t know if you have them in America but basically paths for cyclists) will do little. It has potential in LA as ye have the whether. (it rains a lot in Ireland).
As for buses. THey have a stigma attached to them and always will. Trains and trams don’t so they would be the way to go. However it is easier to impliment a mass transit system with buses then trains.
I lived in Barcelona for a while the metro cost 40cent a trip (possible about 60 US cent) people will always vote with their pocket.)
An example of that is the plastic bag tax in Ireland. If you use a plastic bag in a shop in ireland you get charged 15 cent per-bag. Not much really but still enough to make you say why bother taking the money in my pocket when I can just re-use a bag. plastic bag usage in Ireland has dropped massivly
Money talks.
Comment by simon — July 10, 2006 @ 11:58 am
Drinking and cycling seems a lot safer than drinking and driving… If it helps, it’s pretty flat here in Santa Monica, and in LA in general –
Comment by Siel — July 10, 2006 @ 12:03 pm
still it is not very safe and something to be encouraged.
Comment by simon — July 10, 2006 @ 12:32 pm
Ok, well then we must all have a designated bicycle rider on the front of a tandem bike ;)
You are bringing up a valid safety concern Simon. But I also have to hear Siel too, I would rather see a person riding a bicycle after having a drink, than driving car…
Comment by Chris Martell — July 10, 2006 @ 5:37 pm
Simon, agreed, but I’m not talking about getting lit and riding around, I’m talking about a cruise to happy hour in the immediate vicinity, which I think is way safer on a bike than a car. To suggest that people only have a drink out on the town when taking cabs or walking is simply unrealistic here in LA, so a drink or two via bike is not, in my opinion, a big deal, as long as one keeps it safe.
Comment by Anna — July 10, 2006 @ 5:37 pm
I’m looking for some stats or any kind of research on drinking and biking. Can anyone help me out here? simon?
Comment by Siel — July 10, 2006 @ 10:51 pm
One in three cycle accidents is linked to alcohol, according to new research from Johns Hopkins. A look at nearly five hundred bicyclists found that a third of them had elevated alcohol levels in their blood at the time of a serious or fatal accident.
http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:dNIBGKzcfeUJ:www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hnf/hnf_1489.htm+%22One+in+three+cycle+accidents+is+linked+to+alcohol,+according+to+new+research+from+Johns+Hopkins.+A+look+at+nearly+five+hundred+bicyclists+found+that+a+third+of+them+had+elevated+alcohol+levels+in+their+blood+at+the+time+of+a+serious+or+fatal+accident.%22&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=1
Comment by simon — July 11, 2006 @ 11:27 am
Wow! Thanks for the link simon. I’m wondering how much of this statistic has to do with helmet wear — since the study says drunk cyclers are less likely to wear helmets. Will have to do some research — cuz I always wear my helmet now…
Comment by Siel — July 11, 2006 @ 7:04 pm
Hi Anna.
I am glad that you had a good time at my house and the party served as a kick start for alternative thinking.
keep rocking
anibal
Comment by Anibal — April 15, 2008 @ 7:28 pm