Ahem..... Ahem.... Testing...one ....two....three....
Folks, we have to do something. We have screwed up the planet and now we have to fix it.
Now, yes I know everyone is telling us to get off our collective lazy hineys and get with it. Al Gore is telling us, silly celebrities that I don't listen to are telling us, and now yes, now I am telling us...well, you.
Here is a little thing we can do. It is called:
THE TWO MILE RULE
Here it is, plain and simple:
If where you want to go is within two miles, you walk, or bike.
Wow. That is complex. But what if you have groceries to carry? Or paint cans to haul? Or the kitty to take to the vet? Well, then you do all those things in a combo trip in the car. Don't feel guilty, it is ok. That is what your car is for. But your feet are made for everything else.
The hubby and I live by THE TWO MILE RULE. For the last two summers we have managed to get by on one tank of gas. ONE TANK OF GAS PEOPLE! That is the power of THE TWO MILE RULE. We feel great, we spend time together, we don't shop all the time, we don't spend money we don't have to, we see people in our neighborhood, we don't put wear and tear on the car, we don't make carbon, and we get to be good to the planet.
I tell my students about THE TWO MILE RULE and they make fun of me for about a minute, then they think about it. It makes sense. Think about it.
Try it for a week. Just a week. Let me know how it goes.
8 comments:
Hello MarySusan,
My friend Christopher sent me here. I am glad to be here. I am with you on this two-mile rule. Unfortunately the city planners screwed up the plans. Our cities are very hostile to pedterians and bikers. Unlike Europe (the Netherlands is best example), American cities are planned for the motorists. Where are the pedestrian lanes and where are the bike lanes. Even some new subdivisions do not have sidewalks. Ack! We have also made our cities unsafe with thugs. I would love to walk but am scared of getting mugged! America is a rich country but getting poorer in terms of a desirable cultural heritage. I am off to browse at your artwork.
P.S. I love trees!
Thanks for the comment ces! I live on Long Island which is not terribly walker friendly, but we get by. We bought our house near old village so that we could walk to town for our needs and not be beholden to our car all the time. It was totally a conscious choice. We are pretty safe here so mugging is not an issue. I find that bike lanes are becoming more common, but motorists need to be educated as to how to respect them!
great post marysusan and I wish I could try it for a week but 2 miles in either direction would just get me to a field.
Excellent! I live down town, and love walking everywhere within one mile. I think I'll up that to "two" and see how it works.
Trust me Hobbledehoy, your legs and pocket will thank you. So will your camera. I take it out with me all the time and find some of the most amazing shots just by the side of the street. My husband claims that it takes me twice as long to get anywhere because I have to stop and take pictures all the time. "Wait honey! I have to get a shot of the peeling paint on this rusty pole!"
I am sending you warm thoughts! and lots of them. It is amazing to me that people don't quite grasp that it is the everyday stuff that is and has severely affected the planet. Thank you! Thank you!
I, too, employ the one mile rule around here, and there are ways we could do the two mile rule if we looked for ways to make it possible like pulling a wagon for groceries, or biking and just buying less stuff. Getting by one tank of gas is amazing! Do you stay home all summer? My parents live in Vancouver, BC, so I've driven there and back once so far, plus we went on a camping trip that took us about 2 hours one way. Still, I applaud the concept and will work hard to challenge myself in this direction.
What you are doing is awesome, and so inspirational! Sadly, I don't really feel safe around my house walking with my kids, (too much traffic and few sidewalks). But, it does make me think twice about all the little trips we make, and how they can be saved up.
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