Environmentally friendly, green ways of living
There are 363 posts filed in Green (this is page 28 of 37).
“Pile on the dogs” is what we’ll be saying this winter as PSNC has increased natural gas rates 31% in the last two months. We may have to get some dogs just to keep warm at night. Its sneaky how PSNC ups their rates in the summertime.
Suddenly the geothermal heater system I’d checked into is looking a lot more cost-effective.
Ok, so although my goal in Chicago and Milwaukee was to not set foot in an automobile I came up short. There was light rain the last morning of our Chicago trip and though we only had 6 blocks to go (and I had an umbrella), my coworker wussed out and talked me into taking a cab.
That short trip cost us $10 and me the goal of a automobile-free trip. Bah.
While I was waiting for Kelly to pick me up at the airport, I decided to explore the public transit options from Raleigh-Durham International Airport into downtown Raleigh. I’m a bus-and-bike kind of guy now, so I figured someone would’ve made it simple to get from a major transportation point like the airport to another major transportation point, Raleigh’s Moore Square Station.
Conclusion? Not worth the trouble.
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Remember when I was wishing Google Maps did more than driving? Through a visit to Milwaukee’s transit page I discovered Google Maps now covers public transit. Now Google Maps can tell you how to get where you’re going – without driving! Pretty cool.
Raleigh’s CAT system (or Triangle Transit, for that matter) isn’t listed on the page. Adding it seems to be a matter of setting up a feed of schedules and routes that Google periodically fetches. I don’t know if anyone at CAT is working on it so I might get started on it myself.
Last week was the last day of school in the Wake County school system. As I pedaled to work I was once again astonished at how different the streets looked. Gone were all the school buses, idling at lights. Gone was the long line of cars waiting to drop kids off at school. Gone were the stream of pedestrians walking to and from the school.
It was eerily quiet, like Wednesday morning became Sunday morning. A remarkable difference.
I was wondering what kind of difference the area’s air quality sensors detected between Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s CO2 and CO levels. Then the Great Smokeout of 2008 occurred and dashed my hopes of an accurate measurement. Perhaps the county’s traffic counters registered a change?
Yes, the temperature was above 100 degrees today. That didn’t stop me from riding my bike to work, however. I’m actually in a position where the heat doesn’t affect me much.
The secret’s in the route. Our house is downhill from downtown. Thus, I do my climbing in the morning: while its still cool. When its quittin’ time its also very warm … but, my trip home is all downhill. So, I don’t put myself at much risk when the weather is hot.
Now, when it turns cold … that will test my resolve!
I had to smirk last weekend when I put five gallons of gasoline into my 5 gallon lawn mower gas can for the price that would once fill up my car.
Time to get that Segway. Or that scooter I’ve been meaning to buy. Biking to work in 100 degree weather isn’t that appealing.
My friend Scott Reston, an avid cyclist, has some choice words for idiots who don’t give cyclists their space on the road. His post is worth a read.
When you’re driving, please share the road with your neighbors out biking. Its our road, too.
This is what I sing to myself while biking to work.
Too much carbon monoxide for me to bear,
Too much carbon monoxide for me to bear,
Where’s the air?
Where’s the air?
Where’s the air?
Where’s the air?
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I’ve been riding my bike to work for weeks now. As the mornings have been getting progressively warmer so have I.
The office has an infrared alarm sensor at the front door which rings when people pass through. Usually the bell rings once for each person. When I first arrive however, dragging my bike with me, the bell often rings three or four times depending on how hot I am after my ride.
Thus, my officemates can tell how sweaty I am going to be just by counting the bells!
