44. Justice

Last fall an 18-yr old from downstate was texting his girlfriend while driving. He drifted across lanes and into a 50-yr old school teacher cycling home from work. The teacher died from injuries and the texter was just sentenced to 5 years in prison. I'm not too sure how long he needs to be in prison, but I wouldn't mind a life-long prohibition against owning a cell phone and car. Let him bicycle home.

43. Move On

Health care reform dead?

Well then, move on to climate change.
Naysayers be gone. It's here, it's real,
Our children will pay the price of our dithering.

42. Green Commuters in Viet Nam

The last pic tells you a bike repairman is hanging out nearby. Never worry about a flat tire; help is literally around the corner.

41. And One Card to Rule Them All

$38. That's the yearly cost of my ORCA card, subsidized by my employer and the generous citizens of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties who allow one penny out of their oppressive 10% sales tax to fund public transportation. I just wave it across that little gizmo there, and a green "pass" lights up.

This allows me free travel anytime, anywhere in those three counties. Everett to Lakewood, 75 miles, just once bus change; all with ORCA.




Named after the region's favorite marine animal. I wonder how long it took some public servant to come up with "One Regional Card for All."

40.: 740 SW

My car sits on the street for weeks at a time; I'm surprised it hasn't been reported as abandoned. My wife and I use her car when going out together, but the other day I needed to run an errand alone ("What, you don't want to go to Home Depot with me to check out sump pumps?"). The car barely started, the battery having been ignored for so long.



So why do I keep this car? I don't really need it.

But it's family.

Purchased new in 1990 when my wife flew free to Gothenberg, toured the Volvo factory, then drove the car home to Naples. First time we had ever bought a car new. Compost, furniture, bikes, sand, Christmas trees; you name it, we've carried it either on top or inside. Three times after collisions, it has been declared dead by insurance companies. I've bought it back and had it repaired. It runs great, has something like 280,000 miles; no, I think I'll keep it around a while longer, just have to remember that it needs some attention every two to three weeks.

39. Green Resolutions

Wait! Before you laminate you New Years Resolution and stick them on your fridge, take the following test:

1. Two Points if you walk, run, bike or use public transportation on a regular basis
Two points if you carpool or occasionally use public transportation or live within 5 miles of your workplace

2. Two points if you drive a non-SUV hybrid or if you and you partner just have one car between you or if your second car is used less than 1000 miles per year.
One point if your second car is driven less than 5000 miles per year.
Subtract one point if you own a SUV (if your SUV is a hybrid, you're free on this one)

3. Two points if you have solar power in your house
One point if you have taken any concrete steps to have solar power installed

4. Two points if you always use recyclable bags for shopping
One point if you frequently use recyclable bags for shopping

5. Two points if you use air travel once or less per year
One point if you use air travel just two or three times per year

6. Two points if you recycle all household waste, including yard and kitchen waste for composting, batteries and printer ink cartridges to appropriate centers, and of course ALL paper and plastics.
One point if you fail on just one of the above.

7. Two points if you have made a financial contribution to an environmental organization
One point if you have argued with friends or family about environmental causes

8. Two points if you have watched both "Who Killed the Electric Car" and "Inconvenient Truth"
One point if you have seen just one of them.

9. Two points if you have replaced all of your incandescent lights with LED or fluorescent bulbs.
One point if you are replacing incandescent with LED/fluorescent as they burn out.

10. Two points of your winter thermostat is set at 68 degrees or less when you're home
One point if it set at 70 but all of your windows are double-paned.

My score? 14.
Yours?