Monday, September 05, 2005

True Confessions: It's Really Just the Beginning

"It's a jungle out there, it used to be a garden." - Tonio K
"Since I gave up hope, I feel a lot better." – Steve Taylor

With all the talk of high gas prices it's hard to remember why I'm doing this...let’s try.

On January 24, 2005 I experienced what I consider to be an abnormal response to reading this news article, “Climate Change: Countdown to Global Catastrophe.” Abnormal because I believed what I read. I did the math on the ages of The Boys and began mentally preparing for The End. While part of me was going through preparations, another part of me was trying to figure out what went wrong with my mind. I knew my life had arrived in a new place when I departed my doctor’s office with a prescription for Prozac.

I found myself reluctant to medicate my situation, so I didn’t. I also found myself able to postpone preparing for the end by exploring my problem with my family and trusted friends. Thanks family and trusted friends. By May I had settled on something I could do different.

I took the red pill instead…I changed my behavior…The MinusCar Project was born.

The MinusCar Project exists because I believe people that think that the globe is warming because of human activity, specifically carbon emitting human activity, might be right. Because I think they might be right, I think humans need to change. And because I think humans need to change, I think I need to change.

And even if they’re wrong and I’m wrong, there are separate benefits to removing the automobile from my life. Many of them I've already detailed in this blog. Here’s one I’m currently looking forward to. Wednesday I will take The Boy 3 to his first day of pre-school. We will take the bus. The bus schedule has us arriving ahead of the official pre-school start time. Because of that we will spend 20 minutes together playing at a nearby playground.

Oh, and I don’t have to pay for $4/gallon gas.

For these reasons, The MinusCar Project will continue. I’m predicting a mild winter, how about you?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

God Bless you.

nimbleboy said...

sweet.

Anonymous said...

I am also hoping for a mild winter.
I am planning on riding my bike to work all year long.
I have only driven to work 6 times this year, since April.
I am happy for that.

Anonymous said...

To claim that you need to change because you believe we all need to change is honest and laudatory.

A wise man once said (and I'm sure many others have also said) "We only believe those things which move us to action." I would add that everything else is so much hot, hypocritical, air.

thanks.

bikingbrady said...

Thanks for all you do and your help in some of my causes as well. Although I live in a town of only 10,000, my new Burley Flatbed trailer and a 30 gallon rubbermaid allows me to get groceries, and basic needs, go to the recycling center, all without cars! I have 3 kids that we need to drive on occasion, but my 9 year old rode to school about 1/2 mile away almost every day he went to school...he gets it too!

Anonymous said...

Well done!. Get yourself some studded tires or a trike or both. That'll get you through anything. Just don't ride when it's actually snowing 'cause there's a lot of incompetent maniacs out there.