http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/lifestyle/walking-for-the-environment-and-your-health/
The world, especially Americans, have completely underestimated
the power of walking. The US is home to
the largest number of cars in the world, which means all the more carbon
emissions and pollution. Tom Vanderbilt
of NPR explains that many parts of the United States are designed specifically
for cars and not for pedestrians. And we
can certainly witness that in the intertwining highway systems and
traffic-filled streets cutting through our society. In fact, our dependence on cars is so high that
the nonprofit America Walks reported that 41 percent of all trips in the United
States are one mile or less, yet less than 10 percent of those are done by
walking and biking. Yes, we know that
people are busy and have places to go, but there is too much incidence of
Americans using cars when they just don’t need to. In addition to reducing car emissions,
walking has the added benefit to one’s own personal health. In a country where about 35 percent of adults
are obese and 12 million children are obese, taking a walk each day could mean
that starting point to better health.
I am an ardent supporter of walking or biking to locations
of short distances. I find it absolutely
irrational to drive children to school if they are fifteen minutes away, and I
would always opt to ride my bike to work if it were within 30 minutes away. I’m happy to say that, recently, there has
been a movement in employee wellness programs that reward employees who use
some sort of transportation that includes physical exercise. For example, Google, often commended for
their environmentally friendly business practices and employees, have many employees
who bike, kayak, and even pogo-stick to work!
Other than the health benefits of walking, I am just worried about our
over use of car/motor vehicle transportation.
In examining how human society is relating with our environment, it does
seem that much of our land is now used for motor vehicle transportation. Perhaps our domination of the natural
environment wouldn’t be so bad if our motor vehicles didn’t also emit carbon
dioxide that pollutes our air. Can we
ever change our world’s transportation system to become environmentally
friendly? How far will we go before our
entire earth is filled with roads and highways?
I think that this article raises a lot of excellent points. It’s interesting to me, because I would consider myself to be from an “unwalkable” area. Sidewalks aren’t really prevalent except for a few blocks in the downtown area, and people generally drive everywhere. To be honest, I think it’s important to consider some logistical aspects of walking and, if you ask me, in certain communities, it’s unrealistic. While this might not be a problem here in Indiana, I live in the middle of the Pocono Mountains back home. So yes, while it is a two minute drive round-trip to Rite Aid, if I were to walk, half of that trip would be walking up a very steep hill; and as I mentioned, there are no sidewalks, so if a car was speeding down the hill while I was walking up and didn’t see me, it could be potentially dangerous, since in order to move out of the way I'd have to move into a ditch. Not to mention, there’s no way I’m making that trip in the winter when it’s freezing or even snowy and slippery. Another concern – while it’s true that obesity is a problem in the United States, walking, especially up a steep hill in an area like where I’m from, might not be the best way to begin a new exercise routine; what if somebody were to overestimate the difficulty of walking or their physical capabilities and had a heart attack or something? For older and unhealthier people, that’s not at all out of the question. Not all communities in the United States have similar landscapes, and while walking may be a feasible solution for some, in other parts of the country it’s not so easy. Obviously I’m not saying that walking should be outlawed or anything! The environmental and health (for most people) benefits really can’t be argued with; but I don’t think it’s right to blame some blame some people for “not doing their part” if walking isn’t appropriate for them.
ReplyDeleteWe should all pogo-stick across campus! Wouldn't that be fun.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how we, humans, pride ourselves in "conquering nature," in being advanced enough to make our daily activities easier, when in fact, it is this technology and altered lifestyle that is killing us. It is extremely ironic that the solution to the problems of our developed society is a reversion back to past practices. I love the idea of walking everywhere, but it very unrealistic for commuters. The ideal situation would be for people to live within walking/biking distance from their place of work, but this would only contribute to the overcrowding that is already plaguing big cities.
ReplyDeleteOne feasible solution the problem of car pollution, which is something that is implemented in Rome, is to have "designated drivers" on certain days of the week. In Rome, they have certain days where only certain cars can drive, which is decided based on numbers on license plates. Now, granted, most people drive their vespas if they need to travel long distances, but a great number of people walk. It is for this reason that most Italians really do not understand the idea of working out. They walk everything off!!!