Solution

It just hit me again today how many of our currently-serious national problems could be easily and cheaply resolved by the same simple solution: eating less and exercising more.

Pollution, Global Warming, High gasoline prices, Gridlock? All easily helped by riding a bike. We each need about 45 minutes a day of aerobic exercise, and biking quickly enough to be aerobic covers at least 7 miles in that time.

High food prices? Eat less. The middle wife and I were amazed to discover our grocery bill dropping in half after we started eating appropriately. We virtually eliminated our dining out costs too, as it's hard to find appropriate meals outside the home.

Aches, pains, high medical bills? Many diseases of middle age are optional, and can easily be avoided or ameliorated by eating only what we should and working out the way we should.

Nothing good on TV? Turn it off and get moving. There's better fare, and all for free, at the public library only 3 miles away.

Our bikes can carry two bags of groceries, and we have five grocery stores within two miles of our home. So why on Earth would we need to power up a one ton vehicle for the same purpose? When I can walk to the dry cleaners in 15 minutes, tell me again why I should drive there instead.

I can understand why folks don't want to be outside when the weather is lousy (though enjoying the outdoors even then is simply a matter of dressing for the occasion), but for the next half year, the weather will usually be very pleasant at least part of most days, so why not do our health, our budget, folks elsewhere (who need food and fuel a whole lot more than we do), and the planet itself some good today?