Green transport...

A few years ago a friend of mine returned from a trip from Holland and was sharing all their cycle stories with me. I was shocked to know how seriously cycling was taken. I discovered that Holland is pretty advanced in comparison to Toronto in terms of a cycling infrastructure. Why they even have a Cycle Parking Station. Yes, Cycle parking, like I've never seen it before at a Railway station. They also have much more designated cycle lanes, most are seperate from motorist lanes.

Here's a video to give you an idea of how many cycling commuters there are. (sorry about the music...)

Why can't Toronto do that? Well it turns out that they were planning something neat called Bixi, which is currently being used by our neighbors in Quebec. It's a bike rental system situated all over town. Of course not comparable to Holland but definitely a start. Bixi has been delayed due to the City Worker's strike which occurred over the summer, but it's a great alternative to those who don't own bikes and need to get from point A to point B. Also convenient for those experiencing transit delays; you'd have the option to cycle to your destination instead of taking a cab or waiting for a shuttle bus. Bixi stations are out of service during the harsh winter season from Nov-March, but still a great green transport alternative.

I think that if Bike lanes were barred off with road medians all over town it would make cyclists feel safe. Possibly even encourage more. A median would make it harder for cabs and reckless drivers to run cyclists off the road. Yes an expensive project, but in the long run better for the environment. As for Bixi, hopefully it will reach Toronto soon.

Change or trend and grocery bags?

The notoriety of Al Gore's AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH both reached and compelled several industries and the general public to take action and do their part in the fight against global warming. I'm optimistic and hopeful that this momentum will be kept up but at the same time I'm a cynic. Now I'm not a cynic because I want sustainable practices to fail, but old habits die hard and it seems all too common and apart of human nature to...well...relapse. I wonder if the attention paid to sustainability is merely a trendy thing to do, like wearing yoga gear when you're not going to the gym, I mean by wearing them does give the impression that you're athletic or health conscious.

I noticed a problem with the design of those little eco bags that you pay a dollar for at grocery store. I know people who buy multiple amounts of eco grocery bags religiously with the best intentions to reduce their carbon footprint but somehow, those bags are never taken with them everywhere they go and 5-25 cents gets shelled out for a plastic bag. Someone beat me to the redesign, there is a new environmentally friendly compact bag out called Envirosax, great form and function. This bag is lightweight and can fit in your backpocket! Perhaps it's the solution to the cumbersome recyclable grocery bag problem which is possibly left at home because it doesn't collapse well and takes up alot of space in a purse, backpack or laptop bag? So, my point is that the current eco grocery bag is a great concept but could be a better design. If it wasn't so cumbersome I think that more people would be carrying it around with them. I love the Envirosax because it can fit in my wallet and that way I never forget it at home because I carry my wallet everywhere I go.

It is apparent that only time will tell whether people are seriously committed to "change" or to trend. Hopefully designers will remain conscious to the issue of climate change and will continue to contribute designs that might slow down this process and leave even less of a carbon footprint. And hopefully society will continue to make environmentally conscious decisions.