Finnish-ing off Cars

Maybe my love of ideas, interest in environmental issues, and dislike of cars come from my genes.

Finland has made much news lately for its environmental initiatives. Last month, it committed to a binding 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions. Now, Helsinki, its capital city, makes a move to eliminate the need for individual citizens to own cars. All those plans have left me even more proud of my Finnish heritage.

Helsinki's initiative shows what happens when people commit to the development of ideas. The city plans to capitalize on the country's innovative approach to technology as it makes its public transportation highly responsive to individual needs. According to this article from The Guardian, by 2025, Helsinki residents will have the ability to coordinate, plan, and pay for all their public transportation use with a single smart-phone app.

The vision Helsinki has for its transportation system challenges the need for private car ownership. By making the necessary changes in its infrastructure and embracing the potential of new technologies, the city will trump the convenience of the car, reducing the environmental impacts associated with transportation.

As a Finn, I'm excited about the thriving, environmentally friendly community Helsinki intends to build, but the great thing about ideas like this is that we don't need DNA to pass them on; all it takes is a blog entry and some forward thinking.

On the Right (Bike) Path

There are no accidents when it comes to bicycles.

Of course, I don't mean bicyclists are never hurt or killed. What I do mean is that creating a place where bicycles are a priority and a success is not magic. If people commit to making bicycling a viable and respected form of transportation, it will become one; if people want to make bicycles a contentious issue, it will become one.

This video of Portland, Oregon's, bike-to-school efforts illustrates the successful results produced when governments and individuals come together to create infrastructure and systems for bicycling:

In Portland Every Day is Walk & Bike to School Day! from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

The citizens of Portland have made a commitment to bicycles. Consequently, bicycling has flourished, and people's lives have been improved. Meanwhile, people elsewhere continue to fight bikes, and those efforts have created strife and endangered cyclists.

When it comes right down to it, the direction bicycling takes is more of a reflection on us as people than it is on bicycles themselves.

Vicious Cycle

The United States of America is still learning to ride a bike.

In the US, it is common to associate bicycles with danger, antiquated ideas, and annoyance. In many American cities, the rhetoric about bikes has become warlike. Bicycles are the enemy of cars and the dominant way of life.

However, this issue is a great example of the saying, "Life is what you make it." If we want to see bikes as an enemy, that's what they'll turn into and remain, but we can also create a world where bicycles are an important, seamlessly integrated part of a better life. The following video of bicycle usage in Amsterdam opens our eyes to such an alternate reality:

Bicycle Anecdotes from Amsterdam from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

So many things in the video are remarkable. First, the number of bicycles is amazing. They, not cars, are the preferred (and sometimes only) mode of transportation. Second, the bicyclists aren't dressed for a space mission (they don't even wear helmets), suggesting they lack the fear we have of getting on bikes. Third, the flow of the whole society is simply stunning. People are connected to, in tune with, and responsive to each other, and even five-year-olds pick up on that flow. Cars and bikes are not at war. Clearly, people in Amsterdam are on a much different cycle than Americans.

With regard to the place of bicycles in society, the US is still using training wheels, and the video above makes it obvious that this is a self-inflicted, self-perpetuated state.

Knowing Home

Big ideas can come in small spaces.

One idea that appeals to me more and more is living a smaller life, one that requires less consumption and travel. As it turns out, Kurt Hoelting has also had that idea. In fact, he has put it into action. For a year, Hoelting stayed within a 60-mile radius of his home, never using a car or plane. Now, he has written about the experience in a book called The Circumference of Home: One Man's Yearlong Quest for a Radically Local Life.

I found out about Hoelting by listening to a recent BirdNote podcast, and his book really interested me. For one thing, the idea of cutting back helps the environment. Also, by making a conscious effort to focus on the area close to home, a person can really come to know and appreciate the details of that place.

Hoelting's idea challenges the traditional notion of bigger being better, and it gives us a new approach to living. We don't have to do things just the way he did, but we can accept the great challenge and opportunity to minimize our impact and get to know our little spot in the world better.

Remember Big Moves

Two months ago, I talked about two big events planned for late September. Today, I am just posting a reminder that September 22 is World Carfree Day and September 24 is the day for Moving Planet.

If you can, make plans not to use a car for transportation on those days, and if you feel like it, participate in a Moving Planet event near you.

Right now, a lot of efforts (like Al Gore's 24 Hours of Reality, which wraps up today) are being made to push for better environmental policies and practices, so it's a great time to get involved and help maintain the momentum.

Big Moves

September is shaping up to be a big month for action on global warming. My previous post was about Al Gore's "24 Hours of Reality." Today, I'll talk about Moving Planet, which is a rally scheduled to take place September 24.

The purpose of Moving Planet is to show world leaders the amount of support people have for moving off fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming by producing greenhouse gases. People are encouraged to organize local events (that are all connected under the Moving Planet idea) and to arrive at those events without the use of fossil fuels. Walking, biking, and skateboarding would be great alternatives to driving to the event. To find a local event near you, click here. If you'd like information on creating your own event, click here.

Also, Moving Planet comes two days after World Carfree Day, which takes place every year on September 22. Plan ahead, and make arrangements (walking, biking, public transportation) so you don't have to use your car that day either.

I think it's great that Gore's event, Moving Planet, and World Carfree Day are happening so close to each other. That should add to their overall impact. Let's help that happen.

Turning over a New Leaf?

I want to say right off the bat, the following post is not an endorsement of the car to which it refers.

In fact, if you read the earlier entry on donating your car to charity, you know that my perfect vision with regard to automobiles is a car-less life for myself.

With that said, I want to talk about this commercial for the Nissan Leaf. Actually most of the video is about the making of the commercial, but the commercial is tacked on to the end. Give it a watch, and then, continue reading below.



The commercial interests me for a number of reasons. First, I hope the Leaf is just a first step toward human's future with cars. (I have heard reports that more electric vehicles are on their way to the mainstream market, but honestly, I don't trust car companies on this one--they've moved the goalposts one too many times.) Yet I'll continue to hold a little optimism.

Another important point (one that is not made apparent by this commercial) is that Nissan, at least, is starting to talk about the impact of a car's whole life cycle. The company says it is already considering how to recycle the lithium batteries that power the Leaf. This is nice to hear because while carbon emissions are a big issue, pollution comes in many forms, and sustainability requires an examination of the whole picture.

Finally, the main reason the commercial caught my attention is its use of nature. Except for the very end, the only voices the viewer hears are from nature. Is this just another example of green washing, in which a company hides behind an environmental claim while making money and doing really very little to help the environment? I hope it isn't. I hope it's an example of a new mainstream way of thinking about our relationship with the planet.

Still, what's with making nature come to us? I mean that bear had to do all the hard work. And can we really connect with nature just by buying a car, especially considering the damage that act has done to the environment in the past?

A Day of Reconnecting

Last month, we had Earth Hour. Friday, April 22, is Earth Day.

Because it began as an attempt to produce actions that help improve the environment, Earth Day can sometimes be seen as a time that is just about "saving the planet." After reading some ideas for things to do on Earth Day, I realized that, indeed, I was carrying this faulty assumption.

While it's great if you can turn the day into a chance to limit your carbon footprint (walk or take the bus instead of your car), improve wildlife habitat, or support environmentally friendly policies, you can also make it about relaxing and reconnecting with the natural world. For you, maybe it's a 15 minute stroll outside to get some fresh air, an hourlong walk near the river, a quest to photograph as many different bird species as you can in three hours, or a day at a state park.

Whatever you choose, you can turn this year's Earth Day activity into an initial step, one that you might possibly expand upon next year.

You don't have to be an environmental activist to observe Earth Day. It's about strengthening the connection between people and their environment, and there is no reason you can't reap the benefits of that, so think about setting aside some time (no matter how much) on Friday for an "environmental experience."

Donating Your Wheels

Happy 2011.

Since it's a new year, most people are talking about new things, but I've been known to follow my own drummer from time to time, so I'm going to start the blogging year by talking about something old, specifically your old car.

Perhaps you're thinking about getting rid of a car you've had for a while (maybe because you are trying to cut down on the number of vehicles you own, you plan on getting a more fuel-efficient one, or you are venturing into the exciting world of a car-less life). If so, consider avoiding the hassle of selling your old car by donating it. People in the Pacific Northwest can pick up a tax deduction by donating their cars to a variety of charities through Northwest Charity Donation Service.

NWCDS accepts various vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans, jet skis, snowmobiles, motor homes, buses, tractors, heavy equipment, and boats. The company sells the machines, and the proceeds benefit the charity you have selected from the list of participating organizations, a list that features a number of animal groups. NWCDS often even takes machines that don't run, and the company will pick up your donation at no cost to you.

All in all, it's a pretty good way of saying goodbye to your old car.

It seems likely that if you live outside the Northwest, a company like NWCDS exists near you, so check it out. Also, if you would like some tax information about donating your vehicle, use the guide from the IRS.

By the way, if, after reading this post, you're still looking for something novel that aligns with the spirit of the new year, picture this: a car-less society. Totally cool.