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WEEKLYPRESS.COM · UCREVIEW.COM · JULY 27 · 2011 New Diet Trend Points to Roads By Sara Kaplaniak P


retend you are on a game show and given a choice between two doors. Door #1 leads into a room fi lled with a toxic cocktail of soot, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, acetaldehyde and other pollutants. Door #2 leads into a room full of fresh, clean air. Which room would you choose?


Believe it or not, we choose Door #1 every day by living in a society that


is dependent on motor vehicles. While we can’t always see or smell them, we’re breathing in pollut- ants emitted by the combus- tion engines of cars, trucks, buses and other modes of transportation. As a result, many of us suffer from asth- ma and other breathing and cardiovascular problems — and even certain cancers. Pollution from motor vehi- cles also does a number on the natural environment in the way of greenhouse gas emissions that many believe cause climate change. In fact, according to the Paris- based International Energy Agency, carbon emissions reached a record high last year – up 5 percent from the previous record in 2008 — indicating that the world is closer to a level of danger- ous emissions not expected


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to be reached until 2020. According to The Conserva- tion Fund, this prediction plays out in the Chesapeake Bay where the sea is likely to rise between 1.3 feet to 5.2 feet by the end of the century. In response, the Fund and a consortium of partners produced a state- of-the-art map and website aimed at visualizing climate change scenarios that might play out around the Bay in future years. This deeper study aims to inform strate- gies to address rising water levels, increased precipita- tion, extreme weather and land subsidence (already recorded around the Chesa- peake Bay) that left un- abated, promise to diminish the region’s tidal marshes faster than they can mi- grate to higher ground. In the absence of this habitat — a natural water fi lter and shoreline buffer — water- fowl, blue crabs, fi sh and other species face a reality to which they may not be able to adapt. With attention from elect- ed offi cials, independent commissions, lawmakers, environmental groups, scientists and activists, cli- mate change represents a daunting issue for average citizens looking for a way to make a difference. In real-


With all of its schools within walking distance for residents, many students in Pennsylvania’s Camp Hill School District choose bicycles as their main mode of transportation. © Sara M. Kaplaniak


ity, making a big difference can be as easy as switching from four wheels to two. Bicycle wheels, that is. In addition to being pol- lution-free, bicycle riding offers the health benefi ts that accompany exercise, including weight loss, stronger muscles and an increased sense of well- being. No fuel is needed, although adequate nutrition and hydration help muscles pedal faster. Riding a bi- cycle for even one errand a day can help reduce harm- ful emissions entering the atmosphere.


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But we should think big- ger than that. Picture a scene out of Amsterdam, a metropolitan area where cars are allowed, but bi- cycles rule. It’s a way of life confi rmed during the 1970s when, faced with the possi- bility of paving over canals to make more room for cars, voters chose a biking life- style that meant fewer park- ing spaces, higher parking fees and even portions of the city accessible only to pedestrians or people on two wheels.


In fact, half of the Dutch population hops on a bicycle several times per week. This is made easier by “cycle tracks” — paths physically separated from motor vehicle traffi c and exclusively dedicated to bicycle riding. Thousands of miles of cycle tracks in the Netherlands keep riders safe from motor vehicles, contribute to cleaner air and guarantee a healthier hu- man population.


It’s an idea that is catching on around the Chesapeake Bay region through the


concept of “road diets,” Road diets have nothing to do with food although they may give Atkins, South Beach and the others a run for their money with re- gard to slimmer waistlines. That’s because in places like Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Arlington, Virginia; and Silver Spring and Baltimore in Maryland, municipalities are reducing vehicle lanes to calm traffi c and improve safety while making room for more active modes of transportation like bicycling or walking. Road diets largely repre- sent transportation initia- tives aimed at creating safer, less congested roads. But they provide an added ben- efi t for environmental and human health and a great alternative to most bicycle riders in the United States who have to share roads with 3,000-pound motor vehicles.


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Giving bikes a designated space within municipali- ties — and even connecting paths between metropolitan areas — provides an incen- tive for many people to dig up their helmets and locks for a ride to the library, the coffee shop, school or even to work. Most importantly, choosing bicycles over cars — and supporting policies that follow suit — repre- sents something everyone can do. The reward? Fewer trips to the gas pump, a slimmer waistline and cleaner air…which means a guaranteed spot behind Door #2. See you there! Sara Kaplaniak lives and writes in Pennsylvania, where she reduces, reuses and re- cycles along with her husband and two kids. Distributed by Bay Journal News Service.


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