It's summer and we really have very little in the way of excuses not to be riding our bike or walking to work. (full disclosure: my excuse involves taking my dog to work since he has bad knees and can't keep up on the bike... actually, sadly, true)
As this infographic—developed by
Purple Orange—shows, we are creatures of laziness and convenience, even when it ultimately damaging to our culture, environment and bodies. Take for example that the average metro commuter spends more than 41 hours of their life every year sitting in traffic although statistically 50% of them live within 5 miles of where they work. Also take, for example, that the average American family spends more money fixing, fueling and paying-off their car loans than they do on health insurance or taxes. Which begs the question:
WHAT IF... all the time and energy spent yammering on about lower taxes and fixing health care was spent on developing pedestrian friendly communities and bike-to-work incentives? Encouraging less wear-and-tear of our roads and increased personal wellness/exercise on the way to work..?? I would suspect all three of those categories—
total money spent on cars, taxes and healthcare—would decrease. (Sorry — I know that's complete crazy talk. I'll stop now)
Enjoy...
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Andrew said on August 5, 2012 at 5:10 PM
Chris-
Great work, these graphics provide a fresh look on green living. I would suggest, however, that we change that 'new bicycle' cost. I think I spend that much on tires and tubes annually. Maybe add a zero?