walkability

How "walkable" is your neighborhood? 'Tis a good question in light of the high gas prices and warming planet. You can find out how your neighborhood rates here. (Hat tip to Offspring #2 for the website.)

When you type in an address, the site comes up with a "walk score", which is a number between 0 and 100. Here's what they say about interpreting the numbers:

90–100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
70–89 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car.
50–69 = Somewhat Walkable: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25–49 = Car-Dependent: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0–24 = Car-Dependent (Driving Only): Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

Soooo.... I plugged a few addresses (including my own). Here's how they look:

RevSS: 85! After visiting her on Friday and walking around her cool neighborhood, I knew she would do well.

Offspring #1: 69! Not bad! She really can walk to pretty much whatever she needs. (And she only missed the next higher category by one point.)

Me: 25! Sigh. That's low, but not a surprise. Thank goodness my neighborhood is very bike friendly!

Dust Bunny: 9! Uh oh. Although her "in the cellar" score is made more palatable by her nice view overlooking the valley. :)

How does YOUR neighborhood stack up?
(I'm thinking Processing Counselor in NYC has a good shot at being the "winner"!)

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got the picture of those happy toes from here

call me bigfoot

Offspring #2 mentioned an online quiz to figure out your carbon/ecological footprint. You can take the "Ecological Footprint Quiz" here.

My results? They ain't pretty. In fact, call me Carbon Bigfoot. I am embarrassed to report that "if everyone on the planet lived my lifestyle, we would need over 6 earths". Geez. Here is the breakdown.



I guess the good news (as if there is any!) is that at least I'm at "country average" on my food footprint and a teensy bit better than average on overall carbon footprint and goods & services footprint. I'm worse than average on the housing footprint -- I'm sure because we are Empty Nesters rattling around in a too big house. (Thanks a lot, Offsprings 1&2!!!)

In any event, I am going to need to do waaaaay, waaaaay better. Actually I have been thinking about riding my bike to work at least some days. That would be good for the planet and good for exercise. (As Presbyterian Gal has been pointing out, we need to take at least small steps.)

on a serious note...

I'll admit it. I suffer from eco-anxiety, a concern for (and fear of) our environmental future. It started a while back as a mildly unsettled feeling when reading National Geographic and Scientific American articles; but, with the emergence of more data and increasingly clear scientific consensus on climate change, it has turned into flat-out worry.

I don't like politics and this is not a political blog. But. As I have been watching the debates and listening to the presidential candidates it strikes me that this next president will, realistically, have the last chance to avert catastrophic climate change. There is no longer time for us to wait out another administration apathetic to the environment. The challenge before us will be to elect someone who "gets it" and support the level of commitment needed to address this issue. Because if we don't, all other issues at some point become moot.

To see where the top six candidates stand on global warming, click here.

missed opportunity

According to MSNBC, over 200 cyclists in "various stages of undress" took part in the "World Naked Bike Ride" yesterday on the southern coast of England to promote cycling and environmental awareness. Darn! Due to helping Offspring #1 move into her summer apartment, I was unable to participate!

OK. Truth be told, as much as I support their cause, I sincerely doubt I would have done the "nakie ride" unless I took the midnight to 1:00 a.m. shift... on a moonless night... with very fast pedaling.

earth day birthday

Earth Day is 37 years old today. According to Wikipedia, here's how it came to be:

Responding to widespread environmental degradation, Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin, called for an environmental teach-in, or Earth Day, to be held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated that year, and Earth Day is now observed each year on April 22 by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.

Well, we've obviously got some MAJOR environmental concerns facing us on this Earth Day 2007. (Note my not-so-subtle symbolic reference to global warming by the way I've placed the burning candles on earth...)

While the big picture might seem pretty overwhelming, I think it's important to not get totally discouraged, but rather to begin taking even small steps towards helping our planet. Check out these sites:
Earthday Network
World Wildlife Earth Day site

the whooper whoops

I've got some good news and some bad news...

The good news: The Whooper Swan, common to Asia and Europe, has been spotted in northern Washington state! Birders from as far away as Florida have been "flocking" (pun intended) to Skagit County to catch a glimpse, delighting not only the birders but area businesses as well.

The bad news: It's not supposed to be here! The Whooper Swan breeds in the arctic regions of Europe and Asia and is supposed to spend its winters farther south. According to USA Today, ornithologists and conservation groups are saying that "more bird species...are ranging farther north and even staying there for the winter in a possible sign of adaptation to global warming." (full story here)

I don't know about you, but with each new story relating to global warming, my concern for creation ratchets up a notch. If you want to bop around the PC(USA) site to see what they have to say on global warming, click here.