The Unfortunate Economic Behavior of Contemporary Society Vs. The Merits of Bicycling

Now, you must know, I am not delusional. I know that Americans will never give up their cars. I know that Americans will never cease to be major consumers in the world market place. I also realize that with China's lack of Environmental standards, the world may be decimated ecologically, over the next century. I do not, however, believe that an ecological doomsday is in our near future. The environment will be gradually degraded by our irresponsible lifestyles. We must however, try to live rightly in the midst of a wicked world(I must acknowledge that the cynics are probably sticking their fingers down their throats right about now...) We must ride bicycles and walk to work, at a great inconvenience to ourselves because it is the right course of action. It will however, save us monetarily. Driving is an expensive habit. If we can kick it, or curb it, there will be thousands more dollars in our pockets. Consequently, bicycling can save time. The high school I attended was approximately one and a half miles from my house. When I drove to school, through the city, the trip took about fifteen minutes. When I biked to school, the trip took about 5 minutes. So, within city driving conditions, bicycling can take 1/3 as long as driving. Furthermore, bicycling is incredible fun. One feels youthful exultation when riding a bike mid-morning down a bustling city street, a soft wisp of breeze coming against one's face, and the sun-shining brightly. Romanticism aside, bicycling is fine exercise in the morning, and a better way in which to wake up than the travails of caffeine. Bicycling gets your blood flowing, so when you do finally arrive at work, you are incredibly awake, and ready for action! Bicycling makes me feel like a Super-hero!(Again the cynics are about ready to hurl) Bicycling then is the most moral, financially-sound, efficient, feel-good, and physiologically positive way to get to work.

Sincere Christians won't drive cars

Jesus said "Love thy neighbor as thyself." A rudimentary analysis of his statement suggests that every individual should strive to treat those in their surrounding area as kindly and as respectfully as is possible. Now, I believe "neighbors" can refer to the individuals that live next door to you, that live across the street from you, that attend your school, that participate in your workplace, that live in your city, your country, and in the world. Christ's commandment then, is meant to be applied universally. So, how can this be applied in the "real" world? Well, we can begin by treating our friends, our family members, colleagues, and higher-ups more respectfully. Next, we can modify our lifestyle choices to coincide with what creates "the greatest amount of good." So, how does the automobile fit into all of this? Well, automobiles create air-pollution. This is a proven fact, unlike "global warming" or the other fallacies "liberals" are rumored to have perpetrated. The cities of Los Angeles, Fresno, CA, Bakersfield,CA, Pittsburgh, PA, and Springfield, OR have terrible air quality because of their high concentrations of cars(courtesy of http://lungaction.org/reports/sota05_cities.html) Consequently, individuals in such said cities have some of the worst cases of asthma in the country. That, in my consideration, is an extremely unfortunate predicament. Now, "whatever is of God, is good." But air-pollution is bad, so it is not of God. Therefore, Christians should not be driving cars because the air pollution that is created is not in their neighbor's best interest, nor is it of God.

Transportation Infrastructure in the United States Summary

The transportation infrastructure in the United States is pathetic. We are a car-centric nation that has neglected sound city-planning: over 50% of individuals in the United States live in suburbs, many miles outside of the city proper, which they commute to via private automobiles. We have also neglected to implement efficient, effective mass transportation in many of our major cities (NYC, Boston, Portland, and a handful of cities are the exception). Furthermore, we have overlooked the possibility of fuel efficient motor scooters such as Vespas and bicycles as a regular form of transport, as well as the possibility of walking regularly. The unfortunate result,however, is that many people are confined to cars to pursue their daily work, errands, and social life.