Why I bike

I now bike almost everywhere in Ottawa all-year round. Ottawa is becoming a leading biking city, with bike paths and bikeable bridges popping up everywhere. 

I bike because:

-       - I get my daily exercise just going from point A to B

-      -  I create no air pollution while biking

-      -  I have no parking problems when I get to where I am going

-      -  Every person on a bike is one less car on the road (this may be the strongest argument for biking as it gives drivers a reason to be enthusiastic about biking)

Also, (and this may surprise you), I do NOT wear a helmet. To see why, go to www.cyclehelmets.org.

Why I now travel less

I am retired. One would assume that this would be the time to travel and see the world. However, for several reasons, I am now travelling much less than I did before. 

(1) One reason is environmental. George Monbiot spent most of his life analyzing the forthcoming environmental crisis. He then sought to find practical ways to cope with it. For example, when he approached aviation, apart from using more electronic means of communication (phone, Skype, internet) he could see no workable alternative to air travel. To quote him,

When I come to examine aviation, I discover there are simply no effective technological solutions… I am forced to conclude that the only possible answer is a massive reduction in flights (emphasis mine, from “Heat” by George Monbiot, 2006).