| ©2004 Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council P.O. Box 17164, Lansing, Michigan 48901-7164 (517) 214-5684 jessicayorko@sustainablesolutions.biz |
| Smart Commute - Why? |
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Smart Commute bike
commuting classes
commuting classes
Bingham walks and bikes
to school
to school
A few reasons to try Smart Commuting...
We only have one earth. Smart Commuting is a way to fight global
warming and improve local air quality conditions. (In recent years, the
Tri-County has fallen below the EPA air quality standards; most people
now agree that the planet is heating up fast, due to humans burning fossil
fuels like petroleum and coal.)
We only get one body per life. We have to take care of ourselves. Smart
Commuting gets you moving whether by bike, by foot, by walking to the
bus stop, by walking further to your office from your carpool location.
Adequate physical movement is a key element in cardiovascular health,
mental health, sleeping well, and maintaining a healthy weight. (A
recent Ingham County Health Department study found that 2 in 3
Ingham County adults do not engage in moderate physical activity at
least 3 times a week; 2 in 3 are overweight, and 1 in 5 are obese.)
Spending on gas, physical inactivity, and long commutes are hurting our
local economy. In Michigan, 75 cents on every dollar spent on gas leaves
our state economy and contributes to creating wealth for out-of-state
parties and interests. Spending "gas dollars" for purchases that keep
Michigan's economy healthy and growing is an important equation for
people to realize.
Further, the economic result of a sedentary lifestyle in this region is
estimated at $390 million per year, when taking into account medical
costs of obesity-related illnesses, and productivity and workers' comp.
According to an article in Lansing State Journal in February 2005,
studies have linked commute-related stress to increased physical and
mental problems, higher use of health insurance and decreased
productivity.
We only have one earth. Smart Commuting is a way to fight global
warming and improve local air quality conditions. (In recent years, the
Tri-County has fallen below the EPA air quality standards; most people
now agree that the planet is heating up fast, due to humans burning fossil
fuels like petroleum and coal.)
We only get one body per life. We have to take care of ourselves. Smart
Commuting gets you moving whether by bike, by foot, by walking to the
bus stop, by walking further to your office from your carpool location.
Adequate physical movement is a key element in cardiovascular health,
mental health, sleeping well, and maintaining a healthy weight. (A
recent Ingham County Health Department study found that 2 in 3
Ingham County adults do not engage in moderate physical activity at
least 3 times a week; 2 in 3 are overweight, and 1 in 5 are obese.)
Spending on gas, physical inactivity, and long commutes are hurting our
local economy. In Michigan, 75 cents on every dollar spent on gas leaves
our state economy and contributes to creating wealth for out-of-state
parties and interests. Spending "gas dollars" for purchases that keep
Michigan's economy healthy and growing is an important equation for
people to realize.
Further, the economic result of a sedentary lifestyle in this region is
estimated at $390 million per year, when taking into account medical
costs of obesity-related illnesses, and productivity and workers' comp.
According to an article in Lansing State Journal in February 2005,
studies have linked commute-related stress to increased physical and
mental problems, higher use of health insurance and decreased
productivity.
Don't just take our word for it! Check out the following
news stories highlighting all the reasons to think about
getting around without your car whenever you can:
- April 16, 2007 New Yorker Magazine interviewed Robert Putnam, a Harvard political scientist who
studied the connection between commuting by car and happiness:
"There is a simple rule of thumb: Every ten minutes of commuting [by car] results in ten percent
fewer social connections. Commuting is connected to social isolation, which causes unhappiness."
news stories highlighting all the reasons to think about
getting around without your car whenever you can:
- April 16, 2007 New Yorker Magazine interviewed Robert Putnam, a Harvard political scientist who
studied the connection between commuting by car and happiness:
"There is a simple rule of thumb: Every ten minutes of commuting [by car] results in ten percent
fewer social connections. Commuting is connected to social isolation, which causes unhappiness."
- Lansing City Pulse article on Smart Commute '06 - click here
- June 2006 State News Story - http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=30304
- - Lansing City Pulse cover story on Smart Commute '05 - http://archives.lansingcitypulse.
com/050511/index.asp
- - State News Article on Smart Commute '05 -http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?
pk=30116
Did you know… Nine billion gallons of fuel are wasted in traffic each year? That's 800 times the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez. (SmartCommute) |