Why me limiting my driving won't save the world (but I'm doing it anyway).

Last October, I set a little goal for myself. I was determined (for economical reasons as much as Environmental) to use only one tank of gas for the whole month. Surprisingly, I met my goal! I have about a 13 gallon tank which takes me a little over 350 miles, and I came in about 50 miles under.
Now-- I have to admit, the main reason for my success was because I was driving a 15-passenger van to Grand Canyon and back as part of my job, and I wasn't home very much...but the success inspired me to continue. In November I bought at least two tanks of gas, running a lot of errands for work, but in December, I made an attempt to ride my bike into town- a whopping 10 miles away.
Until that point, I had only ridden to yoga (4 miles each way), or to the library (4 miles round trip), so taking it to 20 miles in a day was a big jump.
But what did I learn? I was amazed at how easy it was. I was reminded how damn flat most of Albuquerque is (at least compared to some places), and it inspired me to mobilize myself. Each month since then, I challenge myself to only use one tank of gas. I haven't been as successful as the October trip, but I have also been riding my bike a lot more. Another beautiful thing about working part time, is having the time to enjoy the journey, and not be focused on getting to the destination on time. I feel so free while riding my bike (except when I'm worried about being killed by an asshole driver...which is honestly about 50% of the time) -- I get to breathe fresh air and get some exercise, while also seeing things that I normally just blow past.

Also- if you pay attention to hipster environmentalist trends, riding your bike instead of driving is supposed to save the world, right? In theory. I'm sure Exxon isn't hurting from my once a month purchase of gasoline. If I haven't made it clear from my other posts, I strongly believe (and fear) that we are in an environmental crisis. I recognize that deciding to ride my bike around isn't going to solve that. But if everyone rode their bike around, and our infastructure evolved to encourage bicycling, as in European cities, a good trend could catch on. Bicycle traffic in Copenhagen prevents 90,000 tons of CO2 from being emitted annually. [City of Copenhagen] That's huge! And think about how great all those people feel when they get to work all sweaty and buff. That's some true brain food to chew on. 

I read an article recently about bike riding in China being at a historic low (can't remember the source, or I'd link it). Because so many countries want to be like America, countries with far less space and far more people are increasing their automobile usage. We need to make biking sexy so the rest of the world catches on.

What's not sexy?

Mostly, we need to convert our minds, our habits and our hearts to renewable energy, such as biking. I feel like I've been reading more and more about our desperation to drill into BLM land, historic sites and national parks to get a few precious drops of oil so we can run our cars a few years longer. Let today be the day we wake up and ride. 
But it's not enough to "put the fun between your legs" as the patch says... we have to invest in this lifestyle with our economy. 89% of Americans believe that transportation investments should support the goals of reducing energy use. (National Association of Realtors and Transportation for America, 2009) If 5% of New Yorkers commuting by private car or taxi switched to biking to work, they could save 150 million pounds of CO2 emissions per year, equivalent to the amount reduced by planting a forest 1.3 times the size of Manhattan (Rollingcarbon.com). 
Even if we can't transform into biking cities overnight, we should at least begin shifting our brains to the possibilities of living on renewable energy. If you're reading this and you've never rode your bike to work- challenge yourself! At least carpool. 
When I visited Austin last month, I was inspired by the confusing bike lanes that were painted on all the roads. Austin is pushing for 20% of their commuters to switch to bikes, someone told me. Another person complained about the bike-efficiency manager making 90k a year, but who's to judge?! They're clearly making waves of inspiration. I hope it catches on. 
Props to my friend Aaron who took the lemons that life handed him when his car broke down and decided to commit to public transportation, bike riding and carpooling. That's a heroic decision in my eyes. Lets all go be heroes and put the fun between our legs. 

Texas

I hadn't been to Texas in the summertime in ages. I've smartly taken the opportunity to spend my summers in drier or cooler climates for the last 5 years...so when I received permission  to hop a flight or two to my soggy state, I jumped at the opportunity.
The first thing I noticed upon stepping from the airport was the warm hug that the air in Texas gives you when you arrive. Driving back from the airport in my Dad's car, surveying the flooding beneath the orange mammatus clouds, I felt a lot of things. Many emotions were swirling through my body the way the tornadoes had swirled through the skies just hours before: Stress melting away from months of hard work, sadness unfolding from unreciprocated intentions, loss from leaving friends and changing relationships, and hope for reconnecting and renewal.

I stood in the backyard amongst a graying orange sky and felt the air against my skin. The crickets were chirping heavily in the dark green grass, and birds still twitted from within the deep green leaves. It felt so familiar and so far removed. Here I am.
I remembered right away how nice it is to have a fan blowing the warm air around. Later on I noticed how much condensation forms on the sides of glasses here, and how quickly ice cubes melt. I quickly remembered the sticky sensation after a shower, and felt the perpetual sweat I had longed for on chilly nights in the desert.

I had forgotten how alive it is here in this Texan tropic. Having lived amongst the fence lizards and road runners for years, with the sky offering the greatest variety in species (in cloud variations), I had forgotten the abundance of life here in Texas. On this short trip, I have explored these environments from the eyes of my cat, counting endless bird calls and being stalked by squirrels. I smelled the rich vanilla scent of a budding magnolia tree, and marveled at the helicopter-like form of a mosquito-like species. I've walked to old favorite hiding spots and surveyed new creeks where there had previously only been rocks.
I went to a bar downtown and achieved my dream of existing in a tank top after the sun set. It felt wrong to not bring a jacket, but it felt so right to drive home with the ac just gently blowing.

I've sat in traffic, identified new condominiums and heard about rent prices skyrocketing. And despite all the emotions I'm pontificating on my travels, I've considered the sustainability of living here.
People have asked me how I can justify living in a desert as an environmentalist. The answer is far from simple, and I think I'll be discovering pieces to it for a long time. What I've remembered from watching the growth of this beautiful city since I've been here is that there are ways to live sustainably in almost every environment. Often they require compromises on certain luxuries, or even what people think are basic rights- like daily showers and access to hot food. But so much can be shifted with a change in mind, I've learned.
As much as I've enjoyed remembering my favorite pieces of this climate, the pleasure I have of my life in Albuquerque has been strengthened. No traffic, bike routes, work that I love. I am so thankul, so so grateful for my present situation.
In feeling the warm embrace of this state, I am filled with so many memories. It is warm here and comforting. And yet, it is stifling. It is strange to sit back in a place that I have spent years moving away from. I have had many thoughts and much reflection time on my visit back home, but most of them reminded me of being a 17 year old angsty and artful teenager. I'm ready to return to my world as a 27 year old and make some new memories.
Everytime I leave Texas I feel a longing to come back. And everytime I return my desires here are less fulfilled. I think it's time to spread my wings from this great state and ride the wind to the next adventure.

Thanks, Texas. <3

Austin

Austin, coming home to you is like returning to a lost lovers arms.
the embrace is always warm, except those chilly months when your mood turns bitter cold, and my mind runs to the warmer days.

Whenever I return,  your hot breath surrounds me. Your energy of love buzzes around me and rattles my heart into action. Alas, when I return to you, whether I am walking among your enormous prickly pear and fertile-smelling oak leaves or sitting scrunched up on a sofa with book in hand and chai tea in the other, watching unique patrons pass by, I find myself in a state of utter bliss, rivaled by no others.

Austin, you took my creative virginity, and introduced me to possibilities I had never dreamed. You dared me to rebel against the systems holding me back, and then pushed me away to experience alternative systems, somewhere else. Through you I met passion, relaxation, angst, organization and anarchy. You introduced me to other lovers I would also leave behind, but gave me the courage to come back.Austin- In you I found the strongest love I’ve ever felt, making me for the first time afraid of my mortality.

But then you changed. I guess we all changed. Austin,  lover in my younger years, no longer did the simple strangeness satisfy you. You grew more popular, requiring larger parties to satisfy your taste, and leaving me and my possibilities to the wayside.
Austin you showed me a place I had only dreamed of, but then you filled it up before I got there.
There’s no doubt I am who I am because of you, Austin. I’ve grown the most away from you, but I couldn’t have done it without your loving embrace from the beginning, that always finds me when I return.