New York “rides in” the New Year as Times Square visitors bike to help power the New Year’s Eve Ball (© Charles Sykes, Invision, for Citi, on Treehugger). You heard it right. When the festive ball drops to usher in 2014, renewable energy will contribute to the flashiness of its cascade. For the past three […]
Renewables (Bikes!) Power Times Square New Year's Ball Read More 👉
Princeton Survey The Streetsblog DC recently published a story on a telephone poll of 1,003 Americans, which was commissioned by the advocacy group America Bikes and conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. The results were “unequivocal: 83 percent said that federal bike-ped funding should increase, or at the very least be maintained.” The car is becoming
Empowering Support for Federal Investment in Bike/Ped Planning Read More 👉
The wide, big routes that Europeans and other countries enjoy when biking are not yet in the US. However, Americans are turning out in amazing numbers in spite of the lack of good routes. “The NJ DOT study shows that during the peak usage time — Saturday afternoon — bicycles make up just over 47 percent of the
Bike Boom in NYC: Just over 47% of Traffic on U.S. Route 9W Read More 👉
Biking has become a lifestyle, a way of life. Cyclists who hit their favorite bike paths or bike routes every day are like another cut of the zen surfer who never missed a dawn and a wave. Now, we have the bike-path-gilding travelers that make Kerouac’s On the Road look sedentary. Devotees of biking vary
Solar Panel and Bike, New Form of Less is More Read More 👉
Renting a bike is a great option for going green for short distance transportation. Enter Splintster, offering an appealing combination of friendship, greener living and a cleaner, more connected community.
Rent a Bike, Make a Friend Read More 👉
Seamlessly Integrated Bike Flow “Cycling is part of everyone’s life, because it was made part of everyone’s life.” This film, Cycling for Everyone, is a light, moving record of health and happiness. The film shows Amsterdam as a place where sharing the road is easy and safe. Inhabitants of this city and country value cycling so much that the rich and the
Cycling For Everyone — an Expose: Organically Flowing Read More 👉
A recent story that celebrates spontaneity, cycling, urban wanderlust, and the wonderful wave of sustainable bike-sharing programs is a welcome happiness to all of us wanting more biking freedoms. From an article found on the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) website: “Bike sharing is like a big advertisement for bicycling,” says Darren Buck, a Virginia Tech (VT) student. “Folks walking by
American Bicyclists Celebrate Spontaneity with New Urban Forms of an Old Love Read More 👉
Aura as a Protective Body of Light Energy One’s Aura is a body of light, a body of energy, that spreads out from our center and lights up a field of astral and ethereal layers of light protection. It is a large round globe of energy from within that spreads outwardly around us.
“Project Aura” — More Protection on the Road Read More 👉
The Bicycle Video Of The Year: Burn Cycle from Amsterdamize on Vimeo. Burn Cycle, a video from the creative work of Gabemacha, captures movement in a decorative celebration of biking, music, and fire. One gets a glimpse into the experience of biking whirling into Burning Man in this beautiful piece. Watch this video and follow
Burn Cycle, Felliniesque Bike Celebration Read More 👉
This is a great story I ran across on Copenhagenize, of what the title says (a woman bicycling to the hospital pregnant and with contractions), but also with an ironic poster added at the bottom.
Bicycling to the Hospital… with Contractions Read More 👉
Check out these top green living stories of the past day or so:
14 Green Living Stories Read More 👉
By Bill McKibben
Dear Friends,
The last two weeks have been spectacular.
In Washington DC, phase one of the tar sands campaign has just come to an end, and 1,252 North Americans have been arrested in a massive civil disobedience campaign. This historic groundswell was focused on stopping the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline — but it also sent a larger message that people everywhere are willing to take bold action to move our planet beyond fossil fuels.
Big Day of Climate Action Coming — Moving Planet (September 24) Read More 👉
I write about cool bike stories here a lot, since bicycling is both one the best ways to green your life and is one of the best ways to make your life more relaxing, healthier, and more enjoyable.
But, one of the things I strive for here on Planetsave is finding ways to help people make positive changes in their lives, not just talk about how cool green living is.
3-4 Tips for Getting Started Bicycling Read More 👉
Just ran across this great infographic on bicycling facts and the future of bicycling on our sister site sustainablog and, of course, wanted to share it on here. It’s the feature green living “story” of the day. The infographic is from our friends over at Well Home Energy Audit. Check it out and enjoy!
Bicycling Facts Infographic (+ Top Green Living Posts) Read More 👉
Check out this fun Dutch bicycling federation video I just ran across on Copenhagenize. Nice.
Bicycle Heaven(s), Bike-Sharing Saves Lives (+ Top Green Living Stories) Read More 👉
Solar power is growing at a super fast pace these days, and despite (or maybe partly because of) the tremendous economic problems the country is facing, that is continuing. Solar PV is projected to double in the US this year, and is expected to grow 47% a year up to 2015.
Solar PV to Double in US in 2011 (+ Top Green Living Stories) Read More 👉
Full disclosure: Heather is a friend of mine from college. We recently reconnected (on Facebook, of course) and she mentioned this sweet project she’s trying to get funded. Immediately, I though, “Wow, that’s an awesome project and a great fit for Planetsave!” So, here’s more on the project, via Kickstarter (where you can go to help fund it).
Bicycling not fast enough for you? Well, it turns out that, in some situations, bicyclists are even faster than jets.
Bicyclists Beat JetBlue Passenger in California Race Read More 👉
Top green living stories of the past week or so:
Green Living Stories {Weekly Round-Up} Read More 👉
Some good green living stories from around from the past week….
15 Green Living Stories {News Wrap-Up} Read More 👉
I seem to eternally be searching for the best way to share every single green news story I think is important with you. But never seem satisfied or able to keep up with my systems. Maybe this one will last?…
The idea I’ve got now is to do a weekly link drop of stories we didn’t cover each day of the week, but with a different theme each day of the week. To start with, Monday will be “Green Living Monday” (as you can see above). Why? Who knows, that just sounded good to me :D. Also, I guess it is because I am trying to stress green living more and more these days.
Green Living Monday {News Wrap-Up} Read More 👉
This is totally awesome. The ridiculousness of this guy getting a ticket for not riding in the bike lane is made obvious when he decides to then ALWAYS ride in the bike lane, film it, and show the world who should really be getting the tickets.
Other than the 50+ stories we covered in the past week, here are 15 more green stories I thought were worth a share:
Hello Planetsavers! I thought I’d start doing a monthly wrap-up of our top 20 posts for people to have a glance at. Many of the top stories this month, as you’ll notice, were clearly tied into major world news events. Google is the main traffic driver for the large majority of sites on the Internet and ours isn’t an exception. Covering environmental news consistently, this often results in the biggest news stories rising to the top.
Top 20 Planetsave Stories in May Read More 👉
Here’s a totally awesome new vertical bike storage design I ran across this weekend. Green in more ways than one.
Vertical Bike Storage for Urban Centers {AWESOME} Read More 👉
Aside from the 73 or so stories we’ve covered in the past week, here are 13 more great green news stories I wanted to highlight (but didn’t have the time to…
Rain is, without a doubt, one of the biggest deterrents to bicycling. People, for some odd reason, don’t like to get wet…. Well, a company called Veltop has you covered (pun intended)
Bicycle with a Canopy to Protect You from the Rain Read More 👉
Here’s another great biking story. I covered and shared a video of perhaps the oldest living bicyclist in the world, Octavio Orduno, who bikes nearly every day at the age of 103, a couple months ago. Now, here’s another great one of an “aging” cyclist.
Lady in Her "Very Late '70s" Still Bicycling, and Loving It {VIDEOS} Read More 👉
This is an email I received from Bill McKibben of 350.org this week. Thought it was worth a full share, so here it is.
Let's Ride Together Read More 👉
If you weren’t aware, today is National Bike to Work Day in the U.S. That means that even if it is the only day of the year you do so, you should bike to work today! Of course, biking is such a pleasant experience (for most people) if you get out there and try
Top 10 Benefits of Bicycling Read More 👉
Bicycling benefits your health so much that researchers have found its benefits outweigh its risks. In other words, bicycling should extend your life span, not shorten it. Additionally, you should feel healthier and more fit bicycling than not. Plus, it’s fun, as 103-year-old Octavio Orduño, who still bikes nearly every day, will tell you.
Nonetheless, everyone can see that bicyclists are less protected than others on the road. The risk of being hit or crashing is something that deters a lot of people. Furthermore, people do get hit and killed bicycling (don’t forget, though, that millions of people get injured and killed in car accidents, too — and more bicyclists on the road actually makes the road safer for everyone). I don’t know if there are more bicycle accidents on Friday the 13th or not, but it seemed like a good day to write about bicycling safely.
How to Bike More Safely (7 Tips) Read More 👉
You’re halfway home on a Friday evening and looking forward to a quick pint at your local, when disaster strikes. Slowing down at a set of lights, a momentary lapse of attention by the rider behind you sees him edge his front wheel into the rear of your bike, catching your derailleur in his spokes. The consequences are a buckled front wheel for him, and a broken rear mech for you.
How to Fix Your Bike in an On-Street Emergency Read More 👉
Borrowing (or directing you over to) another article by bicycle experts over on BikeRadar, in honor of Bike Month (and one of the greenest forms of transport on the planet (if not the greenest), here’s another great one….
BikeRadar highlighted some top tips from bike enthusiasts in its forum recently, tips on bike choice, riding, and gear. Below are a few of my favorites, but if you want to read all of them (recommended) just click on the link above.
Top Bicycling Tips Read More 👉
May is Bike Month (if you weren’t aware), and it’s a good month for biking, of course, since the weather is quite nice in most places.
To help you get into the spirit of biking or help you with some practical bicycling issues, I’m going to direct you to a number of great bicycling articles by true bike experts (and I’ll share a bit of the key points from those articles with you as well) over the coming weeks. I’ll also write a few of my own based on my experiences and research.
This first article I’m going to direct you towards comes from BikeRadar, a great site for super bike enthusiasts. (But don’t worry, it’s tailored to normal folks.)
Bike Month: Best Bike for Bicycle Commuting Read More 👉
I think most of us green bloggers get quite frustrated with Earth Day. It can be a struggle for us to stay positive at this time. Why? Because we write about critical environmental issues and solutions to them all year long, and we are confronted with how little others are aware of or interested in such issues when Earth Day comes around. All of a sudden, a large number of people ‘care’ about the environment,… but don’t expect that to stay ’till tomorrow. We get numerous pitches from non-green companies who want us to feature them in our Earth Day posts (as well as pitches from truly green companies, of course). For one day, it is more “fashionable” to be green. But just for one day.
Earth Day 2011 Reflections Read More 👉
Following up on a post last week from Genesis Bikes, the company is promoting bicycling this year — and in Bike Month, May, especially — with an innovative social media campaign and bike giveaway that I thought was worth sharing.
A Chance to Win a New Genesis Bike for a Better Commute to Work {VIDEO} Read More 👉
You know we love biking here on Planetsave — it’s one of the greenest thing you can do (and a ton of fun). Here’s a great guest post from those in the know when it comes to biking, Genesis Bicycles. Enjoy!
Spring into Gear with These Tune-Up Bike Tips from Genesis Bikes Read More 👉
When it comes to sustainable transport, you’ve never seen anything like this before.
The Ghana Bamboo Bikes initiative is gaining momentum and is gearing up to start exporting to other African nations, the EU and the US. They’re also looking forward to providing the bikes to teachers and healthcare workers within Ghana.
Bamboo Bikes In High Demand Read More 👉
Most people would be lucky to live to 103. And even luckier to be able to ride a bike at that age. But, actually, riding a bike regularly would increase your chances of both things, since it is good for your health and extends your life expectancy.
103-year-old Octavio Orduño would recommend it. He is perhaps the oldest living cyclist and still loves cruising along on his tricycle (well, it would be a bicycle if his wife hadn’t insisted he switch)….
"World's Oldest Cyclist" Rides His Bike Nearly Everyday at 103 Read More 👉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY1sY8UDwjs If you haven’t seen the video above yet, I think the story is pretty clear: a man drove into a peaceful, critical mass bike ride in Porto Alegre, Brazil with the apparent attempt to kill or seriously injure a number of the cyclists. As noted in the video above, he even accelerated as he
We love to vilify others, don’t we? Especially Big Government, Big Business, Big Oil, and so on. But let’s take a quick look at how we actually compared to CEOs of Big Oil and Big Coal, some of the most infamous or widely disliked “Big Boys” in the world (& certainly in environmental circles). Scale
Are You Acting Like a Coal or Oil Company CEO? Read More 👉
Some of the top clean energy, clean transport, and green living stories of the last day or so: Clean Energy China’s Green Economy Leadership “China sees green as the future engine of its economy. Although currently the world’s leading greenhouse gas emitter, China is serious about slowing greenhouse gas emissions and using renewable energy.” Green Jobs, Good
Clean Energy, Clean Transportation and Green Living News Read More 👉
OK, one more wrap-up this week. And perhaps our last weekly wrap-up, period. As I am thinking I will switch to daily wrap-ups instead. (Let me know if you have any objection.) As the title says, this wrap-up is of good or cool green living stories. Biking Biking is one of the greenest things you
Green Living Stories of the Last Week (or So) Read More 👉
Here’s a great fun video for you bike lovers (or those of you all-too-familiar with the agony of sitting in your car for countless hours in traffic, struggling to find parking, or getting a hefty speeding ticket). Luckily, we also got a translation of the video from a friendly reader over on EcoLocalizer: Cop says:
Funny Bike Video: "Cycling Sucks" Read More 👉
Want some bike lanes in your neighborhood? Put them in yourself. That’s what some people in Guadalajara, Mexico have done. Here’s more from TreeHugger: A group of citizens in Guadalajara, Mexico, was fed up with the inaction of the local authorities. Their city has a big traffic problem (350 new cars are added to the
Guerilla DIY Bike Lanes in Guadalajara, Mexico Read More 👉
Because bikes are just about the greenest thing on the planet and these guys are wicked crazy awesome, here’s a video of the recent Animal Relentless Bike Show in London. http://vimeo.com/18968910 h/t BikeRadar
Animal Relentless Bike Tour, London Bike Show [VIDEO] Read More 👉
One good way to create jobs, as Obama and his secretary of transportation Ray LaHood know, is to invest in efficient, green transportation, like bicycles. One recent study in Wisconsin showed that bicycling adds $1.5 billion/year to its economy. Now, another study by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, “Estimating the
Investing in Bicycling Creates Jobs, Improves Economy Read More 👉
Other than what we’ve already covered, of course, here are a number of good environmental, wildlife, and green living stories form around the internet. GreenDeals aims to be a Groupon for green shoppers New website aims to offer US consumers discounts on green products and services… High-speed rail route to get 2m trees for shelter
Environmental, Wildlife, & Green Living News of the Week Read More 👉