If you’ve been considering riding a bike more and driving less, Google Maps just made it easier for you. As of today, biking directions have been added as an option when searching for directions. In launching this new feature, Google has tried to include as much data as possible on bike trails, and provide the most efficient routes. This feature also allows users to customize their trip, avoid big hills and make use of bike lanes as much as possible.

My husband has been toying with the idea of riding a bike to work on days when he doesn’t have a lot of off-site meetings (which isn’t often) so I tested Google’s biking directions using his work location. I was able to get very precise directions and liked that you can click and drag to change the route directly on the map. Another nice feature is that you can click on other options such as walking and driving so you can compare distance and estimated time.

Hopefully this new feature will encourage people to bike more often and feel confident that they’ve mapped out a safe and efficient route. My applauds to Google.

For more information about Google’s Biking Directions visit:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/biking-directions-added-to-google-maps.html

http://googlemapsbikethere.org

When people talk about living greener one of the things that’s often suggested is to walk, bike or take public transportation.  Walking and biking are especially great alternatives to driving because you get exercise in the process. It sounds like a no-brainer that if you can easily walk somewhere instead of driving you’d do it. But in today’s world the prospect of walking even a short distance in some areas can be scary.

The recent murder of Chelsea King in San Diego is one reason why. Chelsea was a beautiful, smart girl with a huge heart and big plans to change the world. Last week she went for a run at the park in the middle of the day and never came home. As a parent and resident of the area, I was heartbroken over this story. The incident happened not far from where I live and all I could think about is what a terrible time her parents and loved ones are going through. Locally there has been an increase in reports of suspicious people trying to lure pedestrians to their car and these stories are no doubt common in many parts of the country. These horrific stories can make us feel it’s not safe to walk anywhere, even short distances.

While these stories in the news can make you think about not walking anywhere for safety reasons, it’s important to remember that millions of people go out for walks and runs daily and are safe in doing so. And anytime you can walk instead of driving, you should because it’s better for you and better for the environment. If you are trying to ditch your driving habit but concerned about your safety when walking alone, here are a few steps you can take to make it safer:

• Take a self defense class: Search for local classes in your area or organize your own class with a group of your friends, hiring a professional. There may also be options to register for a parent – child class that will teach your child some basic self-defense without presenting the material in an extremely scary way.
• Carry self defense products: Many pepper sprays are not harmful to the environment and will not permanently hurt an attacker. If you’d prefer not to carry spray, you can opt for a whistle or personal body alarm.
• Walk in populated areas. If you’re walking on a busy street to work or to a bus or train stop you are much safer than walking on less crowded side streets and alleys. If you’re walking through your neighborhood to get to school or the store, don’t take short-cuts. Stay on a busy road where there are likely to be other pedestrians and cars.
• Whenever possible try not walk alone. If you want to go out for a walk, try to go with a neighbor or family member.  If you walk your kids to school, try to find other moms that you can walk with to and from school.
• Give off the right attitude, always be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to those around you. Body language and intuition can go a long way in deterring an attack. Gavin de Becker has books on this and other ways protect yourself and your children. They are Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) and The Gift of Fear.
• Familiarize yourself with recent criminal activity and registered sex offenders in your area. Check to see if your local police or sheriff offer email alerts of crimes in the area and if they do, register for them. Visit the Family Watchdog site to search for sex offenders near your address.

Don’t let fear of an attack stop you from your goals of living greener. Driving less is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint and while nothing can guarantee you’ll never be attacked while walking, taking a few precautions can help to make you safer as you walk to your destination.

As a child I was a big fan of Dr. Seuss stories and can remember fondly reading many of his books over and over again. My favorites were “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and “Horton Hears a Who.” In edition to those classics, I remember reading several other Dr. Seuss books in school but for some reason I never read the classic “The Lorax” until my son received it as a gift a few years ago.

When I read the story with my son, my first impression was that Dr. Seuss was way ahead of his time.  As he talks about green grass, wet ponds and clean clouds as a thing of the past, it is clear that Dr. Seuss knew something in 1971 that many people still continue to ignore today. Just like many of his other stories, Dr. Seuss presents this story in a rythmic fashion with colorful illustrations and an important message written in a way kids can understand. There are humorous parts of the story but the overall message teaches kids about the environment and warns against greed and pollution. If you’re trying to live greener and have kids, this book is a must for your family book collection.  Today’s kids really care for the earth and want to protect it. This book reinforces those values and serves as a reminder to parents and adults that “biggered” isn’t always better.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Visit The Lorax Official Web Site:
http://www.seussville.com/lorax

Yesterday, Walmart announced plans to cut 20 million tons of greenhouse gases from their supply chain by 2015. On the surface this looks like something that people would applaud but Twitter and Facebook were buzzing with a great deal of anti-Walmart sentiment.  There were tweets about human rights violations, green washing and boycotts.  Some even said they would stop following people who were tweeting about Walmart’s announcement and others felt Walmart continues to only care about profits by forcing their suppliers to bear the cost associated with reducing carbon emissions.  Many people had the sentiment that Walmart does so many things wrong, they should not be applauded for making this change.

Whether you’re a fan of Walmart or someone who boycotts the retail chain, you can’t ignore the benefits of this initiative.  Yes, they could do more but couldn’t all of us do more?  Any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is a good thing.  And when you look at who some of their suppliers are (Sony, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Kraft, Clorox, for example) you can see these are some of the biggest suppliers in the world and if they reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it will cause a ripple effect across the globe.

Yes, Walmart still needs to improve in other areas besides the environment.  You may choose not to shop there because of your feelings regarding their labor practices or the long lost mom and pop shops in your town but regardless of your feelings about Walmart, you can’t ignore the positive effects these changes may bring, especially since they are working closely with the Environmental Defense Fund to reach their sustainability goals.  Walmart may very well see an increase in their profit margins as a result of this initiative but if it helps the environment in the process it’s better than the status quo.

For additional information on Walmart’s plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions from their supply chain, visit the sites below:

http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/9668.aspx

http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/9672.aspx

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1458&redirect=walmart

Below is a Walmart video promoting the initiative: