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Manuel said: "This is great news! I hope all cities pass this into law.The practice of using plastic bags just to quickly dispose of them has been going on far t..." [read]

Jay Knecht said: "What are the performance stats for the Son of Max? ..." [read]

gazelle said: "@ Dallas: The book, and the supplementary videos in the "How It All Ends" youtube series, address this in detail, but I'll try to paraphrase:..." [read]

Barry said: "Kofi Annan has about as much of a clue about electric cars and developing countries as Ann Ann the Panda. He underestimates the ingenuity o..." [read]

JJ said: "Very cool. I didn't thought that biodesel might be our future fuel...." [read]

Derek said: ""I guarantee you this will spark huge debates around the world," she said. "We have to delve into this in a way that hasn't been done in a long tim..." [read]

Wash your clothes by pedaling your bike (with video)

by Jeff Kart, Bay City, MIchigan on 11. 7.09
Cars & Transportation

bicycle clothes washerCredit: Dave Askins, homelessdave.com.

You don't need electricity to do the laundry. It's as easy as riding a bike.

My wife's 90-year-old aunt still washes her laundry by hand, and dries it with a wringer.

God bless her. But if you're a little busier, you can keep your clothes clean with pedal power. GreenovationTV has a segment on the low-tech solution.

Article continues: Wash your clothes by pedaling your bike (with video)

Yet Another Video of Amazing Japanese Bike Storage System

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.09
Cars & Transportation

bikestorage japan interior photo
Link to video here

A while back we showed a Japanese video of How They Store Bikes In Tokyo in crazy multistorey computerized bike parking garage. Now the Guardian picks up the story and shows us a video in English that you can see here.

The Guardian describes how it works:

Article continues: Yet Another Video of Amazing Japanese Bike Storage System

People's Design Award Bestowed on the Trek Lime

by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 11. 5.09
Cars & Transportation

trek lime photo

When Trek unveiled the Lime back in 2007, the mission was to bring delightful, non-threatening biking to grown-ups. Some nice validation came last week when the Lime won the 2009 People's Design Award, a subcategory of the prominent National Design Awards. A simple city bike with an upright riding posture, the Lime uses Shimano's Coasting automatic three-speed transmission (a pretty complex system with a very simple user interface) and a back-pedal brake rather than hand levers. The mid-priced bike also packs a clever storage compartment into the bike's seat with enough room for keys, cell, and grocery money.

Article continues: People's Design Award Bestowed on the Trek Lime

How To Get Killed On A Bicycle

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 5.09
Cars & Transportation

bicycle safety accidents study right hook image

I always thought I was most likely to get killed by a "right hook", where a car blithely turns the corner without looking and the cyclist goes under the wheels. I lost a rowing buddy that way. Or the "door prize" where a driver opens a car door without looking to see if anyone is coming up beside them. But a new study of accidents in Fort Collins, Colorado, covered by Cyclelicious, tells a very different story.

Article continues: How To Get Killed On A Bicycle

Philadelphia Vanquishes New York With Highest Bicycle-Commute Rate

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 5.09
Cars & Transportation

phillies bicycle helmet photo
Phillies fan bicycle helmet. Image credit:MLB Phillies Shop

The Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition reports, based on a US Census survey, that Philadelphia is ranked number one among the ten largest US cities for bicycle commuters per-capita. Per the Census data, 1.6% of Philly commutes are estimated to be by bicycle. Poor New York City came in at 6'th place (0.6%). "Philadelphia also tied for 10th among the country's 60 largest cities and the second highest percentage among east coast cities (only Washington DC has a higher percentage). Philadelphia's percentage of commuters who bike is nearly three times the national average of 0.55%." Look below for the rankings for all ten of the largest US cities.q

Article continues: Philadelphia Vanquishes New York With Highest Bicycle-Commute Rate

Cycling Mayor Saves Environmentalist

by Bonnie Alter, London on 11. 5.09
Cars & Transportation

boris bicycle.photo
Image from Mail online

London's cycling mayor, Boris Johnson, is the "knight on a shining bicycle" after he foiled three girls who were attacking a woman late at night. The victim, director of the film The Age of Stupid , was walking home when she was pushed up against a car by 3 young female hoodies with an iron bar. She called out for help to a passing cyclist, and much to her surprise it was the Mayor!

He chased after the girls, calling them "oiks", a unique english word for obnoxious people. They dropped the bar and took off. He then went back to the woman who was one of the creators of the 10:10 campaign and insisted upon walking her home. He said that he ended up having a very good chat with her about the environment.

Article continues: Cycling Mayor Saves Environmentalist

Beautiful Bike Wedding in Sao Paulo

by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 11. 4.09
Cars & Transportation

Bike Wedding in Sao Paulo Photo
Photos: Luddista.

It might not be a first, but you have to give this couple credit for marrying on a bike in a city where traffic is so heavy that even pedestrians beat cars.

Priscila Teixeira and Willian Cruz were married last week in Sao Paulo and they organized a group biking trip to the city hall. As strong bike activists, they invited everyone who wanted to join with only one condition: they had to ride to the place.

Take a look at more sweet pictures inside and get inspired!

Article continues: Beautiful Bike Wedding in Sao Paulo

Cyclist Hero Earl Blumenauer Rides Around NYC (Video)

by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11. 3.09
Cars & Transportation

"I think this is the decade that it's all going to come together."
I don't know if it's going to have the same effect on you, but this video made me hopeful that things are changing. There's still a lot of work to be done, but there's finally a solid movement for walkable and bikeable cities, and it's good to see that NYC is getting on board because whatever happens there will be seen by everybody else around the US and the world. In the video, the Streetfilms crew and Rep. Blumenauer (who sometimes bikes to the White House) ride around town and look at some good and bad bike lanes, and discuss the future, including the upcoming transportation bill. Via Streetfilms. See also: UK's Cycle to Work Guarantee: Good Idea, But Doesn't Go Far Enough...

We'll be working on better category archives soon. In the meantime, take a look at the weekly archive if you really want to dig around, or use the search box at the top of the page.

TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!

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