Mountain Biking: Rubber side down- Time for a TurnaroundWell, my friends, things are finally looking up, and good timing, too, since I’m sure you’re all sick of me bitching. Recent bike build, including wheels… fun! In what feels like a fairly short time, I’ve come from sitting around … Continue reading → […]
- This Raised My PulseHey, baby… wanna ride? I may be injured, but I’m not dead yet. I can still have racy thoughts. Here’s more info. In other news, UBI was an awesome success! I had a blast. I highly recommend it. Overhaul day…. … Continue reading → […]
- Time for a Turnaround
- Edgy Veggie
Cycle tracks to replace bike lanes?
We like bikes here in Boulder. Some of us use them to get in a great workout. Others pedal to and fro to wherever they need to be. And those who drive are typically kind enough to share the road.
We’re proud of this bike-laned land we call home. But are bike lanes good enough? Advocates of cycle tracks don’t think so.
Question: So what the hell is a cycle track?
Answer: It’s a completely separate lane for bikers protected by a curb or a concrete barrier.
The cycle track is an idea we Americans have adopted from our neighbors across the (big) pond in Europe. The cycle track makes biking super safe, but building them might mean adding a lot more cement to our beautiful city.
So what do you think? Are Boulder’s bike paths extensive enough, or do we need cycle tracks as well?
Read more about them at Grist.com in Elly Blue’s article, “Cyclists shouldn’t ‘share the road,’ they should have their own.”
EPA in trouble?
Are you siting down, fellow Boulderite? You’re about to read some scary stuff.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton is sponsoring a bill to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to reduce carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
It appears, however, that Upton might have trouble rallying support.
“The bottom line is now clearer than ever: Democrats, Republicans and Independents across America want politicians to protect the health of America’s children rather than the profit-driven agenda of big polluters” said Pete Altman, Climate Campaign director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Chairman Upton and other members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee will now be hard-pressed to ignore the fact that their constituents want Congress to let the EPA do its job of safeguarding the health of American families.”
What would this mean for Boulder?
Cold vs. Green
We don’t have to tell you this, but in case you’ve been stuck inside: IT’S BEEN REALLY COLD OUT THERE for the past few days.
Uncharacteristically cold even.
Are you as burly as Rich Rotunno? Photo by Jeremy Papasso.
So I’m curious (no, not nosy, curious) about whether the harsh bite of the frigid air has superseded your dedication to being green.
Are you still biking to work?
Did you take a longer than normal shower this morning after your run?
Other thoughts?
Hit us back!
Want more info on winter weather? Stay up to date at the Daily Camera.
Climbers’ stewardship
The Boulder Climbing Community, a local group of, you guessed it, climbers, wants to clean up its own mess in Boulder Canyon.
The BCC’s proposal suggests a cooperative effort to restore damage already done and to prevent harmful impacts in the future. Briggs lists five to 10 approach and descent routes that are in critical need of attention, but he hopes to eventually establish marked trails to the nearly 100 climbing rocks in the canyon.
“We’re trying to get permission to be our own stewards and to solve our own problem,” said Roger Briggs, who founded the BCC last January and is known as a local climbing legend for his 104 ascents of the Diamond, Longs Peak’s treacherous east face.
Go green(er), get funding
Here in Boulder, we’ve got people who care about animals, who protect plants, and who worry about rocks. We’ve got groups watching out for mammals, birds and rodents. We love our outdoor sports and work to take care of the environment in which we play.
In short, Boulder rocks at being green.
Yep. There are groups out there protecting little rat things like this. Photo by Jeff Mitton.
And so I have a proposal for all of you environmentally savvy individuals: Enter yourself or tell someone you admire to enter him/herself to be a winner in the Green Awards before March 6.
Mr. or Ms. first place winner gets $25,000 and a trip to Los Angeles for the Green Awards celebration (although why they’re hosting the bash in such a smog-filled city is beyond me).
So here’s the place to sign up: https://www.thegreenawards.com.
And please, get in touch with Courtney, Laura or Dave at the Daily Camera when you win. It’ll make a sweet story.
How do you take your coffee?
Cream? Sugar? Reusable coffee cup?
I’ve been miffed more than once by the thoughtless way a barista (or baristo … is that the term for a male cafe worker?) hands over a double non-fat triple shot no whip mocha latte.
Not so much by her technique, but by her lack of questioning. Whatever happened to “Is this for here or to go?”
Because if it’s for here, why not take your brew in big cozy mug? You’ll be saving a cup and one of those cardboard hand-scalding protector thingys from the landfill. AND, often times the person behind the counter will warm up the mug with hot water and THEN put coffee in the cup.
But maybe that leisurely lifestyle doesn’t apply to you. There’s no time to sit and read in a coffee shop; your boss expects you at work pronto! Why not consider investing in a reusable mug? There are bazillions of sweet designs and you’ll be helping to save the world. PLUS, your mug will make you more distinctive, likely upping your coffee-drinker prestige to one of those special individuals addressed by the barista by name.
Intrigued? Here’s more info from a rockin’ website Sustainability is Sexy about “The Basic Problem with Coffee Cups.”
Climate Change NOT mentioned in State of the Union Address: Why?
Boulder is a hotbed of environmentalists. How do we feel about Obama’s omission of the topic in his State of the Union address?
Do YOU agree with David Roberts, who writes the following:
“In his 2009 State of the Union-esque speech, Obama spoke of “saving our planet from the ravages of climate change.” In his 2010 SOTU, he affirmed the “overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change.” In 2011, fresh off the hottest year on record, Obama said … nothing about climate change. It didn’t come up. “
Read more of “Obama was wrong not to mention climate change in his State of the Union” at Grist.org.
If you have a minute, we’d love to hear what you have to say. Just drop us a message.
Bike wearing mittens to get free muffins
Or something like that.
Tomorrow is Boulder’s Third Annual Winter Bike to Work Day. So add an extra layer, wear something windproof and make sure your pant leg won’t get caught in your bike spokes ( because even if you’re doing something rad for the environment like commuting by bike, you’ll look dumb if you endo–like THIS poor sap–for such a lame reason).
So what exactly is going on with this event? From 7 to 9 a.m., local businesses will be providing warm drinks and breakfast vittles. Find out which businesses are participating after the jump. Read more
Wetlands area in eastern Boulder scraped without permit
It’s almost funny to hear the word “wetlands” in such a dry place, but it’s true, we’ve got ‘em right here in Boulder. You can see where with the wetlands layer of the city’s interactive map.
Here’s a quick preview:
Wetlands areas are highlighted in green.
That map might look eerily familiar to you if you’re a bike commuter in Boulder, and that’s because a lot of our bike paths run along greenways here. For example, you can easily make out part of the Goose Creek greenway trail there between 26th and 28th Streets in the bottom left of the map.
Well, if you want to do anything to these areas, you’ve got to go through certain protocols. Apparently, the city didn’t do that before going in to clean up a wetlands area northeast of 47th and Valmont. They’ll be paying a little extra to replant in the area as a result, but it sounds like the work would have been approved if they’d gone through the rigmarole.
Boulder commuting stats: Driving alone still preferred method
Just over half of Boulder commuters drive alone to get to work. Compared to the rest of Colorado, that’s pretty impressive, we’re also built better for it in the city, so we probably should be comparing ourselves to other cities that are bike- and bus-friendly.
The other number that sticks out on this data from the 2009 U.S. Census American Community Survey is our work-from-home number — but we already knew that.
Here’s some of the relevant data:
|
. |
Location | Drive alone | Carpool | Public transportation | Bike | Walk | Work from home | |
|
. |
Boulder | 51.2 | 4.8 | 9.8 | 12.32 | 9.66 | 10.26 | |
|
. |
Longmont | 80.7 | 6.2 | 3 | 0.7 | 0.59 | 7.15 | |
|
. |
Boulder County | 64.9 | 7 | 5.3 | 4.77 | 4.33 | 12.05 | |
|
. |
Colorado | 74.3 | 10.1 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 3 | 6.74 |
In Amsterdam, they take more trips by bike than by car. Consider that!
In Portland, bike traffic constitutes 20 percent of the traffic on some roads, leading to bikejams.
Until we’re having bikejams — or until I have to stand up for part of my bus commute — it seems like there’s still a lot of education to be done. (But please don’t cut bus service to artificially make this happen. Here’s a great post from our neighbors to the south on that line of thinking.)
Note: When I lived on the Skip line, I did have to stand up — often.
