a cure for many ills

A very simple mechanical device that has been around for over a century could cure many of today's ills. From congestion to air pollution to better health and less obesity, the lowly bicycle can do what sophisticated technologies cannot. For those trying to read the tea leaves and peering into the future for a solution to global warming and the obesity epidemic, let it be known that the best solution already exists.

It is a message that is heard loud and clear across Europe and some parts of Asia. Many European cities are investing heavily in bicycle infrastructure. Asia, long a bicycle stronghold is having second thoughts about converting to cars. But don't hold your breath because an endless barrage of advertising is not about to let that happen. It remains to be seen whether common sense can prevail against such devious means. Meanwhile, the US, as seems to be the new rule for the 21st century, is once-again lagging far behind. In America, bicycles are considered toys for children, not ultra-efficient means of transportation.

Over 80% of bicycles are produced in China. Although, you probably remember the images of thousands of Chinese bicyclists creating their own kind of traffic jams, the truth is that rising wealth is causing China to take a giant step backwards. The new rich are quickly acquiring their latest status symbol, the car. The only problem is that they consider it to be a step forward. It is already becoming clear to the rest of the world that this is a fallacy. Once the Olympics get underway and images of smog-filled Beijing will be beamed to every living room on the planet, it will be obvious how very wrong the Chinese are. But who can blame them? For years they have been bombarded with Western propaganda and ads from car companies, that can only see an under-served market and could not care less about an impending environmental disaster.

Amsterdam is the poster child of a new world. In this decidedly modern city, over 55% of those traveling five miles or less use a bicycle. Despite the cold and wet weather, bicycling remains a favorite means of transportation in the Netherlands. The country has the best cycling infrastructure in the world, bar none. Other Europeans cities are following suit. And it isn't just high gas prices that are forcing them to. Gas prices have been high for decades in Europe. What worries people more is continuous traffic jams, air pollution, and the ever growing health care costs associated with a sedentary life-style.

Paris now has 20,000 bikes available for rent throughout the city and in the first three months of the new program over six million people took advantage of it. Bicycling is not only faster and easier, it also avoids big city headaches such as finding parking spots.

Now that we have effectively banned cigarette smoking and are eradicating second-hand smoke, maybe it is time to turn our attention to car exhaust. Study after study has shown how air pollution contributes to asthma, COPD, and other lung ailments. The death toll from such poisons probably exceeds the death toll from cigarette smoking by a few orders of magnitude. Yet the rightful indignation is nowhere to be found (yet). It still strikes people as somewhat odd that an accomplished athlete such as Haile Gebrsellasie refuses to compete in the Beijing Olympics, citing health issues. It seems more appropriate to us to boycott the Chinese Olympics for the alleged mistreatment of Tibet that is said to have caused many deaths, but not because of air pollution, a condition that is likely to kill many more.