Unfortunatley for the reader and I, it is a difficult task for one to obtain a thoroughly detailed understanding of the manner in which national unemployment and aid-distrubtion operates. Presented by many state and federal representatives, an extention of financial assistance for households of those unemployed has been requested for legislation. The question for this blog is whether or not I feel it is an appropriate measure; why or why not?
It is not so simple for me to answer with this blog. In theory, a systemized manner of presenting an insurance payment for a tax-paying citizen upon their loss of employment seems moral and just. However, insurance developes dependance and shifts the power of wealth from the hands of the many to the hands of the few. Therefor, in theory, I am completely opposed to unemployment payments. That is only in theory that I feel this way.
The U.S. and its citizens are in the crux of a seriously turmultious time. We are engaged in two wars of foreign soil. The federal government spends more annually than ever before. I gross domestic product is rising at the lowest level in over a decade. In addition, inflation is rising due to a lack interest-due for foreign investment. Because of the complexity of this issue, and lives that unemployment payments improve and sustain... I will leave this to the legislators. They will likely extend the benefit package and I will accept that.
Au revoir,
Michael
Friday, July 23, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Substitue Apples for Apathy
A major issue for debate that endures in all social strata is the subject of personal health pertaining especially to diet and fitness. Complicating this concern further, the problem of public health has multiple facets of responsibility. The government, private industry, and the consumer all play roles with regard to the health of individual American citizens. Regardless to the level of direction that government and industry serve to feed individuals on a macro-scale, ultimately, individual health and well-being is a personal choice. Unfortunately, within the realm of social standards sentiments of apathy, ignorance, and disregard for health exist. Despite efforts to save face and clichés that consist of wishful thinking, Americans on average are rife with excess weight and disease that can often be attributed to the mentioned sentiment of apathy and disregard. Proper diet management skills and application are lax and physical activity is limited. Unless and effort is made on an individual basis with a societal foundation, this trend of disease and poor quality of life will continue to prevail if not flourish within our populace.
The role of our government:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as an agency of the Department of Human Health and Services, is an enterprise of the federal government of the United States of America. Its role to provide for the American people is well defined by one mission statement; “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, protecting and promoting your health”. (FDA) The FDA seeks to regulate, supervise, and enforce laws for many major industries that directly affect the health of U.S. citizens. However, in this article the focus will be on the FDA’s involvement in food safety. This agency fails when dangerous or misleading products, at any level, enter the market for consumption.
The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is another agency of the Department of Human Health and Services. The CDC primarily functions as the U.S. Federal Government’s chief informant for the public with material pertaining to disease control and prevention. This public forum for information can be used to well educate oneself about such issues. (CDC)
The food industry:
The food industry refers to the global complex of a diverse set of businesses that serve to provide consumers throughout the world with food products. It is important to note that publicly traded businesses, which make up the great majority (in sales) of the food industry, are obligated to make profit for their shareholders. While it should go without saying that companies desire to create a quality product, it is not their obligation to be concerned with the health of their consumers. In the U.S., FDA regulation is the food industries only limit with regard to matters of health concerns and product safety. The food industry has a dubious history of poor product safety. Food industry outbreaks of Mad Cow Disease, multiple bacterial contaminations, often salmonella and e-coli, and a multitude of other types of contamination maintain a history of illness and death for countless consumers. In addition, food additives, be they natural or artificial, have also played a role in the degradation of consumers. The FDA has done well in outlawing many unsafe food additives such as ethylene glycol, green 1, green 2, red 1, red 2, red 4, and red 32. However, there are many food additives with scientific research suggesting or with absolute results finding them to be dangerous to the health of the consumer. Many of these additives remain abundant throughout the market, and exist in some common products. Because of the intricate nature of bureaucratic regulation from the government, it often develops long after public health damage has already occurred. For this reason, as wells as others to be mentioned, it is prudent that individuals educate themselves about food additives that exist in the market and often in the products purchased, as well as about the safety of food consumed. (Wilson)
Common additives to observe:
Below is a list of common food additives, some artificial and some natural in derivation. This list does not encapsulate the entire scope of concern for consumers, but is rather meant to suffice as an example. While the proceeding are common additives, there are many more less common additives well recognized and analyzed by the CDC for public knowledge.
Acesulfame-K is an artificial sweetener often used in processed baked goods, chewing gum, soft drinks, and low-calorie desserts. While acesulfame-K has only one clinical study on record, it featured increases in cancerous cell growth within laboratory animals. More studies are being proposed for this additive to bring finality to the question of its safety. In addition, acesulfame-K breaks down into acetoacetamide, which has been found to adversely affect the thyroid gland and endocrine system of rats, dogs, and cats. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
Aspartame, another artificial sweetener, is found in chewing gum, soft drinks, low-calorie foods, and packaged sweeteners like Equal and NutraSweet brands. Since its introduction in the 1970s, it has been shown to cause brain tumors and increase the incidents of lymphoma and leukemia in laboratory animals. Also, 10% of clinical participants were found with acute sensitivity to aspartame, leaving some with headaches, dizziness, and more rarely, hallucinations. (Neurotoxicity)
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are implemented to stabilize and preserve fats in food products such as chewing gum, baked goods, vegetable oils, fried processed foods (potato chips, tortilla chips, etc.), and breakfast cereals. Studies found these additives to increase the risk of many forms of cancer in laboratory animals. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an increasingly popular sweetener and preservative. It increases shelf-life and production cost of common products such as soft-drinks, juices, yogurt, sweet sauces, candy, condiments (ketchup, BBQ sauce, etc.) and a myriad of others. HFCS has been linked with multiple factors of detriment for the consumer. It is most commonly associated with appetite suppression inhabitation leading to insatiable appetite and excessive weight gain, which leads to weight related problems such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. In addition, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade policy conducted a study that found over 50% of product samples containing HFCS contained Mercury, a well known neurotoxin. (Institute for Agriculture) For the human liver, fructose is more difficult to process than sucrose (common sugar). For this reason, animal testing has shown extensive liver damage and failure associated with HFCS. Furthermore, high fructose corn syrup is as unhealthy as it is difficult to avoid in an average, American grocery market. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
Hydrogenated vegetable oil is a highly processed oil product used to increase the shelf-life of products like margarine, vegetable shortening, and many baked goods. This additive is high in trans-fats which increase ones chances of developing heart disease and diabetes. (Smith, Hong-Shum) The CDC suggests that a person consume as few trans fats as possible. (CDC)
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a common food additive implemented to enhance the flavor of packaged soup, potato chips, tortilla chips, baked goods, salad dressings, processed cheeses, processed meats, and many other food products. Flavor enchantment is achieved because MSG is what is known as an excitotoxin. Chemically, it serves to manipulate brain chemistry in a manner that stimulates neurons associated with pleasure. According to a study assessed by the U.S. congress, excitotoxins lead to neuron death, and with a small percentage of people, those most sensitive to the affects, strokes, brain seizures, and death. (Neurotoxicity)
Potassium bromate is an additive that is used in baked goods, especially bread, to increase the volume of product and to create a more even crumb structure. In the stomach, bromate usually breaks down into bromide, which has been proved to be harmless. However, any portion of the additive that does not break down in the stomach could be harmful. Bromate has been shown to cause cancer in animal studies. Potassium bromate has been banned in most countries, but the United States has yet to do so. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
Yellow 6 food dye is found abundantly. Products such as baked goods, candy, gelatin, and processed meats commonly use this dye. Yellow 6 has been linked to adrenal gland and kidney cancer and tumors. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
The FDA operates as the main regulator of food additives, but has been slow to address the concerns of public health official and alarming research. Unfortunately, this leaves the consumer with the burden of research and analysis so as to ensure health-conscious purchases. This burden might prove to be more complicated than it seems. For an example, two products may carry the same description but contain markedly different ingredients; one product may be very simple and a nutritionally sound purchase, while another might be an amalgamation including chemical preservatives, stabilizers, and less healthy ingredients. In such a scenario, it would be a sensible task for the consumer to discover which product is more beneficial by more carefully scrutinizing the ingredient list and nutritional facts table; both are articles evaluated for accuracy by the FDA. Furthermore, as indicated earlier, the businesses that label and market their food products are not duty-bound beyond the regulation of the government to be concerned with the health and well-being of their end consumers. Many labels and marketing schemes are thinly veiled with misleading and exaggerated claims to entice sales. It behooves all consumers to educate themselves about their food options and to make sound decisions to their benefit.
Lacking of fitness:
According to a survey conducted in the year 2008 by the CDC, 63 percent of adult Americans are either overweight or obese. (CDC) With nearly two-thirds of the United States population being above a healthy weight, our society has reached a point of crisis. On an individual basis, the majority of our populace practices unhealthy and potentially dangerous lifestyles of consumption. Unfortunately, diet cannot be the only factor because the previously cited statistic is compounded by another. In the year 2007, the CDC conducted a different survey of American adults that found only 49.2 percent participated regularly in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Moderate physical activity is required by the human body to maintain a favorable weight and cardiovascular health. (CDC)
It serves as common knowledge that excessive weight, a poor diet and a deficient exercise regime can lead to physical ailments and disease. Most commonly, one with such a lifestyle might expect to experience at some point one or more of the following: hypertension, heart disease, insulin resistance, which leads to Type II Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, joint-pain, joint-injuries (especially with the vertebrae and knees) and respiratory illness. (Bray, Ryan) Beyond a desire to avoid these outcomes, one might also consider that health insurance premiums are costlier for those overweight. Additionally, it is a cause for great alarm that trends of excess weight and absent physical activity are growing within the population of youth in America. (CDC) Apparently, the future is equally or more disquieting than the present with regard to these concerns of personal and public health.
Choice:
Considering these facts, individuals and society as a whole have a choice to make. Would one and all care to be destructively unhealthy and diseased, or is a lifestyle of well-being more attractive? Ignorance must be replaced with knowledge and application. Disregard for health should be seen as self-destructive behavior. The presence of apathy can ultimately detriment the outcome of ones’ health most acutely. If an individual seeks to enjoy a lifestyle of well-being and not an existence rife with disease and suffering, then the only option is to assert a will focused on overall health.
Sources Cited:
Bray, George and Ryan, Donna “Overweight and the Metabolic Syndrome: From Bench to Bedside”, Print, Springer US, 28 December 2009
Smith, Jim and Hong-Shum, Lily “Food Additives Databook” Print, Blackwell Publishing, 2003
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Web, 20 June 2010
http://www.cdc.gov/DataStatistics/
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Web, 20 June 2010
http://www.fda.gov
Wilson, Bee “Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee” Print, Princeton University Press, 2008
The role of our government:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as an agency of the Department of Human Health and Services, is an enterprise of the federal government of the United States of America. Its role to provide for the American people is well defined by one mission statement; “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, protecting and promoting your health”. (FDA) The FDA seeks to regulate, supervise, and enforce laws for many major industries that directly affect the health of U.S. citizens. However, in this article the focus will be on the FDA’s involvement in food safety. This agency fails when dangerous or misleading products, at any level, enter the market for consumption.
The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is another agency of the Department of Human Health and Services. The CDC primarily functions as the U.S. Federal Government’s chief informant for the public with material pertaining to disease control and prevention. This public forum for information can be used to well educate oneself about such issues. (CDC)
The food industry:
The food industry refers to the global complex of a diverse set of businesses that serve to provide consumers throughout the world with food products. It is important to note that publicly traded businesses, which make up the great majority (in sales) of the food industry, are obligated to make profit for their shareholders. While it should go without saying that companies desire to create a quality product, it is not their obligation to be concerned with the health of their consumers. In the U.S., FDA regulation is the food industries only limit with regard to matters of health concerns and product safety. The food industry has a dubious history of poor product safety. Food industry outbreaks of Mad Cow Disease, multiple bacterial contaminations, often salmonella and e-coli, and a multitude of other types of contamination maintain a history of illness and death for countless consumers. In addition, food additives, be they natural or artificial, have also played a role in the degradation of consumers. The FDA has done well in outlawing many unsafe food additives such as ethylene glycol, green 1, green 2, red 1, red 2, red 4, and red 32. However, there are many food additives with scientific research suggesting or with absolute results finding them to be dangerous to the health of the consumer. Many of these additives remain abundant throughout the market, and exist in some common products. Because of the intricate nature of bureaucratic regulation from the government, it often develops long after public health damage has already occurred. For this reason, as wells as others to be mentioned, it is prudent that individuals educate themselves about food additives that exist in the market and often in the products purchased, as well as about the safety of food consumed. (Wilson)
Common additives to observe:
Below is a list of common food additives, some artificial and some natural in derivation. This list does not encapsulate the entire scope of concern for consumers, but is rather meant to suffice as an example. While the proceeding are common additives, there are many more less common additives well recognized and analyzed by the CDC for public knowledge.
Acesulfame-K is an artificial sweetener often used in processed baked goods, chewing gum, soft drinks, and low-calorie desserts. While acesulfame-K has only one clinical study on record, it featured increases in cancerous cell growth within laboratory animals. More studies are being proposed for this additive to bring finality to the question of its safety. In addition, acesulfame-K breaks down into acetoacetamide, which has been found to adversely affect the thyroid gland and endocrine system of rats, dogs, and cats. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
Aspartame, another artificial sweetener, is found in chewing gum, soft drinks, low-calorie foods, and packaged sweeteners like Equal and NutraSweet brands. Since its introduction in the 1970s, it has been shown to cause brain tumors and increase the incidents of lymphoma and leukemia in laboratory animals. Also, 10% of clinical participants were found with acute sensitivity to aspartame, leaving some with headaches, dizziness, and more rarely, hallucinations. (Neurotoxicity)
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are implemented to stabilize and preserve fats in food products such as chewing gum, baked goods, vegetable oils, fried processed foods (potato chips, tortilla chips, etc.), and breakfast cereals. Studies found these additives to increase the risk of many forms of cancer in laboratory animals. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an increasingly popular sweetener and preservative. It increases shelf-life and production cost of common products such as soft-drinks, juices, yogurt, sweet sauces, candy, condiments (ketchup, BBQ sauce, etc.) and a myriad of others. HFCS has been linked with multiple factors of detriment for the consumer. It is most commonly associated with appetite suppression inhabitation leading to insatiable appetite and excessive weight gain, which leads to weight related problems such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. In addition, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade policy conducted a study that found over 50% of product samples containing HFCS contained Mercury, a well known neurotoxin. (Institute for Agriculture) For the human liver, fructose is more difficult to process than sucrose (common sugar). For this reason, animal testing has shown extensive liver damage and failure associated with HFCS. Furthermore, high fructose corn syrup is as unhealthy as it is difficult to avoid in an average, American grocery market. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
Hydrogenated vegetable oil is a highly processed oil product used to increase the shelf-life of products like margarine, vegetable shortening, and many baked goods. This additive is high in trans-fats which increase ones chances of developing heart disease and diabetes. (Smith, Hong-Shum) The CDC suggests that a person consume as few trans fats as possible. (CDC)
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a common food additive implemented to enhance the flavor of packaged soup, potato chips, tortilla chips, baked goods, salad dressings, processed cheeses, processed meats, and many other food products. Flavor enchantment is achieved because MSG is what is known as an excitotoxin. Chemically, it serves to manipulate brain chemistry in a manner that stimulates neurons associated with pleasure. According to a study assessed by the U.S. congress, excitotoxins lead to neuron death, and with a small percentage of people, those most sensitive to the affects, strokes, brain seizures, and death. (Neurotoxicity)
Potassium bromate is an additive that is used in baked goods, especially bread, to increase the volume of product and to create a more even crumb structure. In the stomach, bromate usually breaks down into bromide, which has been proved to be harmless. However, any portion of the additive that does not break down in the stomach could be harmful. Bromate has been shown to cause cancer in animal studies. Potassium bromate has been banned in most countries, but the United States has yet to do so. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
Yellow 6 food dye is found abundantly. Products such as baked goods, candy, gelatin, and processed meats commonly use this dye. Yellow 6 has been linked to adrenal gland and kidney cancer and tumors. (Smith, Hong-Shum)
The FDA operates as the main regulator of food additives, but has been slow to address the concerns of public health official and alarming research. Unfortunately, this leaves the consumer with the burden of research and analysis so as to ensure health-conscious purchases. This burden might prove to be more complicated than it seems. For an example, two products may carry the same description but contain markedly different ingredients; one product may be very simple and a nutritionally sound purchase, while another might be an amalgamation including chemical preservatives, stabilizers, and less healthy ingredients. In such a scenario, it would be a sensible task for the consumer to discover which product is more beneficial by more carefully scrutinizing the ingredient list and nutritional facts table; both are articles evaluated for accuracy by the FDA. Furthermore, as indicated earlier, the businesses that label and market their food products are not duty-bound beyond the regulation of the government to be concerned with the health and well-being of their end consumers. Many labels and marketing schemes are thinly veiled with misleading and exaggerated claims to entice sales. It behooves all consumers to educate themselves about their food options and to make sound decisions to their benefit.
Lacking of fitness:
According to a survey conducted in the year 2008 by the CDC, 63 percent of adult Americans are either overweight or obese. (CDC) With nearly two-thirds of the United States population being above a healthy weight, our society has reached a point of crisis. On an individual basis, the majority of our populace practices unhealthy and potentially dangerous lifestyles of consumption. Unfortunately, diet cannot be the only factor because the previously cited statistic is compounded by another. In the year 2007, the CDC conducted a different survey of American adults that found only 49.2 percent participated regularly in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Moderate physical activity is required by the human body to maintain a favorable weight and cardiovascular health. (CDC)
It serves as common knowledge that excessive weight, a poor diet and a deficient exercise regime can lead to physical ailments and disease. Most commonly, one with such a lifestyle might expect to experience at some point one or more of the following: hypertension, heart disease, insulin resistance, which leads to Type II Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, joint-pain, joint-injuries (especially with the vertebrae and knees) and respiratory illness. (Bray, Ryan) Beyond a desire to avoid these outcomes, one might also consider that health insurance premiums are costlier for those overweight. Additionally, it is a cause for great alarm that trends of excess weight and absent physical activity are growing within the population of youth in America. (CDC) Apparently, the future is equally or more disquieting than the present with regard to these concerns of personal and public health.
Choice:
Considering these facts, individuals and society as a whole have a choice to make. Would one and all care to be destructively unhealthy and diseased, or is a lifestyle of well-being more attractive? Ignorance must be replaced with knowledge and application. Disregard for health should be seen as self-destructive behavior. The presence of apathy can ultimately detriment the outcome of ones’ health most acutely. If an individual seeks to enjoy a lifestyle of well-being and not an existence rife with disease and suffering, then the only option is to assert a will focused on overall health.
Sources Cited:
Bray, George and Ryan, Donna “Overweight and the Metabolic Syndrome: From Bench to Bedside”, Print, Springer US, 28 December 2009
Smith, Jim and Hong-Shum, Lily “Food Additives Databook” Print, Blackwell Publishing, 2003
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Web, 20 June 2010
http://www.cdc.gov/DataStatistics/
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Web, 20 June 2010
http://www.fda.gov
Wilson, Bee “Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee” Print, Princeton University Press, 2008
Monday, July 12, 2010
Searching for my final essay's topic...
Despite time constraints, I have yet to decide the subject matter for my final essay. Because of my interests and experience with indoor gardening, I am considering writing my paper about that. I could easily write a twenty page paper about the sharing your indoor space with vegetation. However, I feel like I want to research a particular topic that I have little background with.
Au revoir,
Michael
Au revoir,
Michael
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Pedaling a Human-Powered Approach to Urban Transportation
Cycling with transportation as its central purpose is known as utility cycling. This terminology does not include cycling that is most prominently intended for sport, recreation, or fitness. While existing with great popularity worldwide, utility cycling has less following in the United States. Throughout the world, in most richly dense urban populations, there exists a culture of cycling for transport. In a setting of energy uncertainty and a time of economic frugality, transportation is an area ripe for evaluation and adjusting in many urban dwellers’ lives. (Van Der Plas)
Variations, applications and comparisons of utility cycling:
Concerning hardware, there are some differences between a bicycle used for recreation and a utility cycle. Most commonly, the distinctions for a utility cycle are the occurrence of fenders or splash guards, baskets, racks and other cargo carriers, bells or horns, mirrors, and multiple lighting or reflecting equipment. The functional advantage of this hardware is to make a cyclist’s presence more aware on a roadway and to provide elements of comfort and safety during all operating conditions. (Van Der Plas)
There is great diversity of application with regard to utility cycling. In some instances, cycles turn heads with large parasols and awning features. For vendors, a utility cycle might tow a large cooler for beverages and other perishables. Some nations accept or even embrace the use of human powered chauffeur service; this is most often carried out by a rickshaw tricycle. This rickshaw is usually constructed with a stalwart rear-axle, situated under a seat for two, often with an awning facing away from the direction of travel and the chauffeur at the handles. Even with all of these variations considered as well as many unmentioned, their use is quite a negligible percentage of the full scale of utility cycling overall. (Van Der Plas)
Ultimately, the greatest application in utility cycling is the transportation of a single passenger, under his or her own power. (Rosen) While this varies in some parts of the world, some countries, especially those densely populated, thoroughly embrace transportation cycling. As good examples of this, the Netherlands estimates that approximately 27% of all urban travel is done on bicycle (Fietsberaad); in the nation of Japan, approximately 17% of all commuting is accomplished by cycling. (Hirotaka)
For parents that choose cycling as their mode of transportation, certain amenities are popular. Carriage trailers allow a child to sit comfortably, in a basket mounted onto a single axle. These carriages are often covered and can keep the occupant shaded from potentially unwanted climactic elements and free from the hassle of insects and debris. There are also child-restraint seats that can either be mounted above the rear wheel of a bicycle, behind the rider, or in front of the rider, above the front wheel. For parents of older children, there are trailers that allow the child to sit and pedal independently from the adult but lack a steering mechanism so that the adult can control the cycle without interference. (Wray)
In major metropolitan centers with exceptional business districts such as Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, and New York City, there exists a profession known as cycle couriering. This occupation involves delivering messages and other physical documentation via bicycle, where urban automobile traffic would negate the common speed and time-efficiency associated motorized transport. Bike messengers, as they are also known, work as private contractors, or with businesses known as courier companies. In addition to bike messengers, in these same urban centers many restaurants that offer delivery services depend on cyclists to transport their products. (Rosen)
Urban cyclist infrastructure and the socioeconomic value:
Unfortunately for cycle advocates, nations like ours and others that embrace motorways and their automotive industry with great fervor and national pride often lack the infrastructure to facilitate utility cyclists on a large scale. On the other hand, as previously mentioned, governments like those of the nations of Japan and the Netherlands have been sensitive to the value of utility cycling. By establishing policy and creating public projects for new cycling infrastructure, governments have been able to provide a higher standard of living for their citizens. (Wray)
On the socioeconomic scale, utility cycling has shown to provide urban centers with many advantages. The relief that comes with less automobile traffic is a very attractive reason to promote cycling. In addition to less congested roadways, a sizable increase in the number of cyclists in an urban center would alleviate smog and subsequent acid rain. These pollutions are due to automotive combustion exhaust that becomes concentrated in and around urban centers with heavy automobile use and industry. As well as obvious comfort and health reward, there is another facet of public health advantage. All governments pay to some degree, either directly or indirectly, for the healthcare of their citizens. Especially in nations that offer a public healthcare plan, efforts to encourage light physical activity, even if through transportation, are alluring. With a large addition of cyclists, the public health impact tends to be noticeable. Cases of respiratory complications and illness associated with lack of exercise are less prevalent where a culture of cycling exists. (Rosen)
Just as there exists infrastructure for automobiles, such as roadways, parking structures, bridges, and traffic managing mechanisms like street signs, there occur mechanisms that allow for the organization and benefit of utility cyclists. Bicycle racks, parking posts, cycling lanes, cycle-crossing signage and traffic lights are all examples of infrastructure that can be implemented to encourage new cyclists and to benefit the existing culture. An investment in cycling infrastructure also has its material advantages for a community. Less space allocated for motorized vehicle parking reduces the amount of paved surfaces needed; the advantages are tremendous. Having less pavement throughout an urban center increases the possibility for property-tax revenue for the city government by allowing for more valuable use of city property. In addition, the removal of paved surfaces can reduce the absorption of solar-radiation which could serve to alleviate the excessive heat problems cities face due in part to the massive amounts of blacktop and concrete. A less obvious but nevertheless impressive possible advantage of removing pavement reserved for automobile parking is an increase in urban air quality. This can be achieved by increasing the amount of vegetation within a city. Plant life inhales some of the gases and particles that are detrimental to our inhalation. While acting as urban air-filters, vegetation also increases oxygen levels. (Rosen)
The future of utility cycling:
As urban centers continue to expand and populate, issues such as traffic, energy, and pollution will continue to be a chief concern. (“Linking Population”) As the price and availability of oil products, like gasoline, grows uncertain and alarming, utility cycling will and must claim a certain portion of the remedy. The comforts of automobile transportation are appealing, and the auto-culture is very strong in most industrialized nations. Fortunately, many small communities and national governments are leading the way in progressing toward a solution to our future transportation concerns. Utility cycling has its place in the overall solution. (Wray)
Works Cited:
Fietsberaad, Dutch Ministry of Transportation “Cycling in the Netherlands”, Print/PDF, Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat 2009
Hirotaka Koike, Akinori Morimoto, Kaoru Itoh, “A Study on Measures to Promote Bicycle Usage in Japan”, Department of Civil Engineering, Utsunomiya University Velomondial Conference Proceedings, Amsterdam 2000
“Linking population, poverty, and development” Web, 02 June 2010 http://www.unfpa.org/pds/urbanization.htm
Rosen, Paul "Cycling and Society (Transportation and Society)" Print, Ashgate 30 September 2007
Van Der Plas, Robert “The Bicycle Commuting Book: Using the Bike for Utility and Transportation” Print, Motorbooks International, September 1989
Wray, J.Harry “Pedal Power: The Quiet Rise of the Bicycle in American Public Life” Print, Paradigm Publishers 31 January 2008
Variations, applications and comparisons of utility cycling:
Concerning hardware, there are some differences between a bicycle used for recreation and a utility cycle. Most commonly, the distinctions for a utility cycle are the occurrence of fenders or splash guards, baskets, racks and other cargo carriers, bells or horns, mirrors, and multiple lighting or reflecting equipment. The functional advantage of this hardware is to make a cyclist’s presence more aware on a roadway and to provide elements of comfort and safety during all operating conditions. (Van Der Plas)
There is great diversity of application with regard to utility cycling. In some instances, cycles turn heads with large parasols and awning features. For vendors, a utility cycle might tow a large cooler for beverages and other perishables. Some nations accept or even embrace the use of human powered chauffeur service; this is most often carried out by a rickshaw tricycle. This rickshaw is usually constructed with a stalwart rear-axle, situated under a seat for two, often with an awning facing away from the direction of travel and the chauffeur at the handles. Even with all of these variations considered as well as many unmentioned, their use is quite a negligible percentage of the full scale of utility cycling overall. (Van Der Plas)
Ultimately, the greatest application in utility cycling is the transportation of a single passenger, under his or her own power. (Rosen) While this varies in some parts of the world, some countries, especially those densely populated, thoroughly embrace transportation cycling. As good examples of this, the Netherlands estimates that approximately 27% of all urban travel is done on bicycle (Fietsberaad); in the nation of Japan, approximately 17% of all commuting is accomplished by cycling. (Hirotaka)
For parents that choose cycling as their mode of transportation, certain amenities are popular. Carriage trailers allow a child to sit comfortably, in a basket mounted onto a single axle. These carriages are often covered and can keep the occupant shaded from potentially unwanted climactic elements and free from the hassle of insects and debris. There are also child-restraint seats that can either be mounted above the rear wheel of a bicycle, behind the rider, or in front of the rider, above the front wheel. For parents of older children, there are trailers that allow the child to sit and pedal independently from the adult but lack a steering mechanism so that the adult can control the cycle without interference. (Wray)
In major metropolitan centers with exceptional business districts such as Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, and New York City, there exists a profession known as cycle couriering. This occupation involves delivering messages and other physical documentation via bicycle, where urban automobile traffic would negate the common speed and time-efficiency associated motorized transport. Bike messengers, as they are also known, work as private contractors, or with businesses known as courier companies. In addition to bike messengers, in these same urban centers many restaurants that offer delivery services depend on cyclists to transport their products. (Rosen)
Urban cyclist infrastructure and the socioeconomic value:
Unfortunately for cycle advocates, nations like ours and others that embrace motorways and their automotive industry with great fervor and national pride often lack the infrastructure to facilitate utility cyclists on a large scale. On the other hand, as previously mentioned, governments like those of the nations of Japan and the Netherlands have been sensitive to the value of utility cycling. By establishing policy and creating public projects for new cycling infrastructure, governments have been able to provide a higher standard of living for their citizens. (Wray)
On the socioeconomic scale, utility cycling has shown to provide urban centers with many advantages. The relief that comes with less automobile traffic is a very attractive reason to promote cycling. In addition to less congested roadways, a sizable increase in the number of cyclists in an urban center would alleviate smog and subsequent acid rain. These pollutions are due to automotive combustion exhaust that becomes concentrated in and around urban centers with heavy automobile use and industry. As well as obvious comfort and health reward, there is another facet of public health advantage. All governments pay to some degree, either directly or indirectly, for the healthcare of their citizens. Especially in nations that offer a public healthcare plan, efforts to encourage light physical activity, even if through transportation, are alluring. With a large addition of cyclists, the public health impact tends to be noticeable. Cases of respiratory complications and illness associated with lack of exercise are less prevalent where a culture of cycling exists. (Rosen)
Just as there exists infrastructure for automobiles, such as roadways, parking structures, bridges, and traffic managing mechanisms like street signs, there occur mechanisms that allow for the organization and benefit of utility cyclists. Bicycle racks, parking posts, cycling lanes, cycle-crossing signage and traffic lights are all examples of infrastructure that can be implemented to encourage new cyclists and to benefit the existing culture. An investment in cycling infrastructure also has its material advantages for a community. Less space allocated for motorized vehicle parking reduces the amount of paved surfaces needed; the advantages are tremendous. Having less pavement throughout an urban center increases the possibility for property-tax revenue for the city government by allowing for more valuable use of city property. In addition, the removal of paved surfaces can reduce the absorption of solar-radiation which could serve to alleviate the excessive heat problems cities face due in part to the massive amounts of blacktop and concrete. A less obvious but nevertheless impressive possible advantage of removing pavement reserved for automobile parking is an increase in urban air quality. This can be achieved by increasing the amount of vegetation within a city. Plant life inhales some of the gases and particles that are detrimental to our inhalation. While acting as urban air-filters, vegetation also increases oxygen levels. (Rosen)
The future of utility cycling:
As urban centers continue to expand and populate, issues such as traffic, energy, and pollution will continue to be a chief concern. (“Linking Population”) As the price and availability of oil products, like gasoline, grows uncertain and alarming, utility cycling will and must claim a certain portion of the remedy. The comforts of automobile transportation are appealing, and the auto-culture is very strong in most industrialized nations. Fortunately, many small communities and national governments are leading the way in progressing toward a solution to our future transportation concerns. Utility cycling has its place in the overall solution. (Wray)
Works Cited:
Fietsberaad, Dutch Ministry of Transportation “Cycling in the Netherlands”, Print/PDF, Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat 2009
Hirotaka Koike, Akinori Morimoto, Kaoru Itoh, “A Study on Measures to Promote Bicycle Usage in Japan”, Department of Civil Engineering, Utsunomiya University Velomondial Conference Proceedings, Amsterdam 2000
“Linking population, poverty, and development” Web, 02 June 2010 http://www.unfpa.org/pds/urbanization.htm
Rosen, Paul "Cycling and Society (Transportation and Society)" Print, Ashgate 30 September 2007
Van Der Plas, Robert “The Bicycle Commuting Book: Using the Bike for Utility and Transportation” Print, Motorbooks International, September 1989
Wray, J.Harry “Pedal Power: The Quiet Rise of the Bicycle in American Public Life” Print, Paradigm Publishers 31 January 2008
Monday, June 28, 2010
Rocky Mountain High...
I just returned from vacation. I spent a week at the Grant Teton National Park and Yellowstone with my two best friends. While there I climbed mountains, rock faces, boulder slides, saw so much wildlife, and enjoyed beautiful scenery. In addition, I reveled in the clean, thin mountain air. It was by far the best vacation I have ever had. I feel rejuvenated and fortunate.
When I arrived home this morning, at and hour past midnight, into metro-Detroit, I immediately felt the difference in air quality and humidity as the doors let in a deluge of thick, stinky and petro-chemical laden tropospheric cocktail, not fit for respiration. It looks like reality has hit home, but I have some great memories. I can still appreciate Michigan's hiking opportunities.
Au revoir,
Michael
When I arrived home this morning, at and hour past midnight, into metro-Detroit, I immediately felt the difference in air quality and humidity as the doors let in a deluge of thick, stinky and petro-chemical laden tropospheric cocktail, not fit for respiration. It looks like reality has hit home, but I have some great memories. I can still appreciate Michigan's hiking opportunities.
Au revoir,
Michael
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
New Leadership in Lansing
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_governor_elections/michigan/election_2010_michigan_governor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_gubernatorial_election,_2010
http://mpc.detroitchamber.com/eDetroiter/Friday/Granholm
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/filing_deadline_spurs_new_atta.html
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/podcast_new_round_of_mudslingi.html
http://blog.mlive.com/capitolchronicles/2010/06/gov_candidates_clueless_about.html
http://lonelyconservative.com/2010/05/michigan-governor-jennifer-granholm-promotes-van-jones/
I just posted too many links; I know. What is to come for our state? There are three major candidates, but no one seems poised to take control of the race for governor. I am concerned about the future of Michigan. Soon to be ex-governor Granholm insists that her administration took great steps to ensure future prosperity in our state. However, our economy remains at the bottom of the American barrel, and employment rates have yet to rise.
Who might you vote for and why? I feel so lost as to whom I can place my trust in.
~Michael
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_gubernatorial_election,_2010
http://mpc.detroitchamber.com/eDetroiter/Friday/Granholm
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/filing_deadline_spurs_new_atta.html
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/podcast_new_round_of_mudslingi.html
http://blog.mlive.com/capitolchronicles/2010/06/gov_candidates_clueless_about.html
http://lonelyconservative.com/2010/05/michigan-governor-jennifer-granholm-promotes-van-jones/
I just posted too many links; I know. What is to come for our state? There are three major candidates, but no one seems poised to take control of the race for governor. I am concerned about the future of Michigan. Soon to be ex-governor Granholm insists that her administration took great steps to ensure future prosperity in our state. However, our economy remains at the bottom of the American barrel, and employment rates have yet to rise.
Who might you vote for and why? I feel so lost as to whom I can place my trust in.
~Michael
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Black tea steeping in the Gulf of Mexico
I think that this spill is just a symptom of a greater problem. Sure, this is the most dramatic symptom that American citizens are aware of because it is an immediate detriment on our livelihood. However, our need for fossil fuels, oil in particular, makes our economy fragile and has obvious environmental and less obvious human impacts. We are involved in one war that is arguably in attempt to secure a region of the world where we could consume its oil resources. This war costs thousands of lives annually, and hundreds of billions of dollars. The amount of sulfates that enter the air due to gasoline combustion are very harmful to urban centers, and all inhabitants downwind of these concentrated communities of exhaust emitters. This causes respiratory disease and acid rain. The threat of anthropomorphic climate-change is yet another example of a symptom to the worlds biggest problem. Our societies depend on fossil fuel consumption. Is this appropriate? Are there alternatives?
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