NEWS: The Positive Side of Higher Oil Prices.

CULTURE: The Positive Side of Higher Oil Prices

I know I am not alone as I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I see the price of gas. I start to question if a trip out of town is going to be more than I can afford in a given month, or how long it will be before the question will be, "Do I get groceries or buy gas this week?"

But there is a bright side. This may be the chance we need to fix some of the major problems in America.

Obesity:
The percentages of obese adults and children in the U.S. is at a frightening level, and has been increasing over the last few years at an alarming rate. However, in certain circumstances, changing to walking or biking to work on a daily or nearly daily basis can significantly increase a person's overall health. A simple 30 minute moderate walk, five times a week, can help a person lose weight, improve their heart and lungs, and stop diabetes and heart disease before they start. Just by walking. No fancy clothes or gym memberships. And it's a good excuse to use that armband you bought for your iPod.

I realize this only works for some people. I live about one half mile from my place of business, but think of the other places you could walk instead of driving. Get a sturdy backpack and walk to the grocery store. Choose restaurants and movie theaters within walking distance.

And, this might just be a personal benefit, but I've found myself much better prepared for my day at work if I start with a nice half mile walk to work, and I'm not nearly so stressed at the end of the day after the same walk home. Which brings up my next point . . .

Stress:
The drive to and from work, traffic jams, and road rage simply can't be good for a person's general health. If you've ever been stuck in a two hour jam, you know what I am talking about: blood pressure goes up, tempers flare, hair gets pulled out . . . not good.

If you can't walk to work, perhaps you can telecommute. Working from home, if done properly, can result in reduced stress, more efficient workers, a better home life, and a reduction in employee turnover. Think about it. No commute, no dealing with office gossip, no listening to your cubicle neighbor trim his toenails while he listens to Rush Limbaugh (or some other idiot) on his radio, and the opportunity to wear comfortable clothes!

But there are rules to the game for telecommuting to work well enough to make it worthwhile, like keeping to specific work hours and maintaining a home-office that the kids know is off-limits in all cases except for emergencies, they are easily offset.

Again, this only works in certain areas. There really isn't any way to mine for coal, drive a truck, study diseases vs. medications, solve crimes, sell groceries, or many other jobs from a laptop. But, if those who can work from home do so, roads become less clogged, gas usage goes down, the air becomes cleaner, stress and disease go down, and people who spend their days gradually overfilling their office chair will be able to come back to life.

Coyotemike is not a doctor, but was known to play one as a child.

Let's not forget the drop in demand for gas guzzling SUVs and large trucks and a shift toward more fuel efficient vehicles, which also means less garbage pumped into the air over the long run. (And maybe less debt, since the bigger vehicles are usually more expensive.)

I walk two blocks to work...and I'm in pretty decent shape. I very frequently walk or ride my bike around town to do my errands. I'd like my $1.75 a gallon back please.

That would be nice, but it isn't going to happen for quite a while, if ever.

I would rather ride my bicycle to work than work from home too often. I fail at the whole "work from home" concept I cannot limit hours (start earlier and finish later), have too many distractions, the dogs often provide commentary to conference calls, and the biggest work problems I have ever had all seem to have started when I worked from home.

I have seen more people on bikes. Saw a large woman riding her bike to McDonalds last week.

The roads are supposedly less traveled over in Orlando. The tolls are down. Bus ridership is up.

The roads seem busy in my town. And the mall has been pretty busy. It makes me think people are shopping here in town instead of heading down the interstate.

Another advantage. People are really thinking about alternatives to gas. Where is my hydrogen powered car? Where is my solar car?

I'm still wondering where the hell my flying car is.

I almost mentioned that. We can't drive them on the roads well. No flying cars for us.

Judging by some of the drivers here, I don't think they'd fly them too well either.

I'm getting a scooter and parking my 5.7 Liter Chrysler except when I need to drive the dog and/or fiancee somewhere. 80 mpg sounds like a damn good plan, IMO.

I need to pump up my rear tire and get some new brakes

you should fail everyone who drives their car to school, coyotemike.

The ones who don't live on campus all live about an average of 30 miles away in other towns. Somehow I don't think that would work.

Actually, this article really prompted a discussion with my Mom over the phone tonight about whether or not I should even get a car once I go the mandatory 6 months without seizures to get my license back. I mean, granted, I'm planning on moving about 1700 miles from here in February or so, but even still...with a bike, in Denver, where, if you bundle up, biking would only be hazardous in the rare occasion that the temps dropped down into the single digits. And even then, there's always the bus, or, with the money I'm sure to be saving, a cab if I just want to get home ASAP.

I've heard that Denver is pretty bike-friendly. In the summer, that is.

But their bus system is supposed to work quite well.

Their bus system is very, very good, from what a couple of the members on this site tell me. I lived there four years, but I literally walked to work all 4 years of those. I had it easy, and I don't think I'll get quite that lucky the second time around.

The summers are gorgeous, just the occasional monsoon-like rainfall that they're known for in late spring/early summer. That aside though, I've heard that Colorado, Denver included, actually has more than 250 sunny days a year. Very bike friendly in any case, but if that's true, then all the more so.

I've been saying for years gas needs to be at $5-7/gallon so we can finally see some progress. The more expensive the better.

I just look silly on a bike. I have one, but I look silly. I'm 6'3", 300+ lbs . . . everything looks tiny next to me

I just snorted my beer reading that.

Probably a true.
The other thing I don't get is smokers who ride bikes.

8 reasons you'll rejoice when we hit $8/gallon

Ridership on Amtrak is through the roof.

No.

While i firmly agree that there needs to be some type of change, until we come up with that change, i can't put my daughter and three of her friends on my motorcycle and take them to school.

Punishing me for carpooling is not the correct thing to do.

I have never been happier I finally got rid of my car than now. I pay $44 for a month long , 7 day unlimited use bus pass, and the public transportation system is pretty decent. I only kept the car to go help my mom and a few other things and was bussing to work anyway. I finally had it with my car when it developed electrical problems that turned into a potential money pit.

Anyway, I have a HUGE back pack for groceries which I use during Winter and one of those old granny grocery carts for now. I take the bus to the store and it really is not that inconvenient. I am also very fortunate to be located within two blocks of a Rite Aid, laundromat and a couple of convenience stores. so, even during a storm I can walk most places.