Bike, Walk, and Wheel Week

In an effort to prepare for full participation in Bike, Walk, and Wheel Week, and an ongoing commitment to reduce my carbon footprint, improve my health, save gas money, and be a role model for my son, I rode my bike to work today. Hayden asked why I was doing that as I rolled out of the driveway and I hollered over my shoulder, "To save the planet!" I love that he still thinks I'm a hero. :) As I was riding in, I thought about all the things CMCA is doing to model "green living." First, we have an informal, internal agreement that anything we build from this point forward will include elements of energy conservation and "green" strategies. From the transitional housing unit we are designing in Columbia to single family homes in Vandalia and everything in between, we're considering the materials we use, the facing of the facility, the "tightness" of the housing stock, and the carbon footprint. Our weatherization program itself is designed to create energy efficiency in an effort to decrease utility bills and increase the housing quality for the families we serve. When an eligible families applies, we do an energy audit to determine where repairs and renovation would have the most impact and then seal the home up based on those recommendations by replacing and caulking windows, fixing holes and leaks, adding insulation to floors, walls, and attics, etc. Savings generated from these efforts are nearly $350 per home (around 30% of their utility costs!) and return about $1.40 for every dollar we spend. We also partner with various volunteer groups to wrap water heaters and take minor steps to reduce energy use in senior housing and have an air conditioner replacement program with the City of Columbia to replace worn out, inefficient window units with Energy Star units. Our energy department is getting in the act too. While the idea is to help pay utility bills for low-income clients, we know that high utility rates are disproportionately effecting the poor. The most effective way to help folks to be self reliant is to help them decrease their utility bill (unfortunately the State only provides enough Weatherization funding to serve less than 1% of eligible households). Ironically, they are also the least likely to afford expensive CFLs so we're helping to provide these energy efficient bulbs to our clients. Do your part by pledging to change your own lightbulbs as part of our campaign to Change a Light, Change the World. Lastly, we're looking at our own habits. By turning off lights in unused spaces in our offices, recycling everything possible, and promoting constant thought about where to reduce energy consumption, CMCA is joining the ranks of organizations that have already made this a priority.

So back to my original subject, Bike, Walk, and Wheel Week is next week. Please consider signing up and committing to schedule more activity in your life. Here's a comment from Ian Thomas, Executive Director of the PedNet Coalition,

"The seventh annual Bike, Walk, and Wheel Week (BWWW) starts on Saturday, and we're hoping to break last year's record of 3,450 participants. If you can build some walking or biking into your schedule during the week of May 3-10, please go ahead and sign up at www.pednet.org or www.getaboutcolumbia.com. The kick-off event this Saturday (May 3) features the dedication of the new Flat Branch Park pedestrian bridge at 1:00 pm followed by welcoming comments from Mayor Hindman and Richard & Patty King (this year's BWWW honorary chairs), the Celebrity Bike-Car Challenge, the "Float your Boat" children's activity, Ironweed Bluegrass, ArtCycle, and $1 off admission to the YouZeum with your BWWW t-shirt. Friday, May 9 is Breakfast Stations Day when you can pick up a free breakfast at any of eleven locations around town if you're biking, walking, or wheeling. And if, in these times of increasing gas prices, you're thinking about giving bike commuting a try, check out the various classes on safe cycling, commuter tips, and basic bike maintenance."