What, me walk?

Today is Blog Action Day so I’ll throw out an opinion or two. Recently I found out it would take 3.5 earths to support all 6 billion people if they all shared the same lifestyle as I. It really made me think about the way I live, especially after seeing poverty face to face in Nicaragua and realizing that things are way out of whack.

One thing we Americans can’t stand is other people (some more than others). We tolerate having to meet others to get work done, but when the work is done and after we fill our “face time” quota, we race several miles outside of town, drive into the garage, and close the door to the outside world. The Internet is breaking down these barriers, but over all, we live a relatively secluded life.

In some cultures, like in Central America, people live close together and it’s almost impossible to get away from others. People think you’re weird if you just want to sit and have some alone time. Everything anyone does is in groups. There is a very strong sense of community. Downtown markets are bustling with people and people congregate outside each others’ houses.

We’ve lost this sense of community in America. I barely know people who live just down the street from me. I only go to the store alone or with my wife and there is little or no social interaction with others. It’s quite a solitary existence.

I am getting to a point here. Our mobile lifestyle has drastically changed our communities. And this is all enabled by speedy, long-range transportation. There are thousands of dollars of materials that go into making my car that was shipped halfway around the world to me. I then pump it full of refined oil that was shipped from the other side of the world to me. I then greatly increase my chance of injury by flying down the road at 70mph to get to the store.

Wouldn’t it be much simpler if I just walked down the street to a market? We’ve completely ditched the idea of living in walkable communities because of the perceived convenience of driving. But I’m starting to doubt this convenience for a number of reasons:

1. Taking your car everywhere means you’re not getting exercise. Walking keeps you fit. That means more time with the doctor or on crazy, expensive diets.
2. A lifestyle of isolation fragments our society. This could have negative effects on our mental health.
3. We pay more to have a big, cushy car. We pay insurance and we pay more taxes to build roads.
4. We pay for gas. It’s not getting cheaper.
5. We put more risk on our lives.
6. We create more smog, causing breathing problems, more hospital visits.

So after I finish this post I’m going to drive to Horrock’s farm market to get some groceries. I wish I lived in a city where I could just walk to the market…