AlternativesMagazine

Imagine any big city anywhere in the world without traffic just for a day. Now, if that city were Paris, imagine further the photographic possibilities, not to mention the visual, auditory and olfactory potential. Imagine no more because on September 27th, that’s just what Paris is going to do: “Une Journée Sans Voiture” – A Day Without Car, for the first time in the city’s history. City Hall calls it “a crazy gamble, but achievable.” No motorized vehicle, with a few exceptions like ambulances, will be allowed to drive the streets.  As Mayor Anne Hidalgo  announced in March : “Paris will be completely transformed for a day. This is an opportunity for Parisians and tourists to enjoy the city without noise, pollution and therefore without stress.” Other cities including Montreal, Bogota, Mexico City, Ho Chi Minh City and Brussels have instituted Day Without Car programs, some of them permanently and some partially, closin...

We live in the world's wealthiest nation, yet we rank dead last in health care, we have the highest rate of cancer, heart disease, obesity and abuse more alcohol, prescription and illegal drugs.  Nearly 49 million Americans live in poverty and struggle to put food on the table, but yet we throw away 165 billion dollars worth of food every year! Non-participation is an option! We have choices!  Follow along Alternatives Magazine weekly webline stories. http://alternatives-magazine.com

Over the last couple weeks more stories about water disasters have been making headlines which makes us wonder if there isn't a conspiracy brewing someplace, or a sinister government agency making a midnight move -- (and sure enough there was).   We have the mindset that there will always be water and that it's somebody else's problem if there isn't. Boohoo California and your drought. Water is everywhere, just ask Nestle. It's bottled and piled to the ceiling in grocery stores, we turn on the tap and there it is, in some places you can actually set it on fire, but that's another story. Don't want to make the oil and gas guys nervous while partying with politicians prepping the Arctic for the next major oil spill disaster.   And what's up with this Algae Bloom? How can a name like Algae Bloom be bad? And Fukushima? Isn't that old news? And what does it have to do with our water here?   Below are a couple articles...

Many factors contribute to the booming bike culture in Detroit. Among them: a revived interest in the city. Living green and healthy is trending. Detroit’s sparsely-driven roadways make great ground for bikers.   “Biking has totally exploded,” said cycling advocate Tom Page. “I don’t think any of us could have imagined it. Every day there’s a riding event going on and at the same time we’re starting to get the infrastructure — bike lanes, parking racks — that support it.” READ

You can tell election time is coming up. You begin to itch and squirm and become a little testy and you can't quite figure out why. Then it hit's. You've been listening to all these knuckle dragging Presidential hopefuls spouting off telling us how much better off we're going to be if you vote for them.  When you really start to get a little cranky and look around for something to throw through your TV, click on the photo above and let George get you straight with his bit of wisdom - The American Dream .  You probably should play it everyday especially the closer we get to election day when the bullshit and lies really begin to fly.

“Multi-modal” and “interconnectivity” are now the words on every urban planner’s lips. In Munich, city dwellers of the future would no longer need cars.  Bikes and more efficient public transport would be the norm. The statistic they are most proudest of is that more than 15% of its residents commute to work by bike.  “It’s about creating an environment where it’s easier for people to cycle or take the bus. READ >>

Los Angeles has been the poster child for traffic insanity and air pollution for decades -- and it still is. However, lately they are saying, enough.   It's not exactly a war on cars, but an L.A. policy shift could be a big one, and it's been said that the way California goes, so goes the rest of the country. And many cities, big and small are looking at this, as they try to deal with their own 'drive everywhere' problems.   A 20-year Mobility Plan OK'd by the L.A. City Council emphasizes bike lanes, bus lanes and streets redesigned to slow down cars and raise survival odds for people on foot and bikes. They endorsed a sweeping policy that would rework some of the city’s mightiest boulevards, adding more lanes for buses and bikes and, in some places, leaving fewer for cars. The goal is to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians while also luring more people out of their cars. MORE >>