🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <326d2161.135132@news.sk.sympatico.ca>,
Basileia <publish@basileia.com> wrote:
>Have you ever wondered why America is overweight, or why the diet
>industry is so huge? 


  Since you posted this to flora.general, you likely want comment from 
the community-minded individuals in Ottawa that make use of the resources 
at FLORA.ORG.   Otherwise I would think your SPAM-like advertisement was 
inappropriately posted.

  Why is North America overweight? (You must mean to include Canada or 
you would not have posted to a newsgroup only of interest to people in 
Canada).  It is my opinion and the opinion of other people involved in 
some of the groups at FLORA that this is because of our 
technology-strong/community-weak society had made this the case.   We get 
into our automobiles in order to drive to the corner store to get our 
food - we sit in front of television sets - trying to get past the stress 
of the day by turning our minds off.


  The solution is not simply to lower the intake or to get 
artificial-exercise by paying money to a gym.   The solution is to change 
your lifestyles so that you don't need this.

  I myself do not own an automobile.  I walk to and from work as well as 
to and from other places of interest in my life.   When the exception of 
somewhere too far to walk comes up, I ride my bicycle or take public 
transportation.   This helps my health in a number of ways:

  a) Because I am walking, I am keeping my legs and heart more healthy.

  b) Since I need considerably less money to live than the automobile 
owner (Remember:  Even the gym you are a member of is an expense of your 
automobile.), I can work shorter days and live a much less stressed 
lifestyle.  Currently I am a consultant: I choose my own hours, turn down 
contracts I don't feel like doing (For political, personal, or any other 
reason I feel like).  Essentially I am not force to live by someone elses 
rules in order to make that 'almighty dollar'.

  I enjoy some of the daily freedoms that the automobile-driver just reads 
about - and some even believe that that automobile gives them.

  c) Since I do not travel at the higher and more dangerous speeds of the 
automobile every day, I am statistically less likely to die in 
transportation related accidents  (It is still likely:  The most likely 
remaining transportation related incident for myself is being hit by a bad 
automobile driver).


  I could go on, but won't at the moment.   If you are interested in 
learning more about sustainable lifestyles - rather than reading about 
yet another product for sale - then wonder over to http://www.flora.org/


  Areas of specific interest:

  http://www.flora.org/afo/  - Auto-Free Ottawa, which makes use of 
education and advocacy to try to help build more sustainable cities.

  http://www.flora.org/alt-transp/  - Alternative Transportation (To 
our over-consuming private-transportation lifestyles).

  http://www.flora.org/cfsc/  - Citizens for Safe Cycling

...
-- 
 Russell McOrmond, Technical Consultant: <http://www.flora.org/russell/work/>
 Internet consulting, Virtual domains (Email, Web, Mailing lists, etc)
 Community Volunteer with FLORA Community WEB: <http://www.flora.org/>