I’ve long-been a believer in economics being the best motivator for mass environmentalism. I bought CFL bulbs for my apartment a long time ago to reduce my energy consumption, but most people I know bought them because they tear up big electric bills.

I’ve only been biking here in L.A. for a few months, but over that short period, I have definitely noticed a very large increase in the amount of bikes I see on the road. The LAist recently posted a picture of the jam-packed bike rack outside my office (where, incidentally, it was stolen) — and there were definitely less than half those bikes when I first started locking up there.

Of course, all of these changes pale in comparison to George Calvarescu, who ditched his auto-based commute from the Valley to Long Beach for a river-based route. He says he does get pretty dirty by the end of his commute, but his company has a shower — and he’s lost 100 pounds since he started paddling to the office.

Can’t argue with that. And it’s nice to see someone using the L.A. River for something other than a garbage bin or action scene backdrop.

Not sure about the early parts of his route, though. I know I’d need a lot of head bandages after going under that first bridge:

via End Pavement

Photo by Shoreline

Tags: biking to work, Environmentalism, kayaking to work, l.a. river, l.a. traffic