If you have ever been caught in a traffic jam on a hot summer day, you know firsthand about the stress and pollution created by dependence on the automobile. The situation will continue to deteriorate unless we each decide to do something about it. If you start using your body to take you places instead of your car, you will be rewarded many times over. Running, bicycling, walking, skateboarding and in-line skating do not pollute the air. They increase your own sense of power and also conserve valuable energy resources.

As responsible citizens of planet Earth, we can do much to encourage ecological and healthful alternatives to gas-guzzling and fume-spewing automobile use. We can support efforts to increase public transportation and car pools, especially in our cities. In many places, bicycling paths are being designated for both urban and rural use. As a taxpayer and a voter you can promote these actions. This may entail both higher taxes and lifestyle changes - but so will letting things progress the way they are going now.

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