Fixing the Future
In a one-hour PBS special, Host David Brancaccio visits communities across America using innovative approaches to create jobs and build prosperity in our new economy. I couldn’t find it on our local TV schedule (not that it matters since I don’t have a TV), but the whole episode is now available online (conveniently embedded below). Don’t miss a quick shot of our buddy John Brooking at (0:46)!
Watch the full episode. See more NOW on PBS.
From David Brancaccio’s travelogue
I join John Brooking, a bearded computer expert, on his six -mile commute home. We’re on bike, me on my nice touring bike, John on a very robust, beach-cruiser type bike. Brooking does this during all four of the seasons. Let me remind you, this is Portland, Maine a place where snow covers the ground from December to April. Yet Brooking commutes on his bike 12 months out of the year. Maybe if there’s a blizzard, Brooking will work from home, but other than that, wide tires and prudent stopping distances keep him on the bike to and from work, most days.
Go John!
Yes, yes… the riding in snowy Winter movement marches forward. Things are panning out just as I planned… Mwah hah hah!
Yes, it never snows in Canada – which has three times the cycling mode share of the USA.
Here is a video of an entire city cycling in the snow. Note the baby behind the cycle windscreen at seconds 40-43.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMv3OB6XHvQ&feature=player_embedded
I read about something like the time bank before. I love the idea and find it absolutely fascinating!
Thanks for the shout-out, Keri! I haven’t been on this site in a while and only saw this today!
I think it was a very good production, despite my only being included in it for a few seconds! (After 45 minutes of riding with a camera crew behind us, filming and recording our conversation.) But green transportation was not the primary emphasis of the film, so I understand the decision. The ideas he did focus on were great, and it does make me want to check out that time bank now!
For the record: I was not riding a “beach-cruiser type bike”, I was riding a hybrid, my bad weather bike, because it looked like it might rain that day. Also, I actually use pretty narrow tires, narrower than usual on a hybrid, because it cuts down through slush better. Not that anyone but us knows or cares about these details, obviously… 🙂