Monday, May 25, 2009

Day 86 – The Great White North

I was planting carrots today and thought about living in a northern climate where much of the food we eat must be shipped in from other parts of the world. These foods cost more and then there is the environmental impact causing me to question whether people living north of a certain latitude are actually bad for the environment.

With winters longer than 7-8 months, much energy is spent keeping things and people warm, infrastructure from decaying, and the shipping in of foods, fuels, and all manner of items necessary to survive(live well). Wouldn’t it be better, all political and socioeconomic conditions aside, for us to be living in a more hospitable place? Time may tell. 75% of Canadians live within 161 miles of the U.S. right now.

I also thought about the distances that we in North America must travel to get places. Neighborhood pubs are almost non-existent, we need to drive to the grocery store in most cases and friends live hours away. This has had an impact on our health as we venture further out to get what we want, we drive more, take public transit, etc. but walk, and bike less. My wife and I both agreed to walk to the corner store more for small items – It helps the little guy out in this economy and helps our health too.

Great superset workout today! I love the extra level of difficulty that these final exercises have. Jumping rope for over 10 minutes is not something I ever thought I’d do but I did it and I feel the benefits!

See you soon.

1 comment:

David said...

Michael,

I think walking to the corner store is a great idea. Support the little guy!

The nearest grocery store to me isn't too far away, but a fast-food restaurant is closer, and unfortunately, I often wind up there rather than at the grocery store. I would say a car is justified if it gets you to a grocery store over a fast-food joint.

I really just need to get off my butt and walk to the grocery store.