Yesterday, I reported on a heat wave that descended on San Francisco, which has lock-stepped locals and tourists alike in a happy upbeat mood this week, as they embark on their daily treks about the picturesque city-scape.
Post: 08/23/10
http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/08/san-franciscoheat-wave-delights.html
And, it appears from a news alert late yesterday afternoon, that sophisticated San Franciscans are going about their chores - and what have you (as the Big Lebowski might conjecture) - without their trusty autos to propel 'em 'em around the terrain.
When it came to the TV station's attention that Monday was a "spare the air" day, like myself, the news staff were anxious to determine if West Coast residents were paying any heed to the ominous carbon footprint that threatens to snuff out our quality of life.
Around the dinner hour, for example, the on-camera reporter took a jaunt out to the Bay Bridge to get a look-see at the traffic.
Instead of bumper-to-bumper rush-hour traffic, he encountered a light flow of vehicles moving along effortlessly and devoid of snarling delays on the freeway.
A check with Bart revealed the remarkable truth.
Employees in-the-know at the public transportation office confirmed that there was a surge in commuter numbers on the trains on Monday morning to the tune of thousands.
Uh-huh!
Unless a large segment of the community all suffered engine trouble, it is likely that day-workers were taking up the task of reducing the carbon footprint.
Today, it is also a "spare the air day".
In addition to parking the car, residents are being asked to conserve energy from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. by taking the stairs instead of an elevator, turning off appliances not in use, and being mindful of wasted energy resources around the home whenever possible.
Just imagine - if residents in cities across the country took a nod from the forward-thinking folks in the Bay area - how much "greener" the U.S. would be.
And, there would not be any need for Government intervention - or a nasty move on the part of local or National officials - to create controlled environments in the future where a misuse of energy may result in penalty.
Although the concept of habitating in a "glass bubble" is science fiction today, it may be a sobering reality tomorrow, perchance.
News at 11!
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