The Grazing Mind

(via flickr)

Last week’s post about transit systems and the Copenhagen conference got me thinking. Building an effective subway or urban train system would be really, really hard. Just imagine the scope of work involved with planning, staffing, funding, etc. Not to mention it’s going to take YEARS to even get started, and possibly DECADES to finish. And when you are finished… who’s to say that the new system will function properly and encourage people to use it?

Recent history shows us American cities that have gone the distance with such projects, have somewhat low ridership. Especially when compared to other countries.

So how would you do it?

The basics:

- It has to be accessible…

- It has to be affordable (for the riders, and the municipality funding it)…

- It has to be convenient - is it near where I live, where I shop, can I make it to work on time, can I get home on time…

- And maybe, just maybe, it should also be aesthetically pleasing…

(via flickr)

NYC’s subway may be the best example of how mass transit is done right. Chicago’s L and DC’s Metro Rail fit in there as well. But as good as they are on a functional level, aesthetically, there’s not much going on. And that’s ok; the people catching those trains aren’t used to anything else. But as you start to move into the suburban sprawls of the West where people are more familiar with MetroCars than they are MetroCards, aesthetic considerations might make a lot of sense. At least from an “encouraging to ride” perspective.

Have a look at some of  the “aesthetic steps” others are taking with transit… pretty impressive (emphasis on pretty).

Waves

Windows

WhiteWave Bat Signal?

Buzz from the COP15 climate change conference is everywhere this week, including right here in our own backyard. In fact Denver Mayor, John Hickenlooper, was asked to participate in a panel discussion at the conference focusing on the role of public transportation in reducing carbon emissions.

I know, I was a little surprised to hear that too. Nothing against the Mayor’s office, it’s just that when you think of superior urban mass transit systems, Denver doesn’t necessarily ”make the train”. Ours isn’t the only American city that shares this perception. But that doesn’t mean these cities can’t do something about it.

Bad puns aside, Denver has actually come a long way with its transit system. Just 14 years ago there was basically nothing, where as today the Denver Light Rail for example, is pretty robust. And new plans to expand will offer up an additional 122 miles of track and nearly 60 new stations. It’s cool to see something like that, which is so close to home, in the mix at the Copenhagen conference.

Speaking from a WhiteWave perspective, the more they beef up the current light rail and bus systems around here, the more jazzed we’ll all be thanks to the Eco Pass we receive upon being hired. A huge incentive because a good portion of our headquarter employees don’t live within biking or walking distance to the office. And regardless of your personal views on global warming, I don’t hear anyone disagreeing with the idea of Gas Savings = Cash Savings.

I also don’t hear anyone disagreeing with the idea of giving public transportation outlets a little flavor…

I know Google’s Café 150 is pretty amazing, but I’m going to go on record here and say that ours has to be in the running for second best corporate eatery in the world (only second because Google peeps eat for free).

Welcome to the Wave Café, one perk (probably the best one) of working at the WhiteWave Foods headquarter office in Broomfield, Colo. We’ll highlight the Café quite a bit on The Grazing Mind, but here’s your first view into the reason nobody orders out come meal time.

We’re in the food business, so what we eat is key to how we approach our work. And thanks to Bon Appétit who manages the cafe, we get a daily reminder of the importance of not only eating healthy, but eating sustainably. This article which recently ran in the Denver Post can give you a little more detail into Chef Scott and team’s dedication to their craft. And like I said, stay tuned for more from the Wave Café…

Safe from threat of veering Subaru

At age 14 William Kamkwamba of Malawai, Africa, went to the library and learned how to make his own electricity. “A simple farmer in a country of poor farmers,” Kamkwamba recently shared his story of facing adversity and the brave decision to not accept the looming dread of an impoverished future at the TED Conference.

Using resources from the library, and materials from a scrap yard William was able to build a windmill and create enough electricty to power lights and radios for his home. This didn’t change the world, but it did change his world. And in doing so, he helped change the world of others around him as well: “Queues of people, start lining up at my house to charge their mobile phones…”

Obviously cell phones don’t necessarily create or sustain life but in looking at the bigger picture, you can imagine the evolution of the situation.

• William builds windmill, powers his home. Later builds additonal windmill to power irrigation system and pump clean water…
• William’s neighbors cruise by, plug phones in to charge, ponder the possibility of maybe asking William to help them build their own windmills….
• William and his neighbors build a slew of windmills, power the whole village…
• Village famine ends. Farmers are able to feed their families, and sell extra crops for profits…
• William becomes very popular; opens a taco bar, ladies night and free margaritas on Thursdays…

You get the idea.

William’s story is just one of the many amazing videos featured on the TED website. Good place to start if you need some inspiration…