Living Lightly in Europe – Part II
The launch of the public bicycle in Paris last summer (the Velib, or free bike) got a lot of attention, but the city of Lyon has had a similar program in place for several years. I spent a day in Lyon watching and filming people of all ages whiz by on the “VeloV”. Perhaps not whiz by — these are not racing machines — but certainly spin by, in comfort, on a well-equipped city bike. Students, office workers, shoppers … they were picking up and dropping off bikes from the 340-plus parking stations situated around the city. The locations, and convenience, allow people to use the bikes whenever and wherever it is most convenient. No need for special cycling clothes either.
Venice
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Jump to Venice, where my daughter was thrilled by the lack of cars. Actually, we all were, but she spoke up first. After Rome, with its wild and plentiful traffic, Venice was a welcome oasis of calm. On the winding streets, on bridges over canals, and in the public squares, there are no motorized vehicles. People get by on foot, and goods are delivered by a parade of hand carts and wagons, mostly early in the morning, when crazy Canadians get up to go for their run. Boats deliver goods from the mainland, can order viagra online canada which are then transferred by hand and wagons. The best thing is the safety. You don’t take your life into your hands every time you want to cross a street! Plus the air is cleaner, and the noise almost non-existent, apart from the buzzing of the tourists.
Lausanne
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Onward to Lausanne, Switzerland, to visit an old friend. Jules has just had a house built for him. In Switzerland, this is typically a long and expensive endeavour. By opting for a “prefab” house, built in a factory in Germany and trucked to the site, Jules saved as much as 30% on the cost of construction. Better still, the entire building process took just three months — and a mere three days to erect the main building by crane. And this is no ordinary house, even if it looks like one. This is a “green” home, certified by the Swiss “Minergie” program for ultra-efficient homes. Jules tells me that the added cost of the Minergie label (better insulation) and solar panels was about 6% of the house. And this part of the investment will be payed back in 10 years. How can you beat that? When do we start seeing high-quality, affordable, convenient green homes finding their way onto the market in Canada and the United States?
