Each year on August 19, we pay tribute to dedicated humanitarian workers who have been injured or lost their lives in the course of their work. We also honor all health and aid workers who continue to provide support and life-saving protection to people in need all around the world.
This year on World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations chose to focus on the global challenge for climate action. A phrase used to summarize this effort: “In the race against the climate crisis, we can’t leave anyone behind.”
#TheHumanRace
To stand in solidarity with the people around the world who are vulnerable to the climate emergency, the UN has created a campaign called #TheHumanRace.
To join #TheHumanRace, you can sign up to complete 100 minutes of any activity of your choice between August 16 and August 31. This will act as a unified message to world leaders, telling them that we as a world community expect developed countries to deliver on their pledge of $100 billion annually for climate adaptation in developing countries.
As it stands, there are over 440,000 participants all over the world that have already signed up to take part in #TheHumanRace.
There are dozens of activities that count toward reaching everyone’s 100-minute goal, from yoga to windsurfing. Making a difference is available to us in the form of walking around the neighborhood, going for a hike in nature, or riding bikes with friends.
As said by Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres: “The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win.”
Can you imagine walking along car-free streets in Manhattan?
That’s exactly what people are able to do with NYC’s Open Streets program. It’s a pedestrian and cyclist prioritized project that is changing the way people explore the city that never sleeps.
This program embraces public spaces while supporting the small businesses that line the streets of NYC. The areas chosen as open streets are coordinated with local community organizations and are scattered throughout the five boroughs.
You can check out more about the program and see all the open streets here on the New York City DOT website.
As a nonprofit that supports every alternate mode of transportation, our mission is constantly adapting to innovations like this in the industry. Seeing that streets throughout NYC have been transformed into public spaces is an important victory that moves us in the direction of being able to imagine car-free societies.
Have you been to any of NYC’s Open Streets? Share a photo with us on our Twitter page with the hashtag #LoveOpenStreets!
As we settle into August, we know it can feel like we’re missing out on some great summer days as we work from home. By the time we are off the clock, the hot, sunny day has become a warm, golden evening.
Since we can’t all sit at the beach all day, here are ways to bring some summertime joy into your workday, and we’d like to share some with you.
Try different lunches that remind you of summer days. We’re talking watermelon salads, BBQ sandwiches, and iced coffees. Food is a big part of your day, whether you realize it or not.
Brighten up your desk! Let in the natural sunlight, get a bouquet of flowers to put in your space, or get some new décor that makes you smile. Whether you are working from home or back in the office, making your workspace a positive environment will in turn make you happier to be at work!
Try some fruit infused water. The flavors of summer can channel the joy that relaxing by the pool can bring. In season fruits in August are strawberries, lemons and limes, blackberries, blueberries, and more.
We hope these tips can help you bring the summer fun to your daily life, even on the weekdays. Happy August!
A lot of niche lifestyles became mainstream in the strange year of 2020. It seemed everyone was becoming a banana bread baker, an avid cyclist, or a plant parent.
Some people took it to the next level and changed their entire way of life by packing up and living on the road. Living in a van was once something you rarely heard of, but 2020 changed a lot for us. Suddenly, a nomadic lifestyle appealed to more people than ever before.
“Van life” videos were becoming some of the most watched content on social media for so many different reasons. Getting to see the process of stripping an old school bus or Volkswagen van and converting it into a tiny home was like HGTV taken to new heights.
The Ups
A huge trend within van-lifers is the joy of being able to telework from wherever you choose to go in your home on wheels. It’s as easy as parking in a McDonald’s parking lot for the day to get your work done with their free Wi-Fi.
Many content creators living the van life focus on the glamorous parts like parking by the beach at sunset, hiking with your dog in a different state every day, and not being tied down by rent or mortgage. However, a lot of van-lifers are transparent about the harsh realities of life on the road.
The Downs
Gas prices have spiked this summer, as we are all very aware of, making fueling a van a heavy expense. Dealing with repairs and vehicle maintenance can also make a home on wheels extremely inconvenient. Imagine having to drop your house off at the shop for a couple days!
Is it Sustainable?
While the lifestyle isn’t without its carbon footprint, the majority of people living in vehicles utilize solar energy, produce less waste, and become conscious consumers with their limited space.
One solo van-lifer, Cori Geiger, works fully remotely for a marketing organization. She installed solar panels on the roof of her van with the knowledge she acquired from YouTube.
All in all, van-lifers chose a nonconventional and exciting way to live. So, what do you say; are you ready to pack up and hit the road?
Bikesharing saw a big reduction in usage when COVID-19 began in March 2020, with many systems suspending operations, and some companies even closing permanently. While things were not looking up for bikeshare ridership, suddenly the tides began to change.
Members of the American workforce who relied on buses, trains, subway, carpooling, and vanpooling were left in a difficult spot—How do I get to work as safely as possible? People were beginning to turn away from public transit in fear of spreading germs, and companies halted their rideshare systems to keep their staff healthy and safe.
Not every business was able to go fully remote. So, city-dwelling essential workers looked to bikesharing to replace their commute modes.
Using bikeshare systems enabled people to get where they needed to go while exposing them to as few people as possible. This form of micromobility became an essential transportation service when there was a serious gap in transit that needed to be filled.
Now, with bikeshare systems electrifying their business models by adding e-bikes to their fleets, people in cities around the country like New York City, Chicago, Miami, Portland, Metro DC, and San Francisco can go further and get there faster.
Companies like Lyft with bikeshares in these major cities began adding e-bikes by the thousands and are seeing the results in their increasing ridership numbers. Where it stands now, there’s no denying it: Bikeshares are only going up from here with e-bikes making their mark!
