Making NBG Membership a Civic Duty (draft)
When our PR firm regularly reminds the people of this Nation that how we move about is driving the planet to extinction, they will also show that actually pedaling a bicycle is one solution to our woes. Once they hammer this message into our collective consciousness, becoming a part of the NBG will feel like an important civic duty. To become a card-carrying member of the NBG will become a source of pride as it demonstrates one’s responsibility to Mother Earth.
Since how we grow our food is another huge factor contributing to the environmental cataclysm we face, it is the bicycle that once again can come to the rescue. Similar to the race car that needs the highest level of Grade A fuel, when we use our legs to move a bicycle we feel the best when our fuel is the purest. Toward that end, as we use our own bodies to move about, we will be drawn to cleaner, simpler fuel, food that takes less chemicals and other resources to grow.
While this argument makes sense, marketing dollars have convinced the greatest preponderance of people they can ignore it. In going against the grain, it is here, that we will need for our PR Firm to work the hardest. We will need them to regularly show that short trips in a car are the most detrimental to the planet. That they can be easily replaced by bicycle trips. And when more people make their trips on a bike, by default, more and more people will eat better, they will not feel drawn to junk food.
It is here that we need to return to simplicity. If we nourish ourselves with what many term as bland, boring foods, such as grains, vegetables and legumes, we will not always be on the hunt for something sweeter. If we also stay away from “energy drinks”, we will be sated and this will show in our behavior.
By contrast, if we consume sugary food and drink, we can never get sweet enough. We will always on the lookout for something sweeter and this can lead to aberrant behavior. For an example of this, look at the aggressive behavior exhibited by children during the Halloween season. During this time of year, if left unchecked, young people become unpredictable in their actions and mood swings. They can be thought of as flying off the walls with their out of character hostile actions. As a way to control their hyperactive behavior, wise parents know to limit their intake of sweets during the time of yearly free candy.
As our PR Firm convinces people to get out of their cars and use their own bodies to move themselves about, the simpler foods they will desire will lighten the footprint they leave on the planet.
As more and more bikes flood the streets, our NBG will be seen as a leading force in cleaning up the mess we have made of Mother Earth. It will be this that will catapult NBG membership far beyond the ardent cyclist. It will be this that will make NBG membership attractive to the man or woman on the street no matter how much or how little they cycle.