“Hike” to Work
I signed up to receive a daily e-mail from "Ideal Bite, A sassier shade of green." Some of the tips about living green are useful while others, well let’s just say there are "others." Take for instance Friday’s email tip about how to cut down on Carbon Dioxide emissions by mushing to work.
Think "mushing" is just for Alaskans?
The Bite
Nope – dogs rule and cars drool. "Urban mushing" lets you hitch a pollution-free ride from your dog using a scooter and harness. Seriously. Read on.
The Benefits
- Good exercise for your canine. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, as many as 40% of dogs are overweight.
- Cleaner air. In the US, cars are the second-largest source of the greenhouse gas CO2, just after coal power plants.
- You get a free ride (up to 3 miles).
Personally Speaking
Poor Cricket got so excited when she heard about urban mushing. Too bad she’s just too little to pull anyone besides her cat brothers… she often takes them for a ride around the house (albeit by their tails).
Wanna Try
Two things: 1. don’t mush in hot weather, 2. mushing’s not for shih-tzus (or any small dog).
- Dog Powered Scooter – the original, championing a solid design and decent price ($540).
- Chalo Sulky One – for more of a sleigh-ride effect ($300-$1,200).
- Diggler Alpha Dawg – for use with a tugline ($75-$750).
- Urban Trails Harnesses and Tuglines – make your own mush machine with a harness and rollerblades or foot scooter ($25-$38).
- Google Video – check a video of the scooters in action. This tip submitted by Mark Schuette.
Maybe this sounds like a fun way to get to work but I’m not sure how practical it is. Since the word for "go" in mushing terms is "hike" I thought it would be better to "hike" to work, either with dogs or without. Let me know what you think about this method of transportation.