Probably the number one reason I commute by bicycle is because I like being self-reliant. Yeah, I like to save a little money. I like to save the miles on my car when I can. It happens that my bike is even faster than the subway, which is prone to delays and congestion as well. I like that I can fix my bike myself if I have to, and pretty cheaply so. It's about common sense and sustainability, which is about being green also. It's the way I prefer to live my life. My Mom always told me, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." Obeying what Nature asks for is in keeping with that, so I am having fun and doing something green--environmentally low-impact and sustainable. Incidentally, Al Gore may not be likable enough to get himself elected president, but he is neither stupid, nor wrong. I encourage folks to watch the film he stars in--"An Inconvenient Truth." Predictive science is rarely 100% reliable--just look at weather reports--but it is also generally correct--just look at weather reports! Many of the facts, like the burst in world population growth are incontrovertible facts with implications for the future. One man suggested that any fuel he saves will be used by another in India or China. Just look at the traffic jam in China in the news recently. Demand will outstrip supply sooner than expected, I think, so the sooner we learn to live with less oil, the better.