Swine Flu Masks & Going Car-Free

Can’t find a facemask to protect you from swine flu? Well breathe easy.

This is The Environment Report. I’m Lester Graham.

While there’s not been a run on every pharmacy… some are running out of facemasks because people are buying them to try to protect themselves from swine flu. One infectious disease specialist told us if we get to the point of an epidemic, anything that covers your mouth would probably be helpful. One pharmacy we visited usually sells three different kinds of masks, but was sold out. Another sold boxes of 50 masks. It still had two boxes on hand. Those who can’t find masks are sometimes directed to home improvement stores. Lowe’s Public Relations indicated it has seen an increase in popularity of the dust and respirator masks.

Some health officials have indicated if you’re going to use a dust mask from a hardware store, buy one rated “N-95.” It filters out 95-percent of particles. But… health officials say… it’s better for those who are sick to wear them than it is for you to wear one for protection. A health expert in a New York Times article recommended carrying some masks with you and offer them to anyone coughing or sneezing who looks sick. It might just help prevent spreading swine flu to you.


(((STING)))

This is The Environment Report.

The average car puts out about 10-thousand pounds of carbon dioxide every year. So whenever we drive, we're adding to the global warming problem. To cut down on that pollution, there are some people who are giving up their cars altogether. They’re joining a movement called the “World Carfree Network.” Rene Gutel [rhymes with Mattel] reports on one of their members:


TRX1: Kathryn Stewart doesn’t own a car. She’s never even had a driver’s license. She’s an editor at a publishing company and commutes mostly by bus and by bicycle. And while you might think you know plenty of people like Stewart, especially in big cities such as New York or Chicago, consider this: Stewart lives in Phoenix - the land of freeways and strip malls and summers that top 115 degrees.

ACT1: Honestly it’s really difficult in Phoenix.

AMBI1: fade up street ambi

TRX2: She says one of the hardest parts of being carfree in Arizona are those broiling summer days. But she has a secret weapon – a heat-shielding umbrella that she daintily refers to as her parasol.

ACT2: My parasol is great. I don’t care how I look – it’s amazing. (laughter) (slowly fade out AMBI1)

TRX3: Many cities in the US aren’t necessarily built for people who like to walk to work. But these days - more cities are encouraging car free commutes. They want to cut pollution and ease traffic problems. The city of San Francisco, for example, hosts “CarFree Days” where they promote walking, running, and bicycling.

AMBI2: fade up outdoor & bike sounds

TRX4: Okay so this may all sound well and good, but what does being carfree mean in the real world, like what does it mean for Stewart’s social life? Turns out she manages. She and her boyfriend – Roger Williams – see each on weekends. They like to take bike rides.

ACT3: We going right or left, Roger? Take a left. After these cars.

TRX5: Williams owns a car, but he figured out pretty early on in their relationship that a willingness to be carfree was a good way to impress her.

ACT4: The first real date that we did, I surprised her and she was asking me questions, oh what are we going to do? Where are we going to go? And I’m like, it’s a surprise but we’ll be able to walk the whole date.

TRX6: Stewart was impressed and things are going well – they’ve been together a year now. For her part - Stewart is clear. Being carfree is a choice she’s making in order to do something about climate change.

ACT5: There’s a lot that people say you can do, make small changes, do this, do that, but when you don’t have a car, it’s automatically, like, a big change.

TRX7: Stewart says she realizes it's a big change most people would have a
hard time with. But it's a choice she's dedicated to. For The Environment Report, I'm Rene Gutel.