The worst thing that could have happened for our planet was for U.S. geologists to find gigatons of oil and natural gas in the Bokken Oil Fields. Have you noticed those giant passenger vans and immense pick-up trucks that are rolling down the Interstates lately? Had a guy get stuck on my street and completely shut down traffic movement for an hour till help came to get him free. Americans have gotten used to freedom of 280 ppl/mi.sq. which is the United States where until recently only 15% lived in 'cities'. Most imagine that other people in other parts of the world would like to live without neighbors, without crowds, alone .... utterly alone. How wonderful. Not. I don't think Portland, OR is crowded, but most people that were raised here lament the 'growth'. Well the price for that growth has been considerable. America, and America alone has put the planet on life support with our outsize appetite for motor vehicle usage. There isn't any coming out of this without casualties. Actually the dying has already begun. It's hard to notice because its such a big world. People whose interests (income) depend on the status quo work hard to disconnect the deaths with anything substantive. My friends, this does not end well. Americans bike the least of any developed country and that will never change. Any hope that the oil might run out and force a switch to more sustainable and less environmentally destructive transportation is foolish in light of all the energy that is being expended by the Fossil Fuel Industry in crude oil mining and simultaneous attacks on solar and wind power projects. Cycling? What about it? There isn't any significant cycling going on in America. Cycling in America is just another example of the selfish need of Americans to get away from other people and be ... free.