Out of context, I suppose it isn't an appropriate topic for this list, Bill.
But the comment was not without context. The context is/was that the prevalence of biking is one of the reasons Denmark is the happiest country, according to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/22/denmark-happiest-country_n_4070761.h tml The article cites other reasons. The original poster of this thread, C Talbert, even mentions another reason: that "Danish culture puts a positive spin on its harsh environment." So it seems reasonable to me for M Rewey to point out another of the reasons cited in the article, "Health care is a civil right -- and a source of social support," I would like to see Madison become more bike friendly for the sake of being bike friendly, but I'd also like to explore holistically how bike friendly places make themselves more bike friendly, and I think Denmark's model is especially educating. To that end I'll go out on a limb and list the remaining reasons cited for Denmark's premier ranking among happy countries http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/22/denmark-happiest-country_n_4070761.h tml "Denmark supports parents" "While American women scrape by with an average maternal leave of 10.3 weeks, Danish families receive a total of 52 weeks of parental leave. Mothers are able to take 18 weeks and fathers receive their own dedicated 2 weeks at up to 100 percent salary. The rest of the paid time off is up to the family to use as they see fit." Gee, if my wife had had more than six weeks of maternity leave (and unpaid leave at that) then it would have been much easier for her to bike to work upon her return, and for her (and I) to transport our child by bike (since we had to wait until he was six months old to even put him in a bike trailer) "But the support doesn't stop at the end of this time. Danish children have access to free or low-cost child care. And early childhood education is associated with health and well-being throughout life for its recipients -- as well as for mothers. What's more, this frees up young mothers to return to the work force if they'd like to. The result? In Denmark, 79 percent of mothers return to their previous level of employment, compared to 59 percent of American women. These resources mean that women contribute 34 to 38 percent of income in Danish households with children, compared to American women, who contribute 28 percent of income." Hmm. Lot of talk about health care for kids up there under the heading "Denmark supports parents" "Gender equality is prioritized" In my wife's field of work, the faculty is 80% men and 20% women, even though among the students they teach the ratio is inverse: student body is 80% women and 20% men. So it shouldn't have surprised us that no one else on the faculty had given birth to a child within a decade of our son's birth. And, consequently, there was no mechanism for dealing with what a new mother and existing faculty member needs to do in order to be both. For one thing, there was no place for a new mother to nurse (no, she didn't have our child with her all day - I brought our son to campus so she could nurse him). and I was only able to do that because I quit my job in order to take care of my son (see also "Denmark supports parents" above). You may recall being a party to the events leading up to me quitting my job, and though I never thought I would thank you for it, quitting my job back then turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened to my wife and son and I (well, you know, short of universal preventative health care for all americans). "Biking is the norm" Needs no explanation - the point of the original post, although it is worth pointing out that the fact that HALF of all commuting in Copenhagen takes place on a bike contributes to the population's fitness levels, which in turn makes the free national health care easier and more effective to implement (their physicians are not routinely telling morbidly obese citizens who could not get to their doctor's offices without a car because the land uses / transportation infrastructure precluded any other mode that those citizens need more exercise). "Danish culture puts a positive spin on its harsh environment" "Here's how Danish people turn lemons into spiced mulled wine: Ever heard of the concept of hygge? While some would define it as cultivated coziness, hygge is often considered the major weapon in combatting the dreary darkness that befalls the Nordic country over the winter. In a place where the sun shines fewer than seven hours during the height of the winter solstice -- a level of darkness that can (and does) stir depression and sad feelings -- the concept of a cozy scene, full of love and indulgence, can help to mitigate some of the season's worst psychological effects." "After all, both strong social connections and many of the indulgent foods associated with hygge -- such as chocolate, coffee and wine -- are mood boosters." Which is better at forging social connections? Riding a bike for transportation in the city, or driving a car? This morning I had a short conversation with a very good friend - who was walking to the bus stop as I was riding my bike to my son's elementary school to drop off his trailer-bike. could that have happened if either one of us had been in a car? Nope (unless we'd done it by mobile phone, which would not only have taken away the face to face interaction, but also put one or both of us at the same risk of a crash as if one or both of us had been inebriated. At 7:30am) "Danes feel a responsibility to one another" "Danes don't prioritize social security and safety simply so they can receive benefits; there's a real sense of collective responsibility and belonging." Maybe if more Americans felt more a sense of social responsibility for other americans, there would not be such contention over subjects that, to the rest of the world, seem like common sense, such as providing preventative (and therefore, more effective and less expensive) health care for all citizens. Instead what we have is a culture where the very act of making the connections between one social/political/cultural/economic initiative (accommodating transport modes for everyone, whether they are in a motor car or not) and another (providing universal preventative health care for all citizens) is denounced as an inappropriate topic for discussion. Chuck Strawser Pedestrian & Bicycle Transportation Planner Commuter Solutions Transportation Services UW-Madison Room 124 WARF 610 Walnut St Madison WI 53726 608-263-2969 www.wisc.edu/trans From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of William Hauda Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 10:09 AM To: Michael Rewey; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Bikies] Denmark the Happiest Country At 07:11 PM 10/27/2013, Michael Rewey wrote: Another reason is free national health care Mike Why is "free national health care" a topic appropriate for this list? "Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia." -- H.G Wells, A Modern Utopia, 1905 Bill Hauda Bicycling Representative & Funding Committee Chair Wisconsin Nonmotorized Recreation and Transportation Trails Council 14 Northlight Way Fitchburg, WI 53711 608-574-4471 On 27 Oct 2013 at 15:00, Charles Talbert wrote: > > One of the six reasons cited for Denmark's first place ranking in the World Happiness Report is > that biking is so prevalent. > (Another reason, worth considering as November approaches, is that "Danish culture puts a > positive spin on its harsh environment.") > > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/22/denmark-happiest-country_n_4070761.h tml > > > Charlie >
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