Return to a bicycling Beijing...

Today the Washington Post reported, "The government began taking 30 percent of its cars in the capital off the roads Wednesday in an attempt to make permanent some of the traffic restrictions imposed during the Olympic Games, officials and media reports said."

This brings to mind black and white photos I saw of Beijing streets "clogged" with bicycles, and very few cars. Yes, the days of chairman Mao have their bright spots.

WAPO says, "Beginning Oct. 11, Chinese motorists will also stop driving one workday a week, based on the final number on their license plates. In addition to the recent traffic changes, businesses will begin staggering their hours, with large department stores opening at 10 a.m. and other offices beginning work between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.."

There are many ways to apply these examples of Chinese "green thinking" that western cities might consider adopting, as we all work to lower carbon emissions.