Simplify, Simplify.

People are walking and biking more, perhaps thanks to some increased funding. From 1990 to 2009, the number of bike trips increased from 1.7 billion to 4 billion.

The New York Times has an excellent infographic illustrating that we've had a reduction in miles driven per year despite a lower gas price even though we typically only see such reductions when prices skyrocket (really, go there, it's an excellent images).

At the same time, people for the first time in ages are considering a wide array of consumer goods to be unnecessary. And we're starting to consider that sound financial advice might not just be to cut corners, but to live entirely on a smaller footprint.

Now if only the economic system didn't require reduced consumerism to have recessionary effects.