Brain Drain
I thought this was interesting:
The brain’s store of willpower is depleted when people control their thoughts, feelings or impulses, or when they modify their behavior in pursuit of goals...[P]eople who successfully accomplish one task requiring self-control are less persistent on a second, seemingly unrelated task.
So exercising willpower in one area can deplete willpower in another. No wonder I have such a donut problem when I'm on deadline.
In a way, this simply confirms a common-sense understanding of human behavior: people have only so much attention to give. Which is one reason I've been concerned for a long time about the all-too-common idea that personal choices are key to solving major environmental and social problems. Not only does the "personal choice" frame reduce the perceived importance of systemic and political change -- which I think are more effective -- but if willpower is truly a zero-sum game, then counting on continual vigilance and unwavering will seems like a losing strategy.
Will Walk For Food
It's nice to see this kind of discussion about walkability and urban form -- treating it as an equity issue, not a question of amenities. Foot-powered access to decent food is not just a question of "livability," or even affordability, but really a question of justice. Especially nowadays in an era of rising fuel prices.
Here's a sampling from the terrific article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
In South Park... walking to the nearest Red Apple Market requires dodging a freeway cloverleaf of onramps.
...women worry about walking to stores alone at night, when the bus is infrequent and when fresh cherries cost more than a Hostess fruit pie. "Processed foods are basically what got us into this mess -- they're high in sugar, high in fats, high in sodium," she said. "People have the knowledge of what they're supposed to be doing, but they need support."
In Delridge, residents may be just a mile from the nearest grocery store. But the street map looks like a jigsaw puzzle, with roads dead-ending into creeks, a steel plant, a golf course, a boarded-up day care and jungled hillsides.
There are also some interesting maps, both in the article and in a short memo on the subject.
