June 30 - With Gas punching it at over $4.00 a gallon, increasing numbers of people are looking for ways to decrease their car usage. Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has publicly recognized that innovative strategies are needed to confront this fuel crisis and stated that the US must embrace bicycling as a viable means of transportation.

Andalusia Knoll has more from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

"Its time for us to be serious about investing in alternative energy. Its time that the entire country learns from what's happening here in Portland with mass transit, and bicycle lanes, and funding. Alternative means of transportation."

"Well its monumental that he has so actively supported and talked about bicycling because no other presidential candidate has ever done that before. 40 percent of the trips that Americans make are 2 miles or less."

"Right now we get about 1.4% of federal transportation funding, thats what goes to bicycling and walking. Meanwhile bicycle and walking account to 8 to 9 percent of all the trips that American's make. "

" Well I think bicycles especially for new world cities that were built around the car, really are the silver bullet. Not every can ride a bike, but a city were anyone can ride a bike is going to be an equitable city. "

Interview: Bill Price, Sierra Club

Issues around the environment and energy production are receiving major attention in this year's Presidential campaign. So it should come as no surprise that both Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama have been touting the idea of "clean coal" technology through carbon sequestration. Coal is plentiful in the United States and relatively inexpensive. The problem is that it has always been a major source of Carbon Dioxide emissions and other pollutants.

Last week, Nathan Moore spoke with Bill Price of the Sierra Club's Environmental Justice Program in Central Appalachia. Price explains what's behind some of this "clean coal" technology like carbon sequestration.