The Future of Transportation
Here’s a terrific article written by 2GreenEnergy associate Dan Sturges, who specializes in the future of transportation. I’m in the process of lining up consulting projects for Dan with forward-thinking municipalities who may want to be a beacon of leadership in terms of sustainable transportation.
As I told Dan on the phone yesterday, “I’m bullish on this, but I wouldn’t expect dozens of clients. Sadly, most cities don’t think this way. They’re not going to become leaders because they never have been in the past, and there is no reason to think they’re going to change magically in the year 2012. But that doesn’t matter. All the world really needs at this point is a few progressive, visionary mayors to stand up and say, ‘The average car on the road in this city weighs 4000 pounds and has 1.1 passengers in it, and that’s a level of waste we can no longer afford. We’re going to rethink the way we commute to work and the way we deliver packages; we’re going to reinvent every aspect of the way we move our bodies and our goods around.’ Once the world has a few of these in place, the case studies in terms of public health, safety, and happiness will speak for themselves.”
I have to think I’m right here.
Craig,
Sustainable transport is already evolving !
Distractions created by busybodies selling Utopian schemes that inevitably fail,(usually, at great public expense) is an unhelpful waste of resources.
Highly congested cities such a New York, London, Tokyo, are already addressing the issues created by the complex dynamics of urban life. Simplistic, meddling by unqualified cranks, is counter-productive.
All over the world , the ‘green’ or environmental movement is losing support and momentum.
Why?
The general public is weary of failed schemes, abusive alarmists with crank predictions, a lack of clear priorities, and the growing threat of coercion from extremists in the ‘green’ lobby.
Joe Public is rightly suspicious of schemes that involve taxpayer funds and radical changes to his lifestyle and freedom of choice.
I maybe wrong, but does Dan Stuges drive a US made GM Volt? Or even a Nissan Leaf? No ? Then why not, and until he does, why would anyone listen to him?
Joe Public love their personal transport. Car clubs are formed, out of a love for cars. It’s a huge industry, employing over 28% of the workforce.
If people wanted to ride bicycles, they would ! (many do) But in reality they vote with their wallets to buy and maintain cars.
Joe public may accept that the era of his car being powered by fossil fuel’s is drawing to a close, but Joe Public still wants the convenience, safety and pleasure of private car ownership. He just wants a different power source!
It’s better to focus on important environmental priorities than dissipate energy and lose support with a host of ‘solutions’ straight out of a 1950’s ‘Popular Science’ magazine ‘ !
I don’t know, MarcoPolo; I think there is room for visionaries in the world, and in no arena are they more welcome than transportation. Now, if you want to see something really radical, check this out: http://et3.com/. Personally, I don’t see this as at all viable, but I don’t have a problem with people with big ideas.