I think we're 30 years too late to make sweeping changes because the last 15 years have been too damaging.
This is key, nothing has been done since humanity discovered the damage it was doing to the planet. Any steps now are just being done to try and keep the masses quiet and ticking along. It need's sweeping changes not just to the way we travel but our whole society and it need's to happen in the next couple of years not by 2050. I do not see it happening.
It's not just transport that need's to change, it's the products we use and moving away from consumer goods, it's where our food comes from (we should all be growing some of our own), it means reducing our meat consumption, it means reducing the number of humans on the planet and it means each human need's to be putting more into the planet than they are taking from it. All of this need's to happen whilst also having the rich (it would likely have to be the end of capitalism), the oil companies and such trying to put down everything that could result in them making less money.
But yeah I think I will leave the conversation there. I think everyone appreciates change is required, how we go about that change is often not agreed upon but I don't think anything we discuss on here is likely to be drastic enough to reverse the damage done and being done to our climate. I suspect we will carry on as we are, people will die and those that are left will have to learn to live with the damage and it's all quite grim and sad to think about especially when I know it's my children likely having to live with it.
That's something the doesn't work that well in America again. The public system is quite poor and most companies are now insisting on a hybrid model where you need to go in 2-3 times a day. For me to bus it to work requires 90 minutes 1 way. To drive requires about 20. That's to go between two major suburbs 20 km apart. People just don't to spend an extra 2 hours a day on the bus if the can avoid it. They if you miss on you have to wait another 20 minutes. There's usually ample free parking and gas here is $1.4 a litter so people drive. Not great for the environment but I can understand why people do it. I live in the Capital, so you would think the public system would be top notch. Smaller cities are even worse. San jose was pretty similar. To go from our place to Intel headquarters was 11 minutes by car (6 miles) and about 70 minutes LTR/bus
It goes hand in hand though doesn't it? Public transport and it's reliability issues. If more people used public transport rather than individual cars, it would mean less traffic on the roads allowing buses for example to run more on schedule and to also run quicker because they are not sat in traffic. More people using buses means that more buses required and with more regularity. It is easy to blame it on poor public transport but it does require a shift in attitudes from the populace as well does it not?
I am not sure how it works in the US but here if they put on more buses right away to try and improve the system all that would do is put more traffic on the roads and make things worse, people won't suddenly one day go oh there are more buses I will start using them, they will likely carry on as they are and those additional buses would take up more space on the road and likely be empty. It requires a mentality shift as well as investment and improvement in the services.
Agreed @techno we should really just be looking to move away from everyone owning their own vehicle. Public transport should be good enough that it's not needed, there shouldn't be a need to commute to an office for work when you can do it from home. I mean there are cities now trying to move away from cars altogether (just thinking of Oslo in Norway here).
EV is only part of a real solution, not everyone can own one in large part to infrastructure as said above. What I think we will see if there is a real effort to curb emissions and the damage to the planet (which I am not convinced there will be, least not in time before lots of people suffer and die) is it will be a combination of better public transport (if it was good, conveniant and affordable who wouldn't sit on public transport watching tv or playing their switch on the way to work), hydrogen and EV cars. There will not be a single solution.
The Peugeot's have come a long way recent years, they look quite smart and seem to be well kitted out for the most part.
I have had a few cars over the years (both good and bad), my favourite car to date was this little gem. Had it a few years and unfortunately had to let it go as it had a power issue that the garages I took it too could not figure out.
Currently driving a White Mazda 6 much like the photo below (this one is not mine but is the same make / model), and it's fine but I am finding that because it's an older car it creaks an awful lot. I want something new at the moment, something with a bit more comfort and better build quality (like my bmw was) so maybe another bmw or audi or something but I am having to wait until work picks up as I don't want to spend my savings on one to then lose my job or something. I'm not one for buying on finance either hence I tend to get older cars ^_^
Posted
This is key, nothing has been done since humanity discovered the damage it was doing to the planet. Any steps now are just being done to try and keep the masses quiet and ticking along. It need's sweeping changes not just to the way we travel but our whole society and it need's to happen in the next couple of years not by 2050. I do not see it happening.
It's not just transport that need's to change, it's the products we use and moving away from consumer goods, it's where our food comes from (we should all be growing some of our own), it means reducing our meat consumption, it means reducing the number of humans on the planet and it means each human need's to be putting more into the planet than they are taking from it. All of this need's to happen whilst also having the rich (it would likely have to be the end of capitalism), the oil companies and such trying to put down everything that could result in them making less money.
But yeah I think I will leave the conversation there. I think everyone appreciates change is required, how we go about that change is often not agreed upon but I don't think anything we discuss on here is likely to be drastic enough to reverse the damage done and being done to our climate. I suspect we will carry on as we are, people will die and those that are left will have to learn to live with the damage and it's all quite grim and sad to think about especially when I know it's my children likely having to live with it.
Link to post
Share on other sites