Carbusters #35
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* Introduction: No Cars Allowed
* A Postcard from Manchester
* Behind the Scenes of Toward Carfree Cities VIII (online after 30.09.2008)
* Getting Covered for Free: Media Tips (online after 30.09.2008)
* Lund: City of [Transportation] Ideas (online after 30.09.2008)
* Special sections
No Cars Allowed
In Europe, and the UK especially, drivers are slowing down. British bus and train drivers are being re-trained to drive more smoothly, and efficiently; EasyJet and BMI – the first of several airlines – are reducing flying speeds on some routes by 2%, while the journey times of cross-channel ferries will be increased – both measures implemented to reduce fuel consumption. In America, public transport use has risen dramatically, and as J. Harry Wray mentions in his interview on page 26, “the car is in the decline.” Bicycle sales are sky-rocketing, while the automobile industry has suffered one of the most financially crippling years on record: Ford recorded a quarterly loss of US$8.7 billion, while GM will close four Hummer factories, resulting in decisions to switch production from gas-guzzlers to more efficient models.
All fantastic news, but are we actually witnessing a minor revolution in the public’s attitude towards transportation and the environment?
"Every time we lift our feet off the accelerator, we are improving GDP and employment," stated Miguel Sebastián, Spain’s minister for industry, after the Spanish government proposed a plan to cut the speed limit on dual carriageways to 80 km/h as part of a bid to save EUR4.14 billion on oil imports. Whether the plans succeed is yet to be seen, but Sebastián encapsulates the thought behind the growing trend that we’ve seen over the last three months: slow down, use less oil, and you’ll save money.
It’s undoubtedly sound advice, but is it being given for the wrong reasons? Any environmental benefit seems to be merely a by-product of the economic equation. Are we simply witnessing a global cost cutting exercise? With relation to the automobile, Roger Bysouth asks on page 22, “is this just car culture adapting to survive?” It’s maybe too soon to tell, but one certainty is that these are the first tentative steps of an inevitable post-peak-oil behavioural shift; a shift currently led by the public’s wallets, if not their hearts.
However, as successfully demonstrated by Lund Municipality on page 10, behavioural changes are often followed by attitude changes. So, maybe we should be asking what attitude changes could follow this behavioural shift, and where they could lead. Could we see a return to the unsustainable past? Could car culture simply evolve? It’s a possibility: crude oil excreting bacteria, bio-diesel from algae, and the British International Motor Show’s “Green Village” centrepiece – filled with electric cars and the new Lotus Eco Elise (with hemp interior) – offer convincing evidence. After all, some people are deeply entrenched in car culture. Or, could it lead to a sustainable future, with public attitudes towards the environment changing for the better?
Anything’s possible, and whatever the reason may be for this current change in behaviour, it’s clear that now is the time to ensure that these changes continue to develop in a sustainable direction, and to do so people must develop the right attitude towards transportation and the environment. So, it’s never been more necessary to provide an example of the trend’s logical conclusion; something this years’ Towards Carfree Cities Conference in Portland (page 16) attempts. It’s time to be more active than ever: to provide the philosophy, thought and economic structures, frameworks and impetus to stop unsustainable attitudes simply adapting and to help them develop sustainably, to ensure that we progress towards a sustainable future. Which also, thankfully, means there’s never been a better time to get (naked?) on your bike…
Sam Fleet
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Also in this issue:
A Postcard from Manchester
... (more)
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Special sections:
# Car Cult Review: Blown out of Proportion; It's a Dog Drive Dog World; Pray at the Pump.
# Bookclub: Roadside Bicycle Repair, The Politics of Simple Living
# Action!
Also this Issue:
# Lund: City of [Transportation] Ideas
WBB Trust: Work For a Better Bangladesh Profile
Bare as You Dare! World Naked Bike Ride Special
Conrad Schmidt: Interview
Towards Carfree Cities Conference VIII, Portland
Postcard Art Show, Portland
The Cyclists' Touring Club
Getting Covered for Free: Media Tips
King of Crash, Brian Carson: Interview
Dr J. Harry Wray: Interview
# Download Issue 35 promo Here 800 KB
# Download Issue 34 promo Here 6.8 MB
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