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[rbisset]

Just realised a UK gallon is bigger than a US gallon so the Maths is all wrong.....

[rbisset]

The gov here is trying to get everyone here to start using more public transport but for the majority (me included) it just isn't possible. At the moment I am working in Chertsey (well sometimes...) and to get there by public transport I would need to take a bus to Guildford (£4.90 return) followed by either 2 buses or 3 trains. It just isn't an option. Public transport in the UK is a joke.

And now they want to try and charge people for every mile they drive! Soon people won't be able to afford to work!

[Jessica_CDN]

Yeah, public transit is rough sometimes. I really love cities with good metros...I hate busses (they make me feel unwell) so really try to avoid them at all costs. I don't really use buses here in Kingston...mostly I walk or take cabs....I suppose if I have to go to the other side of town, I'd take a bus....

Oh - I'm going to start another thread about my favorite thing in life - good metros.

[wakingdream]

Yeah, public transit is rough sometimes.

Our bus system here is pretty rough too. Takes forever to get anywhere, and this is a small city! And it's getting more and more expensive!

[rbisset]

If I go out in Guildford the last bus home is at 10:45pm! What a joke. To get back I need to take a taxi and that costs £35!

I'm fully prepared to move back to a city now. The convienience of being able to walk everywhere rather than relying on public transport makes it worthwhile.

[whereshegoes]

Its so true! I moved from the suburbs into the city center and I have never felt better. I feel so....connected.

[fourloves]

I'm definitely enjoying these smaller countries where there are lots of people, and a small road network - getting from eh to be is ridiculously easy compared to ol' canadia. One thing that has always been said about a place spread out like canada / usa is that it would very difficult to get around without personal vehicles. I tend to think we like our independence too much - should start looking towards europe.

The big controversy in my own head, having left a job at an oil refinery, is that oil is pretty rape-the-earthish. So if I decide to drive a smart car (which I nary purchased except for the eight month wait at the time), sure it is a step in the right direction, but the underlying attitude is the same - 'I NEED a car". I have been tending to think that we shouldn't be supporting oil at all with transport. (or at least in reality, limiting it to the essentials) However, this is next to impossible - our food is grown and transported with dieseline, our ambulances and fire trucks use the same, our planes are sucking down tons of fuel, et cetera. I mean, how sustainable is oil use? I'm speaking in terms of hundreds of years, thousands, not this short-term attitude of if I buy a smart car, my job is done. Even my desire to build a waste-vegetable-oil VW when I get home is kind of short-sighted - it still emits some solids, smells bad, and uses a limited resource (depite being a waste product). So, to interrupt our entire system of living, or to take baby steps (not fast enough, I fear)?

[findingnine]

You're still a better man than I. My job offered us busing. I declined. I prefer the 6 hour trip on my own terms. I figure it is only once or twice a month anyway. I still travel fewer kilometers than when I am in town. Whew, thank goodness for justification.

[wakingdream]

I was just reading the CBC news site and came across this interesting article:

Softening Your Carbon Footprint

Thoughts?

[findingnine]

I was just reading the CBC news site and came across this interesting article:

Softening Your Carbon Footprint

Thoughts?

I like Trees! I think it's a great idea, maybe without the guilt angle. Does it take into account how the emissions you would create staying home, assuming you are not a recluse?

[wakingdream]

Does it take into account how the emissions you would create staying home, assuming you are not a recluse?

It doesn't mention anything in there, nope!

An interesting fact from the article;

"if all the planes carrying travellers across Canada were replaced by individuals in cars, it would require deforesting a lot of land to create a couple of extra lanes on the trans-Canada highway to handle all the extra traffic. And that wouldn't eliminate any of the carbon dioxide produced in the process."

Guilt factor. Well, I think as long as everyone tries to be as environmentally responsible as possible, without being O/C, we could accomplish alot. Some people have to drive to work. Sometimes there really isn't much of a choice if there is no Go-Train available, or car pools in the area, or bus routes to get you there and it is simply too far to walk or cycle. Instead of being weighed down by guilt, there are many things we can do to ease our personal effects. Yes, people who don't drive are definitely heros in my eyes, but they are also lucky enough to be in a situation where it's possible for them. You can't always choose where your job is located, although that would be great. There is always a middle ground.

Plant trees. Plant lots and lots of trees! Volunteer with a community organization. Plant them on your own, in your backyard. Trees are unsung heros. If you have to drive, make sure your car is running properly ie efficiently. Change the fluids regularly, keep things running smoothly and you will emit less pollution.

In Ontario, we have to have emissions tests, and if we don't pass, the car does not make it on the road. It's definitely a step in the right direction b/c let's face it, at this time, there's no way we're getting cars off the road so we need to work with the problem and find ways to effectively cut emmisions. Don't drive when it's not absolutely necessary.

Can you even fathom the amount of people who jump into their vehicles to get milk at the corner store down the street? It's scary.

[findingnine]

. Yes, people who don't drive are definitely heros in my eyes, but they are also lucky enough to be in a situation where it's possible for them. You can't always choose where your job is located, although that would be great. There is always a middle ground........... Can you even fathom the amount of people who jump into their vehicles to get milk at the corner store down the street? It's scary.

Unfortunately Susie, the size of our cities seems to produce a community crushing anonymity. This in turn requires more driving. My sister lived on Salt Spring Island for awhile. There is no bus system, so lots of people hitch. Not only is this not legal in most larger centers, it is not safe. When I went to Cuba I was surprised at how many have to hitch. Infact picking up hitchhikers was not always optional. leaving a town, there would be state officials stopping state vehicles, and if they had room, they had to take passengers going their way. Private vehicles had a choice. Could you imagine that happening here? I think it would be difficullt. Especially since our culture demands puctuality.

As for the milk. I like to walk when I can, but I confess, weather is definitely a factor.

[findingnine]

Oh, I guess what I'm saying is any solution may require a paradigm shift larger than just reducing impact. We may have to counter our culture. I could imagine a lot of kicking and screaming being involved.

[wakingdream]

Oh, I guess what I'm saying is any solution may require a paradigm shift larger than just reducing impact. We may have to counter our culture. I could imagine a lot of kicking and screaming being involved.

I know what you mean for sure. How do you think we could accomplish that?

[findingnine]

Not so easy, that's for sure. We've kinda painted ourselves into a corner.

[whereshegoes]

We are definitely going to have to get some paint on our feet to get out of this one.

[aopaq]

We are definitely going to have to get some paint on our feet to get out of this one.

I think that convincing everybody in the industrialized world that it is worthwhile getting "paint on our feet" is not going to be easy. But how do we also convince folks in developing nations (such as China and India) who are finally getting the disposible income to even consider buying a car, not to do it? It seems to me that it is a bit hypocritical for us to tell these people not to do something we have been doing for decades.

[findingnine]

I think asking anyone not to own a car will not feel realistic until no other option exists. There is no more powerful motivator than having no choice. Travel is with us to stay, knock on wood. It is the evolution to a lifestyle where driving is the exception and not the rule which will demand self restriction. Simply put, better choices need to be made, but that is a first step. Better choices need to exist.