The problem is, they influence me. I have to stop on this stupid traffic lights which just were build for them. I have to slow down with my bicycle just because these cars are jamming up the road. And the worst: I have to breathe the air they pollute.
Today nobody is thinking about NOT taking the car for this trip. It's so normal, that someone who owns a car just instinctively takes it, even for the shortest trip. But at the end of the day, when they all watch tv, they agree to safe the climate.
(And the couple of people who don't care about the climate or their environment, they moan about the high fuel prices).
Here is a list of clues against passenger cars:
- The passenger traffic affect every city so hard, that the main focus of the city planning is on building new roads and parking sites. The mayors are planning for the cars and not for the people who are living in the city
- If people don't rethink their driving behaviour there will drive no car anymore in - let's be opportunistic - 200 years. Because at this time there is no fuel left. Everybody driving a car with a combustion engine supports the robber economy on earth resources of some companies.
- Especially old cars, 4x4 and sportive cars need a heap of fuel. And therefor they blurt out a heap of dirt. It's not only CO2. The greenhouse effect is one bad point. The other is respirable dust, rubber abrasion of the wheels and other harmful material. So the mass of cars are effecting the climate and therefor our environment and directly our health (And I don't mean accidents in this case).
- Its affecting our economy because the fuel is getting more and more expensive. We have to spend more money for the mobility than some years before. So we haven't the money for more important things like education, research, conservation and for my sake consume to support the economic cycle. 90% (It's a estimation from me) of the cars just transport the driver and itself. But the car doesn't care much about how many kilograms it transports. Just when its too much it needs more fuel than with no payload. So the most trips just waste fuel and thus money!
- The last point is the climate. The sum of all cars affect the climate. It's not only the pollution of the cars itself. It's also the production of the cars.
- The first step is one, everybody has to do! Think about your driving behaviour. Isn't it better for your purse to take the bicycle or the bus, train or your feet for this trip?
- The politic has to raise the fuel price by, let's say 200% (For private persons, NOT for companies). The fuel price is still too low, that anybody really change his way of life.
- We can keep our mobility if we would have more and cheaper buses and trains. This refers to point 4. Trains and buses do not waste so much energy. Nobody is driving alone in his 5-passenger-car anymore.
- And in ten years or so it should be prohibited to use combustion engines. There comes enough energy in form of light and warmth from the sun, that a area like west virginia or Niedersachsen covered with solar cells could produce all the energy the whole world needs. It's technical possible, but it's expensive compared to burn oil. But destroying our earth is more expensive! It cost our lives!!!
Sven
