Discussion
The issue I have with EVs and renewables is not that they aren’t a much less worse way to carry on with what we have been doing. They very probably are a lot less worse. (It’s early days and unintended consequences are murky af.)
The issue is that the *expectation* is that we will carry on being as mobile and as power-hungry as we have been. And the signs are very strong that that can’t work.
As tactics they look substantially more positive than fossils, but the *strategy* seems undeliverable
@urlyman The e-bikes seem to be much better solution, then electric cars.
They are marketed mostly as recreational and sports equipment, but actually: micromobility solves high percentage of use cases for individual mobility.
Maybe what we need is 100% replacement, but just replacement that works in typical weather, on a typical distance, with typical amount of baggage (eg. small backpack). And we need them to be somewhat clean amd shiny, to show some limited social status (because this is how things work, unfortunately).
I would think about design e-bikes just like design glasses. It may work, actually. It probably already works in many European towns (I am riding just repurposed electric MTB ;-)
@urlyman Although for buses, lorries and multi use vehicles (like our home visit cars in out of hours), it makes sense. Also we still have a lot of diesel trains which need changed to electric, but that requires new infrastructure on large swathes of track.
@urlyman I completely agree with you. On the other hand, I wonder why we shouldn’t make the most of the various options available during this transitional period?
Example: Until the mayor finally restores the old regional public transport, I could drive an EV instead of a fossile-driven car. In rural areas, people would remain mobile, particularly those with disabilities. And they’d still have the energy to keep fighting the mayor for years to come.
Many local changes will come but take time.
Yes. That expectation is a real challenge. Too many people claim that their life would be unlivable if they couldn't travel all over the continent or the world every year.
Too many economic projections are based on the 'induced demand' logic as building more highways to solve congestion; too little research is put into ways to reduce our power and resource needs.
I agree with you, especially because too many e-cars on especially US roads are way too large, because nobody has thought of regulating their size.
In a place where everything is built for the car, there is a place for e-cars as an interim solution, but eventually we need better solutions.
One example is Toronto, which unabashedly prioritises public transport and walking (and increasingly, biking) over car transport. THAT's the big win. Then, sure, let the remaining cars be e-cars.
@CelloMomOnCars thanks. It’s inevitable that we will incrementally recalibrate our sense of what we *can* do as material conditions constrain us ever more. That we are effectively not doing so at all, even though we can see what’s coming, is what I find infuriating
Think social tipping points.
Gay marriage seemed impossible, right up until it was legalised.
ADHD, the autism spectrum, and lots of other things are now widely accepted as prevalent. Why? Because we talk about them more.
We need to start talking about stuff. The polls say that we are very likely to find agreement in the people we talk to! The polls also say that we don't expect that. So let's start talking.
@CelloMomOnCars I would like to sign your answer! That's the way.
Just a book recommendation for that way of change: "Saving Us" by @kathhayhoe
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