Re: How to link carism and environmentalism
Kirstin Miller <[email protected]> Wed, 17 Oct 2012 07:55:01 -0700
| Newsgroups | gmane.politics.activism.carfree-network |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
--Apple-Mail=_E7DE56D2-A0EB-4D66-AB80-CD2FA72CE20B Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Dear friends at carfree network --=20 It's been a long time since I weighed in! but we're still be working 24/7 f= or cities for people and nature, not cars : )=20 I went back and found a report back I wrote for an online journal in 2003 a= bout the CarFree Cities Conference I attended in Prague with my mom -- http://www.ecotecture.com/library_eco/ecocity/miller_pragueGnosis.html - i= n case anyone is interested, for old times sake. Also, Ecocity Builders' ne= xt summit will be in Nantes, France next September and it would be terrific= if the Carfree Network could come and participate and propose some learnin= g exchanges on this topic. http://www.ecocity-2013.com But mainly I'd like to comment on Bob's question. Here in the US, young peo= ple (up to 34years old) are driving less.=20 "A major new report from Benjamin Davis and Tony Dutzik at the Frontier Gro= up and Phineas Baxandall, at the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, documents this u= nprecedented trend across a wide variety of indicators. Their two big findings about young people and driving: The average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by young people (16 to = 34-year-olds) in the U.S. decreased by 23 percent between 2001 and 2009, f= alling from 10,300 miles per capita to just 7,900 miles per capita in 2009. The share of 14 to 34-year-olds without a driver=92s license increased by 5= percentage points, rising from 21 percent in 2000 to 26 percent in 2010, a= ccording to the Federal Highway Administration. Young people are also making more use of transit, bikes, and foot power to = get around. In 2009, 16 to 34-year-olds took 24 percent more bike trips tha= n they took in 2001. They walked to their destinations 16 percent more ofte= n, while their passenger miles on transit jumped by 40 percent." Here is a full article in The Atlantic about the trend:=20 http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/04/why-young-americans-are-dr= iving-so-much-less-their-parents/1712/ I live in one of America's "hippest hipster" neighborhoods (Uptown in Oakla= nd, California), and the trend is this: young people want to live in creati= ve, walkable neighborhoods connected by transit and they don't really want = a car anymore -- too expensive and a big pain to deal with. If they need a = car they will join a car club like Zipcar and only use one when needed. Oth= erwise they bike or take transit everyone. They don't want to be bothered b= y the responsibility and expense of a car, of babysitting the car all over = town, paying fines, parking fees, gas prices, and knowing that they are pol= luting the environment. It's not a status symbol like it used to be.=20 I think this trend can be repeated in Canada's cities, even in cold climate= s, that have enough density to support good transit and very accessible/wal= kable neighborhoods. But without the right kind of city that makes car free= living convenient and practical (in cold climates, covered walkways, bridg= es between buildings, transit options for cold weather, and enough affordab= le housing in city centers for people to live car free), people will still = have to rely on the car. Those are my thoughts about it and great question. Kirstin Miller Ecocity Builders www.ecocitybuilders.org=20 On Oct 12, 2012, at 12:41 PM, Robert Dierker <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello. >=20 > I volunteer for several environmental groups in Vancouver Canada. One= thing they seem to have in common is a belief that the use of cars is a ne= cessary evil within their organizations. I can send many examples, if requ= ested, but I'm sure you've all seen it. =20 >=20 > Canada and the US are stuck in a well orchestrated car culture - no do= ubt about it - and the natural resources of Canada are now hijacked by fore= ign corporate giants. Their government lobby efforts and PR machines are i= n full force here. >=20 > My great concern, now, is that our new batch of young environmentalist= s can't leave their cars behind. This is not particularly new, but seems t= o be more pronounced than it used to be. Our environmental movements can't= move forward with this kind of base line. >=20 > I have no particular influence within Vancouver's environmental moveme= nt, however I want to affect this one component of change: I want these gro= ups to weigh the value of each member's opinion and motivation with respect= to their personal activities with cars. >=20 > Before I go I would like to remind any reader that Canada gets REALLY = cold. These groups have to define models that will work in an individualis= tic, affluent society at -25c. >=20 > How do I do this? Please help. >=20 > Robert. > 604-440-0860 >=20 > --=20 > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "World Carfree Network" group. > To post to this group, send email to carfree_network-/[email protected] > Replies are sent to the author of the message. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den --=20 You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World Carfree Network" group. To post to this group, send email to carfree_network-/[email protected] Replies are sent to the author of the message. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den --Apple-Mail=_E7DE56D2-A0EB-4D66-AB80-CD2FA72CE20B Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 <html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html charset= =3Dwindows-1252"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-= mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Dear friends at carfr= ee network -- <div><br></div><div>It's been a long time since I weighe= d in! but we're still be working 24/7 for cities for people and nature, not= cars : ) </div><div>I went back and found a report back I wrote for a= n online journal in 2003 about the CarFree Cities Conference I attended in = Prague with my mom --</div><div><a href=3D"http://www.ecotecture.com/librar= y_eco/ecocity/miller_pragueGnosis.html">http://www.ecotecture.com/library_e= co/ecocity/miller_pragueGnosis.html</a> - in case anyone is intereste= d, for old times sake. Also, Ecocity Builders' next summit will be in Nante= s, France next September and it would be terrific if the Carfree Network co= uld come and participate and propose some learning exchanges on this topic.= <a href=3D"http://www.ecocity-2013.com">http://www.ecocity-2013.com</= a></div><div><br></div><div>But mainly I'd like to comment on Bob's questio= n. Here<b> in the US, young people (up to 34years old) are <u>driving less.= </u> </b></div><div><p><font color=3D"#3a88fe">"A major <a href=3D"htt= p://www.uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/Transportation%20%26%20the%20Ne= w%20Generation%20vUS_0.pdf">new report</a> from Benjamin Davis and Tony Dutzik at the Frontier Group and Phineas=20 Baxandall, at the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, documents this unprecedent= ed trend across a wide variety of indicators.</font></p><p><font color=3D"#3a= 88fe"> Their two big findings about young people and driving:</font></p> <ul> <li><font color=3D"#3a88fe"> The average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by young people=20 (16 to 34-year-olds) in the U.S. decreased by 23 percent between 2001= =20 and 2009, falling from 10,300 miles per capita to just 7,900 miles per= =20 capita in 2009.</font></li> <li><font color=3D"#3a88fe"> The share of 14 to 34-year-olds without a driver=92s license in= creased=20 by 5 percentage points, rising from 21 percent in 2000 to 26 percent i= n=20 2010, according to the Federal Highway Administration.</font></li> </ul><p><font color=3D"#3a88fe"> Young people are also making more use of transit, bikes, and foot power to get around. In 2009, 16 to 34-year-olds took 24 percent more bike=20 trips than they took in 2001. They walked to their destinations 16=20 percent more often, while their passenger miles on transit jumped by 40=20 percent."</font></p><div>Here is a full article in The Atlantic about the t= rend: </div><div><a href=3D"http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2= 012/04/why-young-americans-are-driving-so-much-less-their-parents/1712/">ht= tp://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/04/why-young-americans-are-driv= ing-so-much-less-their-parents/1712/</a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I l= ive in one of America's "hippest hipster" neighborhoods (Uptown in Oakland,= California), and the trend is this: young people want to live in creative,= walkable neighborhoods connected by transit and they don't really want a c= ar anymore -- too expensive and a big pain to deal with. If they need a car= they will join a car club like Zipcar and only use one when needed. Otherw= ise they bike or take transit everyone. They don't want to be bothered by t= he responsibility and expense of a car, of babysitting the car all over tow= n, paying fines, parking fees, gas prices, and knowing that they are pollut= ing the environment. It's not a status symbol like it used to be. </di= v><div><br></div><div>I think this trend can be repeated in Canada's cities= , even in cold climates, that have enough density to support good transit a= nd very accessible/walkable neighborhoods. But without the right kind of ci= ty that makes car free living convenient and practical (in cold climates, c= overed walkways, bridges between buildings, transit options for cold weathe= r, and enough affordable housing in city centers for people to live car fre= e), people will still have to rely on the car.</div><div><br></div><div>Tho= se are my thoughts about it and great question.</div><div><br></div><div>Ki= rstin Miller</div><div>Ecocity Builders</div><div><a href=3D"http://www.eco= citybuilders.org">www.ecocitybuilders.org</a> </div><div><br></div><di= v><br></div><div><div><div>On Oct 12, 2012, at 12:41 PM, Robert Dierker <= ;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>> wrote= :</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><f= ont size=3D"4">Hello.<br><br> I volunteer for several environme= ntal groups<font size=3D"4"> in Vancouver Canada. On<font size=3D"4">= e thing they seem to have in common is a belief that the use of cars is a n= ecessary evil within their organizations.<font size=3D"4"> <font size= =3D"4">I can send many examples, if requested, but I'm sure you've all seen= it.</font></font> <br><br><font size=3D"4"> </font>Canad= a and the US are stuck in a well <font size=3D"4">orchestrated</font> car c= ulture - no doubt about it<font size=3D"4"> - and the natural resources of = Canada <font size=3D"4">are</font> no<font size=3D"4">w hijacked by foreign= corporate giants. The<font size=3D"4">ir government lobby efforts an= d PR machines are in full force here.<br><br></font> M</font>y = great concern, now, is that <font size=3D"4">our new batch of young environ= mentalists can't leave their car<font size=3D"4">s behind. This is no= t particularly new, but <font size=3D"4">seems to be</font> more pronounced= <font size=3D"4"> than it used to be.</font> Our <font size=3D"4">env= ironmental</font> movements can't move forward with this kind of base line.= <br><br><font size=3D"4"> I have no particular influence within= Vancouver's environmental movement<font size=3D"4">, however I want to <fo= nt size=3D"4">affect this one component of change: I want these groups to <= font size=3D"4">weigh</font> the value of <font size=3D"4">each</font> memb= er's opinion </font></font>and motivation with respect to their personal ac= tivities with cars.<br><br><font size=3D"4"> Before I go I woul= d like to remind any reader that Canada gets REALLY cold. These group= s have to define models that will work in an individualistic, affluent soci= ety at -25c.</font><br><br><font size=3D"4"> <font size=3D"4">H= ow do I do this? Please help.<br><br><font size=3D"4">Robert.<br><fon= t size=3D"4">604-440-0860</font><br></font></font><div><br class=3D"webkit-= block-placeholder"></div> -- <br> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google<br> Groups "World Carfree Network" group.<br> To post to this group, send email to <a href=3D"mailto:carfree_network@goog= legroups.com">carfree_network-/[email protected]</a><br> Replies are sent to the author of the message.<br> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to<br> <a href=3D"mailto:carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected]">carfree_net= work-unsubscribe-/[email protected]</a><br> For more options, visit this group at<br> <a href=3D"http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den">= http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den</a></font></= font></font></font></font></font></font></font></blockquote></div><br></div= ></body></html> <p></p> -- <br /> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google<br /> Groups "World Carfree Network" group.<br /> To post to this group, send email to carfree_network-/[email protected]<br /> Replies are sent to the author of the message.<br /> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to<br /> carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected]<br /> For more options, visit this group at<br /> <a href=3D"http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den">= http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den</a> --Apple-Mail=_E7DE56D2-A0EB-4D66-AB80-CD2FA72CE20B--