Choose a bike, Choose a bus, Choose the climate: your second reason to believe is transport
Guest Blogged by: Mel, Climate Campaigner on the launch of latest Energy [R]evolution video Reasons to Believe: Transport (narrated by Susan Sarandon)
Sustainable Transport. I am often accused of trying to limit people’s freedoms when I mention that phrase. They say that they need a car, and that they have the right to go wherever they please and whenever they please. They don’t want to have to wait, or get on public transport with other people.
But to me, it is not about limiting freedoms, although it cannot be denied that the transport sector is the only sector whose CO2 emissions have actually increased in recent years. To me the phrase sustainable transport should be about the freedom to choose. Making smart transport choices, and encouraging politicians to create the circumstances where we have the right to choose, truly integrated transport in towns, and alternative ways of thinking about journeys in the country. Ok, it may be about not driving oversized cars with big-bore exhausts on the road, but as the Australians have already realised, it’s not big and it’s not clever.
Our new video, the second of three Reasons to Believe videos narrated by Susan Sarandon, shows that there are many choices in a sustainable transport system, and that they are smart choices to make. It also shows that it is possible for us all to help to create the conditions that we need for an Energy [R]evolution, in order to help prevent catastrophic climate change. As Ewan McGregor may have said in Trainspotting:
Choose a bike
Choose a bus
Choose sharing a car and making a friend as you both sing along, too loud, with that song on the radio
Choose a train
Choose to walk
Choose the right size of vehicle for the journey and the load
Choose the climate
Choose Life
Watch the video below:
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Comments
That's nice and all, but given the choice, I'd rather take a Ford Mustang. It's my choice, and I don't want it to be legislated out of existence. Stop crushing perfectly good parts cars because of some stupid cash-for-clunkers scheme that could prevent classic cars from running again. And don't shove down my throat anything that runs on promises, rainbows and unicorn farts. Let me have my Mustang in peace.
Posted by: ferrarimanf355 | April 26, 2009 2:43 AM
globel warming is bullshit what right do u have to tell people how to live the lives tomorrow I am going to leave all my lights on.I am going to by drive my hummer drive to work have meat for breakfest and lunch.
After I get home frokm work I might cut down a couple of trees and have a fire so I can cook my whale for tea. I will then leave my air conditer on allnight as I sleep in my warm fur blanket.
Posted by: mcgill | April 26, 2009 9:11 AM
I think one of our climate-change-denying/whale-meat-eating YouTube commenters might have migrated over to the Making Waves blog! With all that meat cooking, tree chopping, lights left on, tea boiling, and air conditioner running you're going to end up with quite the hefty energy bill. If you were paying for solar or wind energy you'd be saving loads of money ... it seems like you're a perfect candidate for our Energy [R]evolution. Welcome to the team!
Posted by: Laura@GPI | April 27, 2009 11:13 AM
Ferarimanf355: Thanks for your comment, and good to see you again. Greenpeace are not in favour of the current and proposed scrappage schemes (or "cash-for-clunkers", as you put it), because they are designed purely to boost a dirty industry, and do not go anyway to addressing the carbon output of the vehicle, or the overall fleet.
We do not want to see "classic cars" run out of business, but that the right to choose is making sensible choices - eg not driving a hummer 500 yards to the shops, when walking would actually be easier - in terms of less time spent trying to park, stuck in traffic etc. This means that recreational and fan clubs will still exist, and that people make the most appropriate choice for them for the distance and purpose of their journey. As i mentioned in the blog, sustainable transport is about smart choice, not no choice!
Posted by: Mel (Campaigner) | April 27, 2009 11:45 AM
I think it's a great idea, that we'd share a transpot in order to get anywhere far and use it less as possibale in our everyday life.
Think how great it could be: instead of paying for a gym we can just walk for a while or ride a bike and it'll make it more pleasent and healthier
Think about it people can let there children play outside the house without worry that it's dangerous for there kids 'couse the traffic is crazy.
I can go on and on, so when u think about it there is much more adventages then disadvantages, so why not...
Posted by: Daria Jukov | April 27, 2009 3:30 PM
Nice Reading. Thanks
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Posted by: Gavin allinson | April 27, 2009 3:57 PM
I believe that no matter what kind of transport people choose to use, be it hummers or cycles, ultimately we need to get rid of pseudo-scientific, non-progressive attitude ingrained amongst people for environmentalists, and actually develop and show the sustainable technology that would drive hummers efficiently. Most people are not willing to acknowledge and deal with a bleak future with all the seemingly bigger problems in their current life.
Posted by: Sudeep | April 27, 2009 6:11 PM
I thoroughly appreciate the article posted by Laura K and feel that we should do Everything we can to save the planet... and to save in the process, in most of the instances, on our energy bills!
Posted by: Dr. Mainak Mukherjee | April 27, 2009 9:04 PM
I agree that we need better solutions for transportation but I also believe that cars can be part of this too. Just at this moment manufactures are not able to deliver green technologies which will really help the environment. Not only are new technologies needed but also the way people drive can also reduce CO2 as well as fuel economy.
One thing that many forget however is that in order to produce for example a hybrid, the extensive use of aluminium makes it more costly to build it, in energy and financial terms. One life – cycle assessment claims that from factory floor to scrap heap, a Toyota Prius, consumes more energy than a Hummer H3.
I think time will tell and as you can see already in the way manufactures are approaching green technology, things will change.
Posted by: Curlybusiness | April 29, 2009 1:08 PM