this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2023
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Fuck Cars
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Yeah, I think the argument is that you shouldn't need the cars to get people where they need to go. This can be addressed two ways: either we don't use cars or we don't need to go (as far).
People should be able to travel with other modes that require less salt to deice, and cities could be built to not require cars for most trips. Salting sidewalks and bus lanes is better than salting those things plus roads and highways.
It's also worth considering that yes, people should be able to just stay home. People shouldn't be at risk of losing their job/home because they couldn't safely make it into work. Parents shouldn't have to rely on school as daycare.
I'd be curious to see if urban heat Island affects salt use. Maybe if we build dense enough, we don't even really need salt to cover 99% of the population.
So...the issue isn't cars, it's capitalism? All we need to do to get rid of cars and all their negative effects is rearrange our country on a socioeconomic level?
Yes, capitalism is the root problem. Some people argue that you cannot overcome climate change under capitalism (and neoliberalism, specifically).
But I think it's unlikely we'll be able to change the underlying system without society collapsing in some way. Or a revolution.
However, I don't think you have to get rid of capitalism to reduce cars and make a positive impact. Climate change is a scale: the more we do now, the less bad it will be in the future. So doing something is still better than nothing, even if it doesn't solve the problem entirely.
Reducing cars (and therefore emissions) can be helped by improving public transport and increasing the number of options for transport. In many places, cars are the only way to get anywhere, especially in countries that focus on car infrastructure. Having the options to bus, train, bike, walk, or drive will reduce the number of drivers. In the case of bike lanes, at least in my country, there is evidence that adding bike lanes increases the number of cyclists (and therefore decreases the number of cars on the road). "Build it and they will come," if you will.
I have a car, but I most often bike or take the bus. We can't get rid of cars entirely; there are reasons people need them (tradies needing vans with their equipment, certain disabilities needing customized transport options, courier parcel delivery, etc.). But reducing the number on the road at any time is helpful.