4 ms·

Live a non-car-oriented lifestyle in a city, show up to zoning/land-use hearings to support buildings that will enable as many others as possible to do the same

Live a non-car-oriented lifestyle in a city, show up to zoning/land-use hearings to support buildings that will enable as many others as possible to do the same. The auto and energy industries don't pollute because it's fun. They do it in the course of fulfilling our demand for suburban lifestyles.

alacombe 8y ago
Do you realize the infrastructure required to support your "green" urban living ?
- adrianN 8y ago
  What infrastructure is needed for urban living that is not needed much more for suburban living?
  - pmiller2 8y ago
    Reliable, usable public transportation.
    - adrianN 8y ago
      Instead of public transportation you have many, many cars. Isn't that worse?
- Hextinium 8y ago
  The changes to infrastructure can eventually be carbon positive or at least carbon neutral with improved quality of life. Properly designed cities have less energy consumption and co2 per capita because of economies of scale. Consolidating people encourages that behavior.
pmiller2 8y ago
What if I can’t afford to get off work to go to these zoning meetings in the middle of the day? What then? Or, what if I live in rural America? How do you expect me to give up my car? What if I already drive less than 10k miles a year?
- closeparen 8y ago
  You asked what an individual can do, not what an individual can do with zero sacrifice, activism, or lifestyle change. Commuting from the countryside is one of the things that'll have to go if we are to eliminate emissions. (Farmers and residents of traditional small towns are generally already pretty close to where they need to be when they wake up in the morning). It's nonsensical to say something like "how do you expect me to give up my car?" with incredulity, and then blame the energy sector for supplying its fuel.
  - pmiller2 8y ago
    How much do you expect the 57% of Americans who have less than $1000 in savings[0] to sacrifice? My point is that most people simply aren’t in a position to do what you suggest. —— [0]: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/budget-and-spending/2018/05/22/what-average-american-needs-in-emergency-savings/35175419/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/budget-...
    - closeparen 8y ago
      You're right, most people aren't in a position to "just move," but the constituency fighting to keep cities exclusive is not that large, and it won't take many to overpower it. Then, with easy access to urban apartments, people can free themselves from the expense of owning and maintaining cars.

alacombe 8y ago

Do you realize the infrastructure required to support your "green" urban living ?

adrianN 8y ago
What infrastructure is needed for urban living that is not needed much more for suburban living?
- pmiller2 8y ago
  Reliable, usable public transportation.
  - adrianN 8y ago
    Instead of public transportation you have many, many cars. Isn't that worse?
Hextinium 8y ago
The changes to infrastructure can eventually be carbon positive or at least carbon neutral with improved quality of life. Properly designed cities have less energy consumption and co2 per capita because of economies of scale. Consolidating people encourages that behavior.

pmiller2 8y ago

What if I can’t afford to get off work to go to these zoning meetings in the middle of the day? What then? Or, what if I live in rural America? How do you expect me to give up my car? What if I already drive less than 10k miles a year?

closeparen 8y ago
You asked what an individual can do, not what an individual can do with zero sacrifice, activism, or lifestyle change. Commuting from the countryside is one of the things that'll have to go if we are to eliminate emissions. (Farmers and residents of traditional small towns are generally already pretty close to where they need to be when they wake up in the morning). It's nonsensical to say something like "how do you expect me to give up my car?" with incredulity, and then blame the energy sector for supplying its fuel.
- pmiller2 8y ago
  How much do you expect the 57% of Americans who have less than $1000 in savings[0] to sacrifice? My point is that most people simply aren’t in a position to do what you suggest. —— [0]: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/budget-and-spending/2018/05/22/what-average-american-needs-in-emergency-savings/35175419/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/budget-...
  - closeparen 8y ago
    You're right, most people aren't in a position to "just move," but the constituency fighting to keep cities exclusive is not that large, and it won't take many to overpower it. Then, with easy access to urban apartments, people can free themselves from the expense of owning and maintaining cars.