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You're right that individual action isn't enough. But individual action does also have an impact. Commuter cars and SUVs (not airplanes, not shipping trucks) ar

You're right that individual action isn't enough. But individual action does also have an impact. Commuter cars and SUVs (not airplanes, not shipping trucks) are the largest single source of carbon emissions in the US[1], accounting for about 15% of all US carbon emissions[2]. If just 1 in 10 commuters switched to taking public transit instead of driving, that alone would drop US emissions by 1.5%. If public transit became the default method for most transportation, we could realistically lop off 7-10% of US emissions. These are individual choices. It's true local and federal governments could do more to encourage using public transit, but most of that action would be driven by increased demand, which comes from individuals. Don't fall into the trap that there's no reason to change your own habits because you think individual action doesn't matter. It does. But you're also right that it isn't enough. [1] US EPA, 2017, "The transportation sector generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. ... The largest sources of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions include passenger cars and light-duty trucks, including sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. These sources account for over half of the emissions from the transportation sector." https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#transportation https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emis... [2] Same source, 29% of emissions from Transportation; more than half that from commuter cars.

0xffff2 7y ago
> If public transit became the default method for most transportation, we could realistically lop off 7-10% of US emissions. I honestly struggle to understand this statement in the context of discussing individual action. Making public transit a reasonable option for most personal transportation in the US would be a public works project on the scale of the New Deal. Perhaps more importantly, cutting US emissions by 10% is very nearly inconsequential unless it is part of a coordinated effort that is driving global emissions down by significantly more than 10%.
- coldpie 7y ago
  > Making public transit a reasonable option for most personal transportation in the US would be a public works project on the scale of the New Deal. I don't agree. Most large-ish cities already have quite good public transportation networks, but outside of a couple special places like NYC, Chicago, and maybe SF, they're not the default option. If the demand is there, adding more bus routes and increasing frequency is trivial. Adding more rail and subway lines is definitely a major task, but we spend more on garbage like the TSA and the F-35 than we do on increasing public transit options; it's hardly a task on the order of the New Deal. My overall point is individual action is a major factor in transit emissions, which is a major source of carbon, and thus individual action does have an impact on our climate change future. The fact that individual action alone isn't enough to fix the problem isn't an excuse for individuals to avoid making choices to lower their emissions. > Perhaps more importantly, cutting US emissions by 10% is very nearly inconsequential unless it is part of a coordinated effort that is driving global emissions down by significantly more than 10%. I don't agree at all that decreasing US emissions by 10% is inconsequential[1], but yes, of course, it is not enough. I already agreed with you that individual action is not enough. But it is significant. I'm trying to back up that assertion with numbers. [1] Ten percent of US emissions is about 1.37% of global emissions, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_di...

0xffff2 7y ago

> If public transit became the default method for most transportation, we could realistically lop off 7-10% of US emissions. I honestly struggle to understand this statement in the context of discussing individual action. Making public transit a reasonable option for most personal transportation in the US would be a public works project on the scale of the New Deal. Perhaps more importantly, cutting US emissions by 10% is very nearly inconsequential unless it is part of a coordinated effort that is driving global emissions down by significantly more than 10%.

coldpie 7y ago
> Making public transit a reasonable option for most personal transportation in the US would be a public works project on the scale of the New Deal. I don't agree. Most large-ish cities already have quite good public transportation networks, but outside of a couple special places like NYC, Chicago, and maybe SF, they're not the default option. If the demand is there, adding more bus routes and increasing frequency is trivial. Adding more rail and subway lines is definitely a major task, but we spend more on garbage like the TSA and the F-35 than we do on increasing public transit options; it's hardly a task on the order of the New Deal. My overall point is individual action is a major factor in transit emissions, which is a major source of carbon, and thus individual action does have an impact on our climate change future. The fact that individual action alone isn't enough to fix the problem isn't an excuse for individuals to avoid making choices to lower their emissions. > Perhaps more importantly, cutting US emissions by 10% is very nearly inconsequential unless it is part of a coordinated effort that is driving global emissions down by significantly more than 10%. I don't agree at all that decreasing US emissions by 10% is inconsequential[1], but yes, of course, it is not enough. I already agreed with you that individual action is not enough. But it is significant. I'm trying to back up that assertion with numbers. [1] Ten percent of US emissions is about 1.37% of global emissions, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_di...