World Streets 100% Answer to Oil Spills, Geopolitical Dysfunctionality, and the Running out of Oil Syndrome

Courage. Not all that terribly hard actually, and certainly not impossible. The leading international edge of policy and practice in our field have over the last two decades developed the tools, experience and technical competence needed to cut fossil fuel dependence by 50% in one year. And if we can do that – if we can come even within shouting distance of this great and obtainable goal – that is going to change everything. But to get the job done we are going to have to challenge our brainpower and collective ability to influence leadership, policy decisions and investments in our chosen field. Lazy folks, bought souls and fatalists kindly abstain.

Now what?

- By Eric Britton, Editor, World Streets

We shall be richly exploring these important themes in our worldwide collaborative environment in the weeks ahead. On the grounds that these are approaches and possibilities which are far from getting their fair share of attention at a time when governments and gurus are talking about investments and programs that will do nothing to make a difference within the time frame that counts.

Shifting to such seductive concepts as electric cars, bio or new fuels, hybrids, alternative fueling networks, and any of the "clean technology" technical fixes that do so well to capture media attention will do NOTHING to deal with these challenges, which need to be faced here and now. (And this: Look we have understood: your approach is to pacify the passive (i.e., us) and take the responsibility off our shohlders while we wait for your next round of products to save us from ourselves. It can't and we won't!)

The short answer, indeed the only answer, not to be explored here today, is for us to get togetgher to target and achieve massive reduction and consolidation of transport demand – and all that within a framework of healthy economics, healthy cities and healthy lives. But this is to follow.

As always here on the World's Streets, this will be a collaborative discussion. So if you are ready to step up with your ideas and comments, you have willing ears in our vast editorial offices in Paris and Bergamo. It will be our job to pass the message on.


Nobody said this was going to be easy:

We hope that none of you will accuse W/S of being one more narrow technical journal or subject to financial interests and pressures. Our job: "The Politics of Transportation: New thinking & world-wide collaborative problem-solving". You can find it in bold print right under the main title line of The New Mobility Partnerships: 2010 - 2012 at www.newmobility.org

To be part of the solution contact:

editor@worldstreets.org | Skype: newmobility
Tel. | Europe: +331 7550 3788 | USA: +1 (213) 984 1277

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