Five Gore steps to carbon-free electricity and electrified transportation 10

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1. 

   Erik Hoffner Posted 4:07 am
   01 Aug 2008

   greatJon, that's great you were on EarthBeat, one show that is always on my iPod.
   Dunno where it belongs in your list, but rebuilding the rail system is a definite in my book.
   Erik
   
   The Orion Grassroots Network: supporting grassroots groups working for conservation, justice, & more
   
   

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2. 

   Gustavion Posted 4:16 am
   01 Aug 2008

   Re: ErikErik: Do you think that a revitalized rail industry could gain market share for the air industry?
   
   Simplestop.net - Stop postal junk mail, Protect the environment, Protect your identity.

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3. 

   Jon Rynn Posted 4:30 am
   01 Aug 2008

   Erik --That was part of point number three, (electrify transportation), which needs amplification, but these would be the main parts:
   
   
   High-speed intercity network
   
   Light rail/subways/electric buses intracity
   
   Electrify commuter rail
   
   Mandate that all cars be all-electric by a certain date (2020?)
   
   Put big money into helping the frickin' car companies make the conversion
   
   
   Gustavion --
   The airline industry is in it's death throes.  Eventually it will only be available to the rich.  We need a replacement, fast.

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4. 

   Laurence Aurbach Posted 5:52 am
   01 Aug 2008

   Walkable transit oriented neighborhoodsJust installing a lot of rail infrastructure doesn't by itself achieve the efficiency gains that are needed. Households need walkable and transit oriented neighborhoods to reduce their travel costs, increase their convenient access to activities, and live more healthily and sustainably.
   A platform could be assembled from the best of several sources including:
   
   
   Transportation for America coalition
   
   Infrastructure 2008 by the Urban Land Institute
   
   Earl Blumenauer's Transportation and Housing Choices bill
   
   
   Another part of the "electrify transportation" step would be about improving freight rail.
   Then we have to deal with the fact that the federal government, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization structure that it created, are institutionally unable to create a sustainable transportation system in America. Some proposals for reform are in the Infrastructure 2008 report, and another well-referenced source is Transport Revolutions: Moving People and Freight without Oil which can be previewed at Google Book Search.
   
   
   
   Ped Shed Blog

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5. 

   Jon Rynn Posted 6:00 am
   01 Aug 2008

   Doh!Yes Laurence, number 6 from above would be to electrify freight rail -- and get the freight onto the rails.
   OK, here's a new 3 through 6, with a new number 4:
   
   
   Our transportation system must be electrified by 2023.
   By a certain date (2030?) 80% (?) of the population should live in dense, mixed use walkable communities (surrounded by small organic coop farms?)
   Doing Nos. 2, 3 and 4 will rebuild our manufacturing base, which will rebuild the middle and working class, and lift millions out of poverty.
   
   A trillion dollar budget should be put in place for the next 20 years for government-led construction, investment, and finance in order to achieve Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5.
   
   

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6. 

   Laurence Aurbach Posted 6:44 am
   01 Aug 2008

   MandatesI would never want to mandate where and how people should live. Fortunately, some forecasts are showing the market for new, large-lot exurban development is going to disappear over the next couple of decades, and all future demand in the new housing market will be for small-lot houses and multifamily dwellings in walkable and transit oriented neighborhoods.
   There are proposals for goals and timetables for VMT reduction within communities, like the 2030 Community Challenge. I've seen proposals for rewarding localities or regions that meet standards along those lines. The ramifications of that idea should be explored.
   
   Ped Shed Blog

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7. 

   Jon Rynn Posted 7:20 am
   01 Aug 2008

   Yes, so that couldn't be a "step"because Gore would never go for something like that.  But I wasn't assuming a mandate, certainly there could be lots of carrots, and also, if need be, government-financed construction near transit stops.  There is a huge need for better and more housing in urban areas (example number one, Manhattan), and even though Chris Leinberger thinks the private sector should be left alone to do as it sees fit, there has to be a way to jump start transit-oriented development and the reestablishment of town and city centers.

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8. 

   Colin Wright Posted 11:21 am
   01 Aug 2008

   Yet another Grist plug...Enjoyed the interview (and following the links you provided). Did you catch the grist plug?Earthbeat Radio does for environmental coverage on the airwaves what Grist Magazine does for the environment in the cyber world. Solid, deep, fascinating coverage, not the rushed Cliff Notes version you get buried in your newspaper. Earthbeat Radio provides the kind of reporting and interviews that keep a movement glued together. May it thrive."
   -John Passacantando Director, Greenpeace USA
   
   As Jay Inslee noted in the first segment, the surprising thing about Gore's speech was that it was so widely accepted, with only quibbles about how soon it could be implemented.

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9. 

   Jon Rynn Posted 11:50 am
   01 Aug 2008

   I urge everyone to listen to the whole thing...the interview with Jay Inslee and Freeman, the first half-hour, is very good, and I noted that they both urged direct government action and investment, beyond r&d and tax credits.

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10. 

    Wolverine Posted 4:26 am
    02 Aug 2008

    MandatesWhile we all bristle at the idea of someone telling us where and how to live, humans are causing massive ecological and environmental damage by living suburban lifestyles.  I agree with Jon about offering carrots, but there should also be prohibitions on certain things like massive driving or overconsumption of fuels.
    Prioritizing selfish human desires over the Earth and the natural environment, and/or over the needs and rights of others and society as a whole, is one of the things that got us into this mess to begin with.  While people should be given as much freedom as possible, that freedom must come with attendant responsibilities.  People who act irresponsibly by, say, living in suburbs or exurbs need to have their freedoms restricted because their exercise of those freedoms is harming the Earth and all who live here.

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