Living Car Free - Advocate of Car-Free on TV today!

So they were having a television show today on the local television about our dependence on oil, and they had a guy on there who wrote a book about it and about how we need to find alternative forms of oil. They were speculating on whether we're running out of oil or if we just need to find other forms of energy. I called in, and I was the only caller they let on air. I advocated finding other forms of alternative energy, mentioning that we don't do enough here in the USA to look for cleaner, alternative fuel sources, which is a problem for our children and the future populations of the world. I also advocated doing everything by bike, and I started to go into that a bit more when I mentioned that we are too dependent on the Middle East and reminded them that crude oil went to $60 a barrel, which barely affects me since I bike, and boy did the host of the show pounce all over that, and that's what they spent the rest of the show discussing!

I actually am going to write the show and ask them to do one about alternative forms of transportation and how it can help us with being less dependent on oil. That's the first time I've been on air, and I think I done good! :)

Koffee

Go, Koffee!

Whooo hooooo! :)

Koffee

that's great, good for you.

Well done! See if you can get a recording of the show and post a clip here. :)

awesome
Koffee for president !!!!

Thor

Koffee, you're my hero.

Whoohoo Koffee!! Word!

You go, girl!

Way to go Koffee. You keep after them bastards.

Good Job!

You see what happens when one person gets off the couch? A simple phone call can make a big difference. :)

Preach it!

It's nice to "know" somebody who's part of the solution.

Well done! See if you can get a recording of the show and post a clip here. :)

Dunno how likely that is, but I'd love to see it as well! :)

thats a cool post koffee. but you use the word "advocate". why hasn't this thread been moved to the advocacy section yet.

Because it's about carfree, not car hate.

Koffee

i tried to say why i strongly dislike car culture but you moved that so to be incendiary i used the word hate

thats a cool post koffee. but you use the word "advocate". why hasn't this thread been moved to the advocacy section yet.

Hmmm... you certainly seem to have an axe to grind. Just an observation.

yep, i do
hmmmmmmmm.........

It would be great to go car free totally,however some of us live far from work ,for many a car is a necesary evil.

yep, i do
hmmmmmmmm......... Obviously from the subscript.

James, I think you're entirely right about cars being an unavoidable necessity for most people. It's good to have encouragement and support from people who share the vision of a less car dependent world, even if they can't personally manage it under current circumstances.

I can totally see how it's necessary to have a car. If you live far enough away from the job and/or have crappy transportation alternatives, a car is going to come in handy. I ain't crazy.... if I live in the middle of nowhere and there's no way to get from home to point B, I'm getting a car. Or if I live in a city where transportation is spotty to nonexistent, a car is a necessity.

Still, I'm glad to always live in areas that are easily accessible by bike. Now how to do some things by bike... that's the question...

Koffee

It would be great to go car free totally,however some of us live far from work ,for many a car is a necesary evil.


Have you (or at least the folks that you're talking about) considered moving closer to work or seeking alternative employment? Just pointing out that it might be less of a necessity and more of a desire. I don't think that most americans are capable of the distinction between the two. I find that the "necessity" of a car has kept many people impoverished as well.

I have two new neighbors (married) across the street who I believe to be retired, both of them easily in their mid 70's. They don't own a car, and walk everywhere. I think that if they did own one, or especially two cars, and operated them with the same frequency as most americans, they would almost certainly require at the very least part time jobs for both of them, or full time employment for one. Instead, they're able to enjoy retirement together.

Sorry for the off-topic post.


Edit: I don't mean to imply that I would even enjoy a car-free world, or that it's right for absolutely everyone, but I think it would work for far more people than most would like to admit.

There are such thing as 'busses' you know. And in my area they are starting to go electric...

In general I think it's hard for people to relocate in order to be close to their job. Many employers move from one suburban area to another every few years, and they often lay off people, too.

Right now I think being carfree outside the largest cities has to be considered an experimental lifestyle. It could become easier to do in the future as carfree thinking slowly filters into the awareness of urban planners, architects and engineers.

In general I think it's hard for people to relocate in order to be close to their job. Many employers move from one suburban area to another every few years, and they often lay off people, too.

While that's true (playing Devil's advocate) I have also known people to move out in the east-end suburbs when they worked in the high-tech sector with 90% of those jobs being in the west. Yes, jobs can be unpredictable, and then there is the issue of different members of the household working in vastly different places. On the other hand, though, you have to wonder at people who deliberately set themselves up for a 1 or 2 (or more) hour commute daily, plus the cost and pollution of that commute.

Living location is a compromise, particularly when you buy a house and can no longer pick up and move with a few month's notice. Like every other aspect of sharing the planet with others, though, it should still be made responsibly. When people act surprised that we live car-free, I point out our great transit system and cycling facilities and point out that we picked a house close to both.

That's a good point, patc. People who think they might want to try becoming more carfree someday, under the right circumstances, should make a mental note to check the transportation situation of a house or apartment before deciding to buy or sign a lease. That's something that's easy to forget when you are looking for a place to live.

I'm currently living in a condo for which the only entrance is along a half mile of an arterial road with hills, blind curves and no shoulders. I'm kicking myself every day for not considering that when I bought the condo!!

I think the point is that we are blessed to live in a society where many people can make choices about where they live and work. If you truly want to be carfree, you will choose to live and work where this is possible. If not, not. Nobody is to be blamed, but most people will be happier when they finally realize that they do have a choice.
Think outside the Cage!