Advocacy & Safety - ever read Energy and Equity?

Has anyone read Energy and Equity by Ivan Illich? Dirt Rag did a brief write up on it in issue 99. It deals with the real cost of a car, both in terms of time and money. It's out of print now, so it can be tough to find. I bought a copy from half.com today and I'm looking forward to reading it. If anyone has read it, what did you think?

Has anyone read Energy and Equity by Ivan Illich? Dirt Rag did a brief write up on it in issue 99. It deals with the real cost of a car, both in terms of time and money. It's out of print now, so it can be tough to find. I bought a copy from half.com today and I'm looking forward to reading it. If anyone has read it, what did you think?

How much did you pay?

I just found this link. Is this was you bought? Go the link below the abstract for full text
http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/~ira/illich/texts/energy_and_equity/



cheers

Marty

I saw that link too. It was about $11 shipped (when it was in print it listed at $10). I can read out of a book easier than on a computer screen or printouts, so it's worth the money to me.

I'd have to agree almost totally. I agree with a lot of the points that he brings up. When I'm at school I travel exclusively by bike and train and I save so much money and time and I don't feel that "traffic lag" that plagues commuters everywhere. Massachusetts has a pretty good transit system for the Boston area. What do other people do for travel.

Has anyone read Energy and Equity by Ivan Illich? Dirt Rag did a brief write up on it in issue 99. It deals with the real cost of a car, both in terms of time and money. It's out of print now, so it can be tough to find. I bought a copy from half.com today and I'm looking forward to reading it. If anyone has read it, what did you think?

I think everyone knows we are paying a tremendous price for this hyper-mobile society we live in today. The question of course is not how but when this house of cards will fall.

I live near downtown and work right out on the edge, so when I commute by car I am going in the opposite direction to the rush traffic - fast ride but boring. Public transit is slower than biking, because it involves 3 changes, with about 10 minutes wait at each change. Cycling takes twice as long as the car but it isnt time wasted - it is all quality recreation time.

www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/~ira/illich/texts/energy_and_equity/energy_and_equity.html

-- I celebrate that Illich's work is published free to the public on the internet. THANK YOU PhattTyre for bringing this to our attention.

I didn't end up getting the book from Half.com. They didn't have any left. I think I'll just suck it up and read it online or print it out at school for free. It's a book I'd like to actually own, but I'll take what I can get.

I think everyone knows we are paying a tremendous price for this hyper-mobile society we live in today. The question of course is not how but when this house of cards will fall.
It's just a shame that those of us who do not use cars end up subsidizing those who do. In the US, petroleum costs are directly and indirectly subsidized by the government; auto companies get state and local tax breaks to put plants in a community; we all pay for cleanup costs for auto-caused air pollution; and our health insurance premiums are higher to vover those poor souls (mostly children) who are harmed by polluted air. These are just some of the direct, day-to-day costs that we have to bear so others can afford to drive their autos. I'm gonna go check out that book now. It sounds interesting.

I agree that driving a car is about the most wasteful and expensive transportation option available. That's why I ride my bike and take mass transit.

But on the flip-side, without a car, many people (like my family) would also do without a second job, good choice of schools, convenient access to shopping, long trips, etc.

I see driving as a necessary evil (and fun, sometimes.)