Originally Posted by
gerv
I fear that's exactly what the marketing moguls are about to do. Implement a half measure. They'll tell you that an electric car is good for the environment and you'll feel better about your contribution to the well being of the planet.
However, it's pure marketing and it's mostly lies. The only reasonably sustainable 4-wheel technology is a Rhoades car (some of you may have to look this up
). Everything else is a poor stop-gap measure .
One of the things I wanted to explore in this thread was how the marketing types might sell a car-free, or at least low-resource-use, lifestyle through music, movies, social Internet media, etc. etc.
But I'm not seeing that anyone here thinks this even possible. Everyone seems to feel that you need to fix all the problems in your neighbourhood before you tell anyone else about some exciting ideas you have.
I honestly don't think that's how "viral" concepts get spread. It's more like half-baked ideas get disseminated and take root wherever they work... and quite often not where they were first cooked up.
What you are asking for is called propaganda not a movement then. That could be done in the past far easier that it is done today. The reason I believe is we have more access to information than we ever had in the past. I only meant this because it would be spreading a message the people don't believe in. The world is harder to move by a do as I say not as I do message we would have to export. What let the genie out of the bottle was world wide instant communication. People in Africa, Asia, and South America can see people living in Florida, New York, San Francisco, LA and other major cities on TV where people go to parties in Limos and sports cars. It is exciting and attention getting. Base Ball players in some south American countries can be brought to the US to play for a major team and make millions in their first year. They go home to visit and they arrive with a New Hummer or BMW and everyone wants one. Basket Ball players from Asia and some Baltic states become national heros and people see them living the big life.
How do we counter that image if the very people we want to hire aren't interested in living a car free image? People are impressed with new cars, big houses, pretty people and the jet set life and that is a easy sell. I simply doubt if any image you could come up with will go viral or that we are at a place where marketing could convince those still trying to get to where the US is, good or bad, that the life they have is better than the one they see we have. To sell a idea it has to be believable. To be believable people can't be able to click on TV or a computer and see a Hollywood party going on. I believe this is the lesson we are learning from China today, not that we in the US have a better idea but that the people want what they don't have now and aren't going to believe people that they never really trusted in the past if we tell them they don't know what they are doing and we want to be like they were.
All I am really saying is more or less what Roody said. It will not be exported by the US in our lifetime. And yes the idea of EVs has already taken hold and the gameboy generation will love that if it ever comes to pass. Even I would.
