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Transport 2000 Atlantic July 29/98
The front page headline in today's Halifax Chronicle-Herald hoodwinks the
readers. It's very comfortable (but self righteous) to be able to point
fingers at big bad industries as the evil enemies of the environment. The
truth of the matter is that the biggest polluters, especially in terms of
global warming, is US! But that's uncomfortable so we don't like to talk
about it. We like our cars. Besides "us" are voters, and government is
unlikely to want to offend us.
By far the largest production of greenhouse gases and use of non-renewal
petroleum resources is by the transportation sector. Trends in the way we
travel and ship our goods are moving us farther away and not closer to
our "Kyoto" goals. We are using our cars and making short-haul air trips
more than ever. More important we are shipping our goods by truck rather
than by rail which would be 3 to 6 times more environmentally efficient.
Read the "Sustainable Transportation Monitor" obtainable from the Centre
for Sustainable Transportation, cstctd@web.net, phone 416-923-9970.
The recent campaign to twin highway 101 all the way to Digby under the
guise of "safety" is a case in point. Traffic volumes, at least west of
Kentville, cannot justify the 1/4 BILLION dollar expenditure. More roads
just encourages more automobiles and trucks and long-distance commuting.
Why not relay rail tracks west from Kentville at least to Middleton for
freight and run a scheduled commuter bus from Kentville and Windsor into
Halifax. That would ease rush-hour congestion and save lives for a
fraction of the road expansion cost.
Remember: Loosening your belt is NOT a cure for obesity!
John Pearce, Transport 2000 Atlantic.
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