Warmists who mostly refuse to give up their own use of fossil fueled vehicles are vexed that the automobile industry hasn’t abandoned the manufacture of fossil fueled vehicles, which is a shocker in itself, because we all know that consumers are clamoring for expensive vehicles that can barely get us to work and back, right?
The modern automobile must die
Germany was supposed to be a model for solving global warming. In 2007, the country’s government announced that it would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by the year 2020. This was the kind of bold, aggressive climate goal scientists said was needed in all developed countries. If Germany could do it, it would prove the target possible.
So far, Germany has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 27.7 percent — an astonishing achievement for a developed country with a highly developed manufacturing sector. But with a little over a year left to go, despite dedicating $580 billion toward a low-carbon energy system, the country “is likely to fall short of its goals for reducing harmful carbon-dioxide emissions,†Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. And the reason for that may come down not to any elaborate solar industry plans, but something much simpler: cars.
“At the time they set their goals, they were very ambitious,â€Patricia Espinosa, the United Nations’ top climate change official (who takes lots of fossil fueled car and plane trips), told Bloomberg. “What happened was that the industry — particularly the car industry — didn’t come along.â€
It’s almost like car manufacturers are making the vehicles that consumers mostly want. Heck, Ford is going to do away with almost all their cars in favor of SUVs and trucks because they think consumers no longer want fuel efficient sedans. Other US manufacturers are doing the same.
Anyhow, we get lots of typical Warmist whining, before
For Germany to meet emissions targets, “half of the people who now use their cars alone would have to switch to bicycles, public transport, or ride-sharing,†Heinrich Strößenreuther, a Berlin-based consultant for mobility strategies told Yale Environment 360’s Christian Schwägerl last fall. That would require drastic policies, like having local governments ban high-emitting cars in populated places like cities. (In fact, Germany’s car capital, Stuttgart, is considering it.) It would also require large-scale government investments in public transportation infrastructure: “A new transport system that connects bicycles, buses, trains, and shared cars, all controlled by digital platforms that allow users to move from A to B in the fastest and cheapest way — but without their own car,†Schwägerl said. (snip)
The most effective solution would be to combine these policies. Governments would require drastic improvements in fuel efficiency for gas-powered vehicles, while investing in renewable-powered electric car infrastructure. At the same time, cities would overhaul their public transportation systems, adding more bikes, trains, buses and ride-shares. Fewer people would own cars.
You vill comply, Herr Comrade.
