“New York’s biggest environmental contribution lies in the fact that less than one-third of New Yorkers drive to work. Nationwide, more than seven out of eight commuters drive. More than one-third of all the public transportation commuters in America live in the five boroughs. The absence of cars leads Matthew Kahn, in his fascinating book, “Green Cities,” to estimate that New York has by a wide margin the least gas usage per capita of all American metropolitan areas. The Department of Energy data confirm that New York State’s energy consumption is next to last in the country because of New York City.”

From the New York Times

Via here

Here is the abstract:

An increasingly dominant, largely American response to the contemporary environmental crisis understands environmental degradation as the product of individual shortcomings and finds solutions in enlightened, uncoordinated consumer choice. Several forces promote this process of individualization, including the historical baggage of mainstream environmentalism, the core tenets of liberalism, the dynamic ability of capitalism to commodify dissent, and the relatively recent rise of global environmental threats to human prosperity. The result is to narrow our collective ability to imagine and pursue a variety of productive responses to the environmental problems before us. When responsibility for environmental problems is individualized, there is little room to ponder institutions, the nature and exercise of political power, or ways of collectively changing the distribution of power and influence in society. Confronting consumption requires individuals to understand themselves not primarily as consumers but rather as citizens in a participatory democracy, working together to change broader policy and larger social institutions. It also requires linking explorations of consumption to politically charged issues that challenge the political imagination.

I’ve frankly had enough of people who think the planet will be saved by low wattage lightbulbs Fair enough in hot climates where a/c actually accounts for a large proportion of electricity costs, but anytime a furnace is running a low wattage bulb won’t save you a nickel. In fact, an incondescent lightbulb is a more efficient heater than any forced air furnace (because it emits radiant heat, some of which is visible, rather than blown air).

I was writing my thesis - concerning elections/voting mechanisms - in the build up to the UK general election of 2005. Sadly the election was two late to include, but I tried to save interesting newspapers snippets for future reference/use (not that I would be able to find them now)

Dude… just chill