Jeremy Clarkson: Just been for a walk round the farm and I’m a bit alarmed by how few butterflies there are.

Something is afoot.

Danny Wallace: Diesel-smelling Top Gear host who threatened climate protestors misses butterflies.

  • Grimy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    332·
    4 months ago

    I’m really tired of this pervasive fantasy where people actually think we can get rid of all cars and bring public transport to the masses in the space of a year.

    We live in a car centric society and changing that is going to take a decade at the minimum.

    EVs are our best solutions currently, we don’t have time to wait for trains or hydrogen. We should absolutely start trying to phase cars out completely but that doesn’t negate the fact that saying “EVs don’t help” is essentially being an oil barons mouthpiece.

    • AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
      16·
      4 months ago

      changing that is going to take a decade at the minimum.

      And that’s way too optimistic. Given the life expectancy of modern autos, the “quick” option of EVs will be a couple decades or more.

      Building car-centric towns and cities has taken most of a century of constant growth. Now those cities exist and we no longer have the growth so rebuilding them is a much bigger job. We’re talking many decades, likely a century or more. In the meantime we can’t afford to be stuck with ICE.

      Although maybe you’re not from the US so the problem is not as severe. Here in Massachusetts we also have the advantage of so many towns and cities being built out before cars. We’re “behind” on being car-centric so hopefully can fix that trend more quickly

      • zalgotextEnglish
        8·
        4 months ago

        changing that is going to take a decade at the minimum.

        And that’s way too optimistic

        Best time to start was years ago, second best time to start is now. Maybe we can start by voting in favor of the next public transit initiative in our respective local elections.

        • AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          4 months ago

          Of course, but the point is that EVs are a useful step, even if transit is the goal and start now.

          Also that it’s going to take quite a while. Yes, we need to plant that tree ASAP and we need to take really good care of it and we need to appreciate shade as we get it …… but also realize it won’t be full grown until long after we’re gone.

    • davidagain@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      4 months ago

      (Hydrogen is very much not a solution. It takes way too much energy to make and it’s very dangerous to store.)