Thank you, Chris I can't say where it comes from, really. The style of thinking is rather Hegelian-Marxian, the conception of "car culture" as some kind of force, not to mention the free and random substitution of symbolic and functional aspects. Whatever the origin, successive rounds of self-congratulatory elaboration in a vacuum does tend to develop an idea into something bigger and more outrageous than it might have been if there had been the opportunity to confront whatever error it contains.
Regards Dawie Coetzee ________________________________ From: Chris Burck <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: sustainablelorgbiofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Fri, 22 April, 2011 5:35:25 Subject: Re: [Biofuel] NEWS - Clean transportation alternative dawie, as usual you have lifted the veil and voiced what lies at the core of the discussion. however, you aren't actually suggesting that "car culture" rhetoric is original to the "carfree crowd? On Apr 20, 2011 5:14 PM, "Dawie Coetzee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The thing to understand is that bicycling happens spontaneously where walking is > a viable way to get from A to B. As such it isn't really a mode of > transportation on its own, however successfully it occurs in certain places, but > rather a variant of the pedestrian mode. Attempts to establish bicycling as an > alternative to motorized transportation in unwalkable contexts will therefore > always tend to have an element of force about them. > > If the aim is walking, bicycles will follow almost by accident. If the aim is > bicycles forcible measures may be needed to exclude motorcycles, measures that > do not appeal to me. It involves someone standing there to see that I haven't > strapped an engine to my bicycle, and there are already too many people > similarly standing there for other reasons. > > Walkability is a much better standard. It contains an element of spontaneity > that renders it organic. > > In my experience of the Carfree crowd they are (or at least contain) a strange > lot. There is an unfortunate sort of snobbery that regards a fondness for motor > vehicles, and especially old low-tech high-performance vehicles, to be proof of > an incapacity for independent thought. They admit to having no understanding of > such a fondness yet do not on those grounds see themselves unqualified to > criticize it. As a consequence they persist in getting it wrong: the fallacious > notion that "car culture" contributes materially to transport modal choice > persists. Because the idea is never questioned it is too easy for them to put > the entire complex issue of vehicle-dependence, land use, and systems of > economy down to "being in love with one's car". It is like ascribing the > exploitation of female labour to uxoriousness: it doesn't follow, and indeed the > opposite might well obtain. > > A radical reduction in vehicle use is as good for the avid car enthusiast as it > is for everyone else, and the reason for this is that a personal fondness for > cars is very seldom a fondness for cars as a means of transport. Less traffic > means open roads, less danger from other road users, less competitiveness; it > can also mean less intrusive legislation, less strict policing, more scope for > technological creativity, and more fun. But some in the Carfree movement would > ensure that traffic levels always remain high enough to justify taking all the > fun out of motoring, just to punish the enthusiast. If they can't have no cars > they'd rather have too many, as only a few cars would cause motoring to cease to > be a problem and deprive them of a basis on which to object to it. > > Regards > > Dawie Coetzee > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org > Sent: Wed, 20 April, 2011 19:40:20 > Subject: Re: [Biofuel] NEWS - Clean transportation alternative > > Thanks Hoagy > > A couple more to add, from World Carfree News #85 - April 2011: > http://worldcarfree.net/ > > QUOTATION OF THE MONTH > "We will not be banning cars from city centres any more than we will > be having rectangular bananas." - > UK transport minister Norman Baker, on the EU 2050 strategy for > transport, which aims to eliminate conventional cars from European > cities. > > In anticipation of the World Naked Bike Ride (June 12) the Brighton > group is planning a special event to raise funds and have a good > time. It will take place on Saturday 9th April, from 7.30 to 11.30pm > at the Hanover Community Centre on 33 Southover Street. The cost is > £7 on door, or £5.50 in advance purchase > <http://www.edgeoftime.co.uk/index.php?p=t2&c=all>. > WNBR Brighton <www.worldnakedbikeride.org/brighton> > > IMPROVING CYCLING CONDITIONS IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, USA > The Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition works to improve cycling conditions > in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They celebrate their 1st anniversary this > April. If you live in Twin Cities and want to become involved, please > contact them or come to one of their monthly meetings. > Read more <http://www.saintpaulbicyclecoalition.org/>. > > VELOCYPEDIA OPEN CALL > We are announcing open call for art works for an exhibition: > Contemporary art exhibition about bicycle passion and sustainable > transport. The exhibition will be held in the Gallery of National > Technical Library in Prague in May 2011. > Exhibition dates: 3rd May --24th May 2011 > Curators: Lenka Kukurová, Milan Mikulás(tík > Application deadline: 15th April 2011 > Please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]. > > The Velocity conference just took place in Seville, Spain. It has > come to light how far this city has come in advancing cycle-friendly > atmosphere, jumping from a modal share of under 1% to a current 7% in > five years. For some glimpses into how this happened, read more > < http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/sevilles_lesson_to_world_how_to_become_bike_friendly#velocity2010 >. > > > Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign (Scotland), has delivered the > following publication: "Cycle commuting with Kids" > <http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/downloads/advice/commuting-with-kids/> > which is a factsheet all about making the inclusion of children in > bicycle trips and everyday cycling smoother. Direct download here > < http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1101-Cycle-Commuting-with-kids-Spokes-factsheet-v7-1302111.pdf >. > > > LITTLE GREEN BIKE VIDEO > > Follow the little green bike in a hilly city! This video was produced > by Massimiliano Amirfeiz (WCN member) in collaboration with Monleone > Films for the "Toward Carfree Cities Conference" held in York (UK) > last year. It shows how it is possible to get around by bike even in > a city considered to be "challenging" such as Genoa (Italy). Thanks > to folding bike and a seamless integration with different means of > mass transit, uphill bike climbs or long stretches are no longer > necessary. > > Watch the video. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlBHS9xl6eo> For > more information, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]. > > Best > > Keith > > >>Around the World by Bicycle >>Jakarta Globe >>Traveling by bicycle, the 37-year-old said, also allowed him to explore >>remote areas that would be impossible to enter by car or bus. From an early >>age, Garcia has been eager to learn as much about the world as possible. >>... >> http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/around-the-world-by-bicycle/436114 >> >>Youth cyclists to bike 1800 miles along Underground Railroad >>The Daily Tar Heel >>By Alison lee | The Daily Tar Heel Local high school students will >>commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by bicycling 1800 miles >>north, following the clandestine footsteps of runaway slaves. The Spoke 'n >>Revolutions Youth Cycling group ... >> http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2011/04/youth_cyclists_to_bike_1800_miles_along_underground_railroad >> >> >>Young cyclists get on their bike for charity >>Lisburn Today >>LOCAL students Charlie McKerr and Adam Pyper recently got on their bikes >>and set off around Northern Ireland to help a building project in Africa. >>Charlie and Adam are using pedal power to raise much needed funds for >>Habitat for Humanity build new homes in Zambia. ... >> http://www.lisburntoday.co.uk/community/young_cyclists_get_on_their_bike_for_charity_1_2596466 >> >> >>Cyclists Bike for Cleaner Air in the Philippines >>NTDTV >>Thousands of cyclists joined the annual bicycle parade in Manila on Sunday >>to campaign for clean air and sustainable environment as part of their >>Earth Day celebrations. Cyclists peddled a 27-mile stretch to bring >>attention to alternative forms of ... >> http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_life/2011-04-18/cyclists-bike-for-cleaner-air-in-the-philippines.html >> >> >>City plans 33 miles of new bike lanes this year >>Indianapolis Star >>The city will start construction next month on more than 30 miles of >>bicycle lanes on eight streets. By year's end, the city will have 63 miles >>of bike lanes, nearly all created since 2008. The tab for 33 miles planned >>this year is $10 million, ... >>http://www.indystar.com/article/20110418/NEWS05/104180362 >> >>Road Markings Intended To Alert Motorists About Cyclists >>Hartford Courant >>Residents may be asking why there are bike symbols being painted on some of >>the town's roadways. The symbols are actually "sharrows" intended to remind >>motorists to share the road and to bring awareness to the presence of >>cyclists on the roadways. ... >> http://www.courant.com/community/simsbury/hc-simsbury-symbols-0419-20110418,0,6658254.story >> >> >>Police cyclists coming >>The Bridgeton News - NJ.com >>By Steve Smith MILLVILLE - Five members each from the Millville Police and >>Cumberland County Sherriff's departments have completed the International >>Police Mountain Bike Association's (IPMBA) police cyclist course, receiving >>instruction in traffic laws ... >> http://www.nj.com/bridgeton/index.ssf?/base/news-19/130309980877430.xml&coll=10 >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>Biofuel mailing list >>Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel >> >>Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >> >>Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): >>http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: /pipermail/attachments/20110420/55391e6a/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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