Climate Change
We need to think differently if we intend to live on this planet for more than just a couple more generations. Most of our human systems at this point are literally a dead end. We need to develop systems that allow us to rejoin with our fellow inhabitants on this planet and re-enter the cycle of life.
One of these dead end systems is trash. Even when we recycle, re-use, repurpose, reduce and refuse, this delays the inevitable result that most things we have end up as trash in our landfills, lakes, and oceans. The only way we can keep our oceans from overflowing with waste is to make regulations whereby any product manufactured must be endlessly recyclable and/or compostable and at the end of its life, must actually be recycled or composted.
We also need to start a human transportation technology revolution. All energy is dirty, some worse than others, but all forms of energy have a negative impact on our environment. If we are to live on this planet sustainably, we need to look for major efficiencies in everything we do. In particular we are way past due for a revolution in human transportation technology. No matter how efficient we make the modern four wheeled auto, it is still inherently incredibly inefficient. The average car weighs 4000 pounds. This means that in order to move an average 200 pound person around we use the fuel/energy needed to move 4000 pounds. This is a 5 percent efficiency at best. Multiplied by the efficiency of an electric motor at 80% or a gasoline motor at 30% still gives us an efficiency rating of 4% and 1.5% respectively. In reality much of electric power still comes from fossil fuels so even that 4% rating is overly optimistic.. Theoretically buses and trains are more efficient, but in actual practice in the US, they are about the same. So about 98% of the energy we use to move ourselves around is waste, which is terrible!
Refining 20th century transportation technology is not the path forward. We need to think beyond the behemoth. We live in a city of high tech and innovation. Some of the best engineering minds in our country live right here. We need to make a challenge to ourselves: design and build a system of reliable and safe individual transportation that weighs 200 lbs or less per person, and can quickly take us anywhere we need to go. Achieving this would move us from about 2% efficiency to about 40% efficiency, cutting our carbon production in transportation by 95% or 1/20th of its current use. Building this industry here in Seattle would have many positive impacts on our local economy and have a positive impact around the globe.
While this is a large and lofty goal that will need many partners in business and government to succeed, I sincerely believe we are capable, it would be a generous gift to ourselves and our world.
One of these dead end systems is trash. Even when we recycle, re-use, repurpose, reduce and refuse, this delays the inevitable result that most things we have end up as trash in our landfills, lakes, and oceans. The only way we can keep our oceans from overflowing with waste is to make regulations whereby any product manufactured must be endlessly recyclable and/or compostable and at the end of its life, must actually be recycled or composted.
We also need to start a human transportation technology revolution. All energy is dirty, some worse than others, but all forms of energy have a negative impact on our environment. If we are to live on this planet sustainably, we need to look for major efficiencies in everything we do. In particular we are way past due for a revolution in human transportation technology. No matter how efficient we make the modern four wheeled auto, it is still inherently incredibly inefficient. The average car weighs 4000 pounds. This means that in order to move an average 200 pound person around we use the fuel/energy needed to move 4000 pounds. This is a 5 percent efficiency at best. Multiplied by the efficiency of an electric motor at 80% or a gasoline motor at 30% still gives us an efficiency rating of 4% and 1.5% respectively. In reality much of electric power still comes from fossil fuels so even that 4% rating is overly optimistic.. Theoretically buses and trains are more efficient, but in actual practice in the US, they are about the same. So about 98% of the energy we use to move ourselves around is waste, which is terrible!
Refining 20th century transportation technology is not the path forward. We need to think beyond the behemoth. We live in a city of high tech and innovation. Some of the best engineering minds in our country live right here. We need to make a challenge to ourselves: design and build a system of reliable and safe individual transportation that weighs 200 lbs or less per person, and can quickly take us anywhere we need to go. Achieving this would move us from about 2% efficiency to about 40% efficiency, cutting our carbon production in transportation by 95% or 1/20th of its current use. Building this industry here in Seattle would have many positive impacts on our local economy and have a positive impact around the globe.
While this is a large and lofty goal that will need many partners in business and government to succeed, I sincerely believe we are capable, it would be a generous gift to ourselves and our world.