[sustran] Re: [New Mobility/WorldTransport Forum] WBCSD report - general commentary

[Michael Yeates]

Dear Eric and all ...

Before going to the Report, it is often useful to start such a discussion 
with some fundamentals ie including some attempts to create some (or even a 
number of slightly different) semi-agreed definitions or descriptions, 
including of the "problems".

While I suggest this with humility and trepidation, it can be said that too 
often, it is these "fundamental" concepts or meanings that are uncritically 
accepted or (mis)understood because they are not made explicit, if not 
better resolved.

So what is "sustainable", "sustainability" and also should "more 
sustainable" be accepted but defined ie as incremental or temporal steps 
"in the right direction"?

If these are (semi-)agreed, it is necessary to show where are they located 
and how do they relate to the Report ... as a starting point.

Some basic "concerns" (coming from the very car dominated "world" of 
Brisbane, in Australia and for this discussion, excluding many other 
relevant issues, for example, global equity issues), relate to the 
following which need to be addressed by any claim to "sustainable" 
including the Report. Clearly, they may also provide indicators to measure 
achievements of goals over time.

1. Despite tailpipe and energy (eg solar powered vehicles) improvements, we 
are still left with huge and totally unresolved questions and in my view 
"unsustainable" solutions relating to congestion and parking issues whether 
cars, buses, trucks, trains or aircraft related to expectations based on 
the movement of huge loads over huge distances.

2. Thus we are also left with the danger, exclusion, barriers etc of high 
travel speed in various settings whether urban, suburban, rural or whatever 
... and especially by aircraft.

3. There is the carbon problem ... from local and regional ie pollution (C 
compounds and CO) right through to national, international and global (eg 
"greenhouse") but also the trade in cheap coal and other fuels.

4. Others have mentioned it, but there is also the question of urban 
planning where current lifestyles either resist or encourage change from 
the status quo ... so extreme care needs to be addressed as to how land use 
<> transport "policy" is addressed otherwise we will all be able to find 
excuses (rationale) for being "less than sustainable" and primarily to 
reduce any incentive to change the current dominant behaviours, policies etc.

5. This leaves (me with) the view that walking (including for people with 
mobility disabilities) and various forms of HPVs (human powered vehicles) 
are the ONLY modes with any claim to "sustainable mobility" (perhaps plus 
the addition of human or sail powered boats and some form of "sustainable 
aircraft" ) ...

6. Interestingly, humankind is either "there", or has been there, as most 
cultures and cities predate car-dominance ... the urban form of cities can 
be reclaimed for people and HPVs at no cost if "car dominance" is removed 
or reduced.

So do these "concerns" actually form the basis for a critique/debate of the 
issues of "sustainability" ... as once the discussion moves on, then it 
seems to be about something else ...eg how to get to "sustainability" or 
"moving towards more sustainability", or "becoming more sustainable" ?

Perhaps the question of "sustainable transport" is about whether to depend 
on human or solar/wind/water energy and to prioritise human safety, health 
and development over all other issues ... or not?

Surely we can accept that using public transport or car-pooling or 
car-sharing etc is NOT "sustainable", but rather is a move towards being 
"more sustainable" and then only under a whole raft of conditions, 
including not putting people using human power at any risk at all.

The use of public transport or car-pooling or car-sharing etc does not 
encourage much change in the demand for these "less than sustainable" modes 
and/or therefore, may and probably will decrease, rather than increase, 
demand for less unsustainable lifestyles and settings ie "car free" urban 
areas may need to be "pedestrian priority" to ensure public transport or 
car-pooling or car-sharing etc do not provide a reason to continue to not 
give pedestrians and cyclists priority.

Thus as this is almost impossible "sustainably", is using public transport 
etc, an answer, but perhaps to the wrong question?

A considerable task but one that cannot be postponed if the issues are to 
be addressed.

It should be technically possible to create a "car" that cannot harm or 
threaten pedestrians and cyclists.

I can guess where this leaves the car industry as we see it in practice and 
in its history and tradition.

A return to making simple, "sustainable", practical, disability aids, 
bicycles, and other HPVs?

Michael Yeates
Convenor
Public Transport Alliance and Bicycle User Research Group
Brisbane
Australia



At 07:19 PM 19/07/2004, eric.britton at ecoplan.org wrote:

>Monday, July 19, 2004, Paris, France, Europe
>
>
>
>Dear Friends,
>
>
>
>As you can see from the first round of responses in hours after the 
>original call, we are off to a strong start.  Couple of quick 
>organizational suggestions in an attempt to facilitate all this as we move 
>ahead.
>
>
>
>1. Subject headings for systematic citation: After some discussion we 
>propose the following subject headings for organizing future entries on 
>what is likely to be a quite extensive commentary.  (Notes in parenthesis 
>only for clarification here.)
>
>
>
>Overall subject heading: WBCSD report (bit shorter, hence better?)
>
>Discussion headings for consistent citation:
>
>·         WBCSD report General commentary
>
>·         WBCSD report Report contributions (to the debate, understanding 
>and remedial action)
>
>·         WBCSD report Targeting/Omissions
>
>·         WBCSD report Error (factual or of interpretation)
>
>·         WBCSD report Wit (including a series of short book blurbcomments 
>by us to accompany eventual revised version publication)
>
>·         WBCSD report Action recommendations to WBCSD (including to 
>report sponsors, associates, etc.)
>
>·         WBCSD report Next steps (Our recommendations)
>
>·         WBCSD report Media leads (to get greatest impact of our hard 
>work on this)
>
>
>
>My hope is that this structure may encourage you to comment on one or more 
>of these, which clearly should feed rather nicely into any eventual report 
>or recommendations.
>
>
>
>2. Self-identification: It would be much appreciated if with each posting 
>you remind us as to your full name, title, organizational affiliation, 
>etc.  Why? Because we want this to carry the weight of our considerable 
>background and credentials.  This indeed is the power of this 
>international peer review approach, making it I believe rather hard to ignore.
>
>3. Presentation of our materials:  All of this will inevitably be somewhat 
>ragged, spread out and hard to access efficiently if we leave it for the 
>Yahoo Forum alone -- so I will get to work on this in the next 48 hours 
>and create a cleaner presentation on the New Mobility Agenda website.
>
>
>
>4. Schedule:  I propose that we aim to tie this up with a final report 
>from this end (probably short with the whole discussion in annex) by the 
>end of August from this end with attention to giving our friends at the 
>ITDP as much as we/you conveniently can by their next week deadline. My 
>hope is that this two level approach will serve the cause best.  (in fact 
>it may lead to more levels than that, since these raw materials may find 
>many good uses in many places.  Or so I very much hope.)
>
>
>
>Since all of this is still early days, if you have any suggestions about 
>modifying or extending any of this better, please let me know off group 
>via Eric.Britton at ecoplan.org.
>
>
>
>Best,
>
>
>
>Eric Britton
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>The New Mobility/World Transport Agenda
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