Stonehenge and its Environs 134
Image by Mr Hamhead

nix wrote:
tjj wrote:
We can't turn back time but we can kick our collective addiction to speed and the personal desire to get everywhere in the shortest possible time.

.. Good luck indeed to future generations having to deal with global warming and diminishing sources of energy - let's not forget that the internet uses a massive amount of energy itself. .

"There is no getting around getting around" - wasn't that Julian Cope?

Our culture wouldn't be where it is with the mobility we have. I doubt future generations would want to be with out the benefits of that culture. Cars, the internet, drugs are neutral things - just open to abuse.

I see a much more positive picture - I see things getting better, people starting to behave more responsibly, roads being closed, more bike lanes, better conservation, more awareness - probably in a large part to the repeated protests and efforts of people like yourself - just takes a bit of time and often seems painfully slow!

I think that's a more realistic/optimistic view. What we need as a bare minimum to improve things is a vast investment in public transport, but that isn't going to happen because there's simply no significant demand for it. The only thing that will change that is a fuel crisis, which may very well happen.

Currently, public transport is a joke. I'm hard pressed to find a medium-distance journey that isn't cheaper by car. Most of them are shorter by car. That's really the wrong way round.

Mustard wrote:
What we need as a bare minimum to improve things is a vast investment in public transport, but that isn't going to happen because there's simply no significant demand for it.
The main reason there's no vast investment in the rail network isn't because there is no demand, actually there is a soaring demand from commuters to do just that.

"88% of rail respondents deem government support for the provision of rail infrastructure 'essential'.
Improving the capacity on existing lines is regarded as the most urgent infrastructure need."

http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/news/77075/demand-for-government-investment-in-rail-infrastructure-intensifying

The main reason for the lack of investment in infrastructure is because the profits made from rail fares are paid to the shareholders of the privatised train companies. You will not get significant infrastructure spending on the railways unless they are re-nationalised. Currently privatised rail services are subsidised by the taxpayer by about 5 times as much as BR was.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/13/rail-fares-passengers-renationalisation

Off-point, but some interesting stuff here:

http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/key-issues/future-of-transport/nine-future-stories