Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
needing to think and act in very different ways. The tools of government are often very limited,
particularly in the industrialised countries, where the tendency has been to follow neo-liberal
thought and not to try to influence (or 'socially engineer') individual behaviours, or to implement
'politically controversial' projects, or to spend large amounts of money on public transport
schemes (relative to spending on the private car). Thinking around this transition represents
a major intellectual challenge, and also a major implementation challenge for practitioners
and the public. Our final chapter discusses some of the (as yet) unsolved difficulties that
arise as we seek to move to more sustainable travel behaviours; how we might move beyond
our 'conspicuous consumption'and 'technological unconscious' (Veblen, 1899; Thrift,
2004), but also more fully understand and respond to the car as a central part of society
(Baudrillard, 1981a; Urry, 2007). We need to more fully understand the intractability of the
current situation, in that:
Cars will not easily be given up just (!) because they are dangerous to health and life,
environmentally destructive, based on unsustainable energy consumption, and damaging
to public life and civic space. Too many people find them too comfortable, enjoyable,
exciting, even enthralling. They are deeply embedded in ways of life, networks of friendship
and sociality, and moral commitments to family and care for others.
(Sheller, 2004)
The narrative of the motor car has lasted for only 125 years - but this seems much longer
- as if the car has been around forever. The impact on the fabric of the city, on individuals'
lives and society has been incredible, and it is easy to overlook the relatively short term nature
of the trends. In 50 years time we hope to be looking at very different means of movement
and interaction within our everyday lives, but changing the trajectory in the trends is and will
be difficult. However, the stakes are high - potentially the ultimate for humanity - in terms
of the use of oil, the increasing scarcity, the political skirmishes over the supply of oil, and
the changing climate. Perhaps resulting in the rise or the fall of civilisation as we know it
(Diamond, 2005). We really should be discussing our future options, and the major political
directions that we need to take, in earnest.
The following images illustrate the development of car-based travel, as sold in the marketing
and advertising and then - in juxtaposition - as realised in travel in the city. The car has been
very successfully marketed and sold in different ways, in terms of style, features and aspiration,
including the early emphasis on affordability, reliability and suitability for the mass market;
moving onto a more seductive pitch in terms of 'aspirational' lifestyles and fashion. In parallel,
there has been some marketing for public transport and cycling, but this has been very limited
in relation and much less sophisticated in approach. The common theme in car advertising
has been to encourage private car ownership, to illustrate the (real and unreal) benefits to the
individual, and to downplay the reality of the environmental and social dimensions of mass
motorisation, including the impact on the city.
