[Vision2020] Inconvenient Truth -- Gradual transitions are important

[Nils Peterson]

Bill points to the rising gas prices and how that is changing the economics
of living in Deary and working in Pullman. That cheap house might not make
up for the gas costs...

Muddling Toward Frugality by Warren A. Johnson (1999) is a great little
read. Amazon has a couple used. His basic tenant is that our democratic
system is messy, and slow to respond, but given time, it handles problems
fairly well.

BUT if the problem is rapid, if the change must be sudden, then there is the
risk that the government will be forced into non-democratic tactics and this
is bad for America.

What concerns me about Johnson's argument, in the context of global warming,
is the suggestion by some scientists that the Greenland ice sheet could
collapse over a matter of years, not decades, and the collapse would both
raise sea levels and disrupt the gulf stream resulting in a mini-ice age in
northern Europe. Were those things to happen over the course of a decade
(time frame suggested in Gore's movie) the impact on advanced economies,
including ours would be huge and sudden (in Johnson's terms).

So, if you buy Johnson's idea that we need time as a democracy to muddle and
bang that up against the hard to grasp urgency of global warming, you might
share my growing alarm .

None the less, building in and up seems to me to be a right strategy. It
might not happen fast enough, but it needs to happen


On 8/24/06 3:19 PM, "Bill London" <london at moscow.com> wrote:

> the "building in and building up" idea that Nils supported is very real
> nationwide.
> Spokane and Coeur d'Alene are both great examples of that.  a 20 story
> condo/retail tower is going up in downtown Coeur d'alene right now, for
> example.
> Lots of people are realizing living downtown and not relying on cars for
> commuting, etc is the way to go now....
> I am feeling very sorry for those who live in Deary or whatever and have to
> commute to Moscow or Pullman daily.  Their budgets are being destroyed by
> gas prices.  And gas prices are poised to skyrocket....
> BL
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nils Peterson" <nils_peterson at wsu.edu>
> To: "Joe Campbell" <joekc at adelphia.net>
> Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 8:36 AM
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Inconvenient Truth -- What WE gonna do
> 
> 
>> Thanks Joe. I feel those same issues. And they are items for which the
> City
>> already has a Commission (transportation) and the Paradise Path Task
> force.
>> 
>> NewCities on Tues seemed to back away from talking about building in and
> up,
>> but I think we still need to. The area along the abandoned railroad is a
>> prime candidate location. The paradise path has some gaps along there that
>> could be fixed in the process and if there were residents in that area,
>> maybe they would drive less and park less downtown.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 8/24/06 7:00 AM, "Joe Campbell" <joekc at adelphia.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> I think the most important thing that we can do as a community is
> increase and
>>> encourage alternative forms of transportation. I don't have any answers
> but I
>>> do have some more detailed questions.
>>> 
>>> I've always been a big walker but in my present location I walk far less
> than
>>> I ever did. If you live on the south side of Rt. 8, as I do, it is
> difficult
>>> to take advantage of the Co-ops wonderful offer. What can we do to
> increase
>>> and encourage more walking and bike riding in town, especially from the
> south
>>> and east to the downtown area?
>>> 
>>> Similarly, I take the bus to work -- from Moscow to WSU -- pretty often.
> But I
>>> rarely ride the bus in town. There are two bus stops near my house and I
> know
>>> where they are but I still don't make use of that option. And I doubt
> that I'm
>>> atypical in this regard. How can we inform people about the Moscow bus
>>> schedule and encourage folks to use that form of transportation?
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Joe Campbell
>>> 
>>> ---- Nils Peterson <nils_peterson at wsu.edu> wrote:
>>> 
>>> =============
>>> I'm not too surprised that there was not an outpouring of personal
> actions
>>> to my previous question -- I'm about immobilized by the challenge as
> well.
>>> 
>>> Carbon neutral is an interesting concept, but knowing if something is
> carbon
>>> neutral is hard, and, given that most things include a transportation
>>> element, its going to be hard to be neutral.
>>> 
>>> Megan's veggie idea, as subsequently modified by other suggestions is
> one
>>> that resonates for me -- eat lower on the carbon input chain, which
> means
>>> eat local. That's something I can work on.
>>> 
>>> SO now,  I want to move the discussion out a level, what are WE, as
> Moscow,
>>> gonna do?
>>> 
>>> I got a piece of good news last night, PCEI has converted a vehicle to
>>> bio-diesel and they are talking about how to work with other fleets in
> town
>>> to convert them, and have a local bio-diesel supply. I know a couple
> other
>>> bio-diesel drivers around already and having a supply closer than
> Lewiston
>>> would be welcome news to them.
>>> 
>>> The COOP gives a discount for getting there by foot. One of the
> businesses
>>> in Alturas Park (Anatech maybe?) gives employees a financial incentive
> per
>>> mile that they travel to work by foot power. WSU & UI run a bus between
> the
>>> campuses and its free to students and employees (but UI almost cut the
>>> service this summer -- sad statement on their green commitment)
>>> 
>>> What else can we, in whatever collective groups, begin doing?
>>> 
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>> 
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>