Hans Noeldner

The blogosphere overfloweth with indignation and facts and advice for third-persons regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. So let’s get personal instead. Consider for a moment the various ways which WE (that would be you and me) might choose to relate to it. Ready?

A Bloomberg poll of leading US economists found that 79% were “shocked” or “dismayed” by the recently-readjusted Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that labor productivity in the United States plunged by 13.8% in 2010. Asked how they felt about the corresponding sharp decline in U3 unemployment – from 10.1% to 6.3% – 31% of these economists said improved employment numbers were “welcome”, but 88% considered the correlation (between falling productivity and falling unemployment) “counterintuitive” or “irrelevant”. All agreed that the top priority must be to return to increased productivity and healthy economic growth as rapidly as possible.

We must thoroughly analyze the efficiencies of our existing transportation modes, soberly review existing and practically-achievable alternatives, and then responsibly choose those transportation arrangements our heirs can afford in the future. This is not the time to shoot from the hip, “wish upon a star”, or print our money into hyperinflation!

The species homo automobilicus would much rather wait for technological silver bullets than adopt lifestyle changes – especially as regards unlimited personal motorized mobility.

I dream of “green” schools in my community; of parents, students, teachers, and administrators working together to make our children’s education sustainable and earth-friendly.

The preferred habitat of the motorist is intrinsically a terrible habitat for the pedestrian, and vice-versa. Places truly congenial for both are a spatial impossibility.