What We Are Reading
We're no strangers to the last mile problem-- the challenge of moving people between transportation hubs and their final destinations. So we delve into this by first looking into how we can solve this, and how micromobility comes into the picture.
Read MoreThe French president is the first major political leader brave enough to acknowledge the inter-related declines in population, pollution, natural resource use, food supply, industrial output, and the economy.
Read MoreOne reason why commuters in Kuala Lumpur are less inclined to use public transport is that most of them don’t live near a transport hub. A recent survey undertaken by the MRP shows that on average, respondents needed a 30 to 33-minute walk to their nearest public transport connection. The end result? More cars on the roads, means increased emissions, crashes, and congestion.
Read MoreFocusing on GDP presents an enticing distraction from the associated ecological harm. Jack Santa Barbara argues that ignoring the corresponding decline in energy is a recipe for economic and social catastrophe.
MRP™ views:
By implication, as energy output wanes, the world will be forced to lower energy transportation. That is good news for micromobility. The author does not mention it, but the challenge for humankind is getting from Level 1 of energy states to Level 2 on the Kardashev Scale. By using too much energy to generate more energy we are in fact limiting our progress to elevate ourselves into Level 2. If we don’t work this out soon, we will be condemned to remain inside Level 1 while depleting and degrading our ability to ever aspire to Level 2. Nuclear fusion may have an answer if it ever deploys at operational scale. In the meantime we have to find a way to change the narrative of the past century, which is that increasing GDP ad infinitum is possible, driven by supposedly boundless fossil fuels, without accounting for externalities. And in parallel, use available energy much more efficiently, as micromobility transportation is able to achieve.
Consumers say yes, the numbers add up, the industry is largely on board and Labor has no policy hang-ups. This week could be the turning point.
MRP™ views:
It is positive to see a gradual change in perspectives on EV in Australia (and New Zealand). However, there are a few potential issues in fixating on EV’s as our transport solution. For one, EV still use braking systems that would emit PM 2.5, which is established to cause millions of deaths and illnesses globally. Some research notes it may be that PM 2.5 emissions are substantially greater due to the heavier weights of EV, especially if larger EV are introduced, which appears to be a trend. The replacement of ICE by EV will also still carry a significant LCA impact, and perversely does not reduce the over reliance on auto centricity, which is a major potential barrier to any significant increase in active and MM trips (and a more substantial reduction of carbon emissions from transport.