The automobile: America’s favorite nephew.
Ever since Ford’s introduction of the assembly line, we have had an enthusiastic obsession with our cars. They are a default status symbol, so to speak — they represent the ability to go wherever you want, whenever you want, for as much gas as your wallet can cover. In many ways, the car is the structure of American life.
Very few people question the practicality of the car; for our daily purposes, it seems to be adequate. Throw in the multitude of daily car advertisements (all of which depict their product in the most complimentary light possible) and the portrayal of expensive cars as cool and desirable in pop culture (from movies all the way down to kiddy commercials and television programs), and you have a fetish for cars that will not easily collapse.
The general public is, at the very least, beginning to accept the idea that our reliance on cars cannot and will not last forever, but most view it as a problem of the future, something that can be put off for a few years, or at least placed behind our daily priorities.
It is not general knowledge that we may have already reached peak oil — the point at which we can most efficiently extract petroleum from global reserves — though we cannot know for sure, and studies vary. But even optimistic estimates suggest that our ability to extract oil will be on the decline in 20 years. The era of plentiful gas is coming to an end, and at this rate, we will not be ready for it.
The solution to this problem is not a novel idea, but one often downplayed in the U.S. — public transportation.
Taking the train or the bus holds many advantages over driving a car. Public transportation is environmentally efficient and can drastically decrease traffic without constantly needing to build more roads. It offers a new job market with thousands of potential jobs, something that, with today’s economy, should not be ignored.
Depending on the distance you travel, taking the bus or train can prove to be quite cost-effective; and in 20 years, it could easily be the cheapest way to get around.
The idea may seem preposterous to you, but that is only because America’s current system of public transportation, outside of major cities, is inadequate and underdeveloped. The money that could be going into funding a more reliable bus system, or an interstate train system, is being poured into road construction and repair — much of which is directly due to traffic congestion.
And the detrimental effects of road construction and car-based pollution on the environment should not be considered a side note. It is another of the many reasons that going green is the way of the future.
It is time for America to take a different approach to transportation, one that discards the outdated notion of the car as the only way to travel.
It will require time and money to make an effective public transportation system, and these are not changes that can be made overnight.
But if we wait until oil is a rarity, our transition to public transport will be clumsy and painful, not to mention much more expensive than it would be right now.
Addressing the issue today is a necessary investment in a brighter tomorrow. We need to start talking about this.
Tim Freer is a junior journalism major from Asheville studying abroad in England. Contact Tim at freer@email.unc.edu.
