Though I would argue with some of the author's assumptions about carbon footprints and power grid challenges, he's right that fewer cars ultimately means a better environment and less carbon. No argument with that.
However... As much as I'd love to just tell everyone to ride a bike to work, or the grocery store, or to drop off their kids, or whatever, the reality is that in most cities (especially US cities) a car is a requirement. City planners assumed everyone would have one, engineers overbuilt roads for them to the detriment of walking or biking, and businesses and residential areas are often far apart from each other.
In order to achieve a more efficient transportation system, we'll have to redesign and rebuild our cities, and that simply isn't a realistic short term goal. We should work on that, reset our standards, change our zoning laws, and encourage denser living spaces that are built for people instead of cars, but we have to recognize this will take decades.
So in the mean time, solar panels and an electric car DO have a material impact on carbon emissions, and I'd encourage everyone to begin that migration until such time as we live in cities that don't require cars.
However... As much as I'd love to just tell everyone to ride a bike to work, or the grocery store, or to drop off their kids, or whatever, the reality is that in most cities (especially US cities) a car is a requirement. City planners assumed everyone would have one, engineers overbuilt roads for them to the detriment of walking or biking, and businesses and residential areas are often far apart from each other.
In order to achieve a more efficient transportation system, we'll have to redesign and rebuild our cities, and that simply isn't a realistic short term goal. We should work on that, reset our standards, change our zoning laws, and encourage denser living spaces that are built for people instead of cars, but we have to recognize this will take decades.
So in the mean time, solar panels and an electric car DO have a material impact on carbon emissions, and I'd encourage everyone to begin that migration until such time as we live in cities that don't require cars.