This issue is very important to me as I can't accept that MORE OIL is the answer.
The fact is that the United States is an entire country built for the car. The pedestrian is almost completely ignored except in very dense areas of population. In this day and age, if you don't have a car you don't have a job. Without a car we can't do simple tasks such as getting food for dinner, picking up our children from school, or even LOOKING FOR A JOB. If you are unemployed and live in a typical sprawl-suburb, chances are you can't afford the gas needed to go out and look for a job in person.
This kind of neglect to pedestrian needs is sickening to me. I can't remember the last time I saw more than 2 or 3 people biking down a typical 4 lane road in a suburb. Nor do I remember seeing anyone walking on the sidewalk. The ability to walk/bike to and from work, shopping, and home is essential if we ever wish to lower our dependence on fossil fuels.
I know some of you love your cars, and thats all fine. Our culture has taught us that the car is king. It is going to take a lot of learning and change in order to break our bad habits and create good ones. I sincerely believe that many problems facing us today can be solved by alternative transportation and energy sources.
I could go on forever.. I've read so many books that relate to this subject as it happens to be one of my favorites.
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