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42 comments on How Oil Conservation Hurts Governments

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Leanan on December 4, 2005 - 2:04pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Of course, it could be argued that all of us, including cyclists, are benefitting from trucks' use of the roads.  That's how most of us get our groceries, not to mention how your local bike shop gets bikes and bike parts.
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tappel on December 4, 2005 - 2:51pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
This is true, but of course the road wear is a very good reason to move long distance inland cargo traffic from road to rails where available. I don't see much of this being done, rather the opposite, at least here in the Northern Europe.
(Although here in Finland much of the road wear comes from studded winter tires, which are allowed for six months a year, and only allowed for light vehicles.)
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Leanan on December 4, 2005 - 3:35pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Studded tires and chains aren't allowed in this area.  Which of course means we have fleets and fleets of snowplows, and tons and tons of salt put on the roads each winter.  Which probably cause as much damage as the snow tires would.  

Our whole distribution system has moved away from the railroads.  The Wal-Mart model is built on cheap energy.  Their cavernous stores are out in the boonies, their distribution centers are far from the stores, the ports are far from the distribution centers.  Trucks are used as "rolling warehouses."  It's going to get ugly if energy prices keep rising, or if there are actual shortages.    

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42 comments on How Oil Conservation Hurts Governments

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