Do you drive a car?
Someone reading my posts in this blog asked me if I drive a car to assess my genuine commitment to environmental protection issues. Yes, I do drive a gasoline car, and yes, I am concerned with environmental degradation issues. If I could choose a public means of transportation to serve my needs, I would give up having a car. The problem is that currently in Macau – the city where I live in – cannot provide me with an efficient public transportation fulfilling my needs which I am sure to be common to many of my neighbours. There is only one public bus route going from my residential area to my son’s school and my work place, and buses on this route are also in reduced number.
This illustrates how public policies can in fact shape our behavior and determine its impact on the environment. Therefore, it is not surprising that Macau is one of the world cities with the highest per capita number of motor vehicles. If people are given good and efficient public transportation means, or if there were non-polluting cars at affordable prices in the market, there should be an improvement in the air quality and a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and hence on climate change.
There is also a difference between being in favor of a sustainable human development and supporting the environment and nature protection at any cost. I support the first one. Men can no longer afford to leave large amounts of resources and lands of nature untouched, but can choose to minimize the damages caused by its continuous development and population growth. That is the challenge of pursuing the so-called policies of sustainable development: allowing humans to develop while preserving and reducing risks of nature destruction and depletion of its resources.
3 comments:
That is true! I feel that the only way to solve the car problem is to gradually force industries to transform the car engines into a less polluting system. Also governments should stimulate the acquisition of these types of vehicles, like tax reduction, loan advantages etc etc.....It's a way to devolop the industry..in a more sustainable way, and take care of the future.
Otherwise Macau Administration should provide a TAX cut and stimulate the use of less poluted cars. Are they thinking to change their policy on that? Anybody knows?
Even if there was a tax cut, prices of hybrid cars prices are expensive in Macau and in any place of the world because producers expect to cover initial investments first. Consumers also tend to be a bit more cautious because first models usually need more improvements and maintenance/reparing costs are also more expensive. Maybe within 15 years hybrids and other less polluting cars can really start replacing gasoline cars.
Post a Comment