Fighting Climate Change Requires Cultural Shift by Nathan Dombeck

Fighting Climate Change Requires Cultural Shift by Nathan Dombeck

The Gazette (Janesville WI); March 31, 2022

As gas prices continue to rise, the narrative is to offer two solutions to ease the pain at the pump: increase domestic production of fossil fuels, or purchase an electric vehicle (EV). The tools to solve this crisis will not be found in innovating a better car or improving miles-per-gallon. We need to look at our societal habits and infrastructure.

Janesville is emblematic of towns across suburban US. Housing tracts extend ever further from the town center. The proliferation of strip malls decentralizes the shopping experience, spreading small stores all across the city. Societal norms require that you have the latest and greatest car; you get bonus points if it is an enormous and ostentatious truck, at least in this area (never mind that you may never haul anything in its bed bigger than your groceries). These and many other factors have led to our car-driven culture, and thus, our dependence on oil.

It is clearly no longer working. Gas prices are rising on constrained supply; empty storefronts litter our strip malls; our skies are polluted and our land is destroyed.

Push back against car culture. Shop downtown Janesville, where the shops often carry local goods and are within walking distance of each other, as well as fantastic restaurants. Carpool when you can, and use a bicycle when the weather allows for it. Consume less, appreciate more.

The tools to fix our crises can be found within ourselves, if we are willing to embrace change.

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