transport needs to change
Highbeam Library Research reported on 18 Feb 2004 in the European Report:
Road transport generates more than one fifth of all carbon dioxide emissions in the EU, with passenger cars being responsible for more than half of these emissions.
And here's another lesser-known fact: Standard engineering practice in urban design is to channel rainwater into the stormwater drains, while we replace that rain by using treated drinking water to irrigate our gardens. Makes no sense. And transport's role in this? According to the Center for Watershed Protection, as much as 65% of the total impervious surface cover in the American landscape are surfaces designed for cars including, but not limited to, streets, parking lots, and driveways.
[Source: Driving Urban Environments: Smart Growth Parking Best Practices, a Publication of the Governor's Office of Smart Growth, State of Maryland.]