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By Mel Barnard

Bicycles were invented in the early 19th century and designed with men in mind. The bike garnered attention as a masculine activity because women couldn’t ride bikes sidesaddle, as they did in the proper feminine way of horse-riding. However, the invention of the “safety bicycle” made for an easier time riding. Some women were able to take advantage of this change and used bicycles as a way to transport themselves around without a chaperone, exercise freely in public, and get places quick. This led to changes in clothing since dresses got caught in the gears, which further fueled bicycles as a symbol of feminist action, particularly the suffragette movement.

Since then, however, the bicycle has remained a largely male-dominated activity. The numbers vary based on location, but in San Francisco, twice as many men commuted by bike compared to women. Surveys into the phenomenon generally agree: cycling, particularly on roads, feels intimidating and unsafe. Women are more generally more risk averse and are driven away from the activity because of that danger.

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By Mel Barnard

Fewer than 1% of cars currently on the road are electric. However, even with automakers building and selling more electric vehicles, by 2035, only 13% of vehicles are predicted to be electric. Without policy changes, most vehicles will likely run on gasoline even during the midpoint of the century.

To be carbon neutral by 2050, drastic action is needed to turn over and retire the fleet of gas-powered vehicles already on the market. For example, one policy might include buying back and scrapping older cars in use. Policymakers could also focus on electrifying ride-sharing programs like Uber and Lyft which tend to retire automobiles sooner, or offer rebates to turn in older cars for newer, more fuel-efficient models. Still, these trade-in programs have historically been proven to be less efficient than something like a carbon tax.

One of the best opportunities for change is in improving public infrastructure. Expanding public transit and encouraging biking and walking, particularly in cities, seems to be an excellent, nonpartisan way of decreasing carbon emissions.

Read more at the New York Times

By Mel Barnard

President Biden signed an executive order this month mandating the use of face masks throughout the nation on domestic and international modes of travel. While mask-wearing is a requirement for most methods of travel already, the decision has largely been up to individual state and local governments on how to enforce safety. The Transport Workers Union President praised this action, calling it “a long overdue measure to protect workers” and “about … time our government lived up to its obligations to public health”. 

The current death toll of COVID-19 is over 500,000. More people have died from this pandemic than from WW2, the Korean War, and Vietnam put together. Although the vaccine gives hope, already variant strains of the virus and difficulties with the rollout threaten a quick return to normal. As transportation systems attempt to reopen, frontline workers like those who work in public transportation need protections to stop another wave. 

Read more at Mass Transit

 

By Mel Barnard

President Biden has kept true on his promise to change course on climate. A series of executive actions he released recently pauses new federal oil leases, moves to electrify government vehicles, centers climate in foreign policy, and more. Biden strongly emphasized the ways climate action can bring jobs to the economy through clean technologies like wind and solar. However, he also seems to be wary of workers’ experiences. The average coal worker in West Virginia might not be able to become a solar energy engineer in Wyoming. For landlocked, less-than-sunny states, Biden offers opportunities for workers to build energy-efficient homes, seal leaking oil and gas wells, and notably, transition the transportation sector from gas to electric.

Some economists caution the nation’s ability to transition quickly without harming the economy, but others point to evidence showing a net wash in jobs as the economy grows more green. While environmental groups like Oceana are pushing for more than a pause on federal oil and gas leasing, the executive action is a sign of changing climate policy.

Read the full article from the New York Times here

Author Patrick Sisson

The climate crisis has come to St. Paul not as fire or flood but as a shiny green beetle: The emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that’s been eating its way northward in North America, is devouring a growing share of the Minnesota capital’s tree management budget. Removing dead trees could cost the city $22 million over the next few years, Mayor Melvin Carter says. The warming planet has also manifested in the siege of potholes that afflicts the city’s roadways, since the freeze-thaw cycle now happens more often, steadily increasing municipal maintenance costs.

To help the city meet its climate action goals and do its part to combat climate change, Carter wants to double-down on bike lanes, pedestrian-friendly street design and public transit. But keeping up with falling tree limbs and buckled streets is straining St. Paul’s ability to fund basic services, especially amid the economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. And the federal government has not been very helpful lately.

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