**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:09

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:09

distelfliege @distelfliege

24 jan. 2018, 08:09

cars and the environment Afficher plus

yesterday I got some replies where people told me that in modern society #cars are required.

that may be. to a certain point. BUT
- not to the extent they are used right now!
- it is not required to build massive, tank-like SUV's that take up lots of space and pollute the world more, use up more resources
- cars could be much more effective and use less energy as they do. cars could be smaller, lighter and slower.
- it is not required to reserve as much space in cities for cars as is the case now, cities have public transport
- cars and fuel should be made more expensive, with support for ppl (disabled ppl) who really need them.

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:14

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:14

24 jan. 2018, 08:14

distelfliege @distelfliege

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

in addition to that, I wrote: "less cars or no cars" and some people read: "no cars".

I'm not a dogmatic extremist. but it's not dogmatic or extreme to see that we're suffocating ourselves in dust and pollutants, that we exploit the earth and profit off the poverty of millions of people with our excessive lifestyle and that we push more people into poverty taking away their resources to keep using up more than there really is.

and we've got to stop punishing people who take it on themselves to use no cars. we've got to start rewarding ppl who don't use cars, especially in cities.

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 2018-01-24T08:20:21Z

distelfliege @distelfliege

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

and if we live in a world where cars are required, it is on us to make it a different world, where they're not required as much.

24 jan. 2018, 08:20 · 3 · 6

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:25

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:25

24 jan. 2018, 08:25

artsyhonker aka Kathryn @artsyhonker@mastodon.art

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@distelfliege Also, as a disabled person with sometimes significant mobility impairments, I would be *way* safer with fewer cars. "What about disabled people and the elderly, who can't just walk everywhere?" is a red herring.

If I could use my bicycle safely to get everywhere I need to go, without worrying about a) being squished b) not being able to breathe or c) taking a dodgy unlit sideroute with nobody on it in the dark on my own? I would be less disabled.

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:29

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:29

24 jan. 2018, 08:29

artsyhonker aka Kathryn @artsyhonker@mastodon.art

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@distelfliege And no, even with adapted equipment, not everyone can cycle, but lots of people could use a trike as easily as a wheelchair. And most wheelchairs can go most places a cargo bike could go, if (and only if) they don't have to share with cars.

Physically protected cycle routes on main roads are really the only way to go. And that means having less space for cars.

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:33

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:33

24 jan. 2018, 08:33

artsyhonker aka Kathryn @artsyhonker@mastodon.art

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@distelfliege And even... the reason my mobility is better(-ish) at the moment is that I got exhausted by not being able to take my bicycle everywhere that I needed to walk (e.g. the Tube), and realised cycling was making my asthma worse, and started a (slow, painful) project to improve my walking mobility.

Long-term, it may well cause more joint damage, because of the nature of the condition I have.

Why should I have to do this?

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:36

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:36

24 jan. 2018, 08:36

artsyhonker aka Kathryn @artsyhonker@mastodon.art

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@distelfliege I literally have to choose between joint damage or lung damage, because car culture says other people driving is more important than my health.

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:40

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:40

24 jan. 2018, 08:40

distelfliege @distelfliege

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@artsyhonker I'm also lightly disabled, I have severe osteoarthritis in both knees. cycling keeps me literally alive.

I am in a similar situation: I have to choose between breathing in all those pollutants or becoming immobile.

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:37

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:37

24 jan. 2018, 08:37

distelfliege @distelfliege

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@artsyhonker yep. and the polluted air and the noise - how many city dwellers get sick from that? It has to be thousands of people who suffer, I don't get why we are doing this, why we are sacrificing so much for a not even very convenient way to move around.

in the end it's also so much about status and toxic masculinity, or a toxic show off of privilege. at least in germany, where cars are not simply things. many people here treat their cars as sacred objects, ranking higher than living beings.

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:41

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:41

24 jan. 2018, 08:41

artsyhonker aka Kathryn @artsyhonker@mastodon.art

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@distelfliege I didn't have asthma before I moved to London. My husband has developed it in the last few years too and his is much worse than mine despite him being physically fitter.

When I leave London I don't need to use my inhaler. But I can't get anywhere easily because there's no public transport...

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:46

**artsyhonker aka Kathryn** @artsyhonker@mastodon.art · 24 jan. 2018, 08:46

24 jan. 2018, 08:46

artsyhonker aka Kathryn @artsyhonker@mastodon.art

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@distelfliege Anyway. Yes. Car culture is terrible. Driving as a default option is horrible for disabled people, and yet we get used as an argument to keep it. Fewer cars, in less space, is something to keep working toward.

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:33

**distelfliege** @distelfliege · 24 jan. 2018, 08:33

24 jan. 2018, 08:33

distelfliege @distelfliege

cars and the environment: ranting Afficher plus

@artsyhonker absolutely! that's a super important point.