Driving is going to have to become a novelty if we're going to avoid the worst of the climate crisis. Plus, Peak Oil is going to force us into drastically reducing car use whether we like it or not.

The best thing to do is move towards car-free living. That means moving to a more central location and/or biking, walking and busing as your primary means of transportation.

Still, there are still justifiable reasons for owning a car. Your livelihood is a big one - I can't imagine how a realtor or roofer could run a successful business without driving most days.  read more... »

This is ## Avenue. The street on the left is 99th street. The green arrow is pointing at the future location (tearing down in May) of the Mill Creek NetZero Home.

I have been learning about ecohouses for years now. One thing you discover early is that a great deal of them are built in the country. The people who value energy efficiency and green building often have an affinity for a more natural setting than a city like Edmonton provides.

The thing is, most often these people work elsewhere. In fact, I've never heard of a green home in the country that was within walking distance to any jobs (I guess it could exist on a farm).

So you build green, but you commute two hours a day in your dinosaur burner?  read more... »

As I sit on my bike in the mornings at the 109th Street and Saskatchewan Drive intersection, I sometimes count how many passing cars are single occupancy. The percentage is about 90%, which is shameful given that many of them are driving from the same neighborhood to the same general area.

Concerned citizens should make their transportation choices in this order of preference:

1. walk or bike
2. bus
3. carpool
4. drive alone

There's a very cool new tool for Edmontonians who want to carpool: carpool.ca.  read more... »