My discussion (premature to the narrative) of a 55 MPH speed limit in Friday’s Urban column caused some consternation. “Oh, Ure has sold out to the Dark Side!” and sentiments like “Ure’s an idiot – we did that already…” we typical.
My intent was not to disavow speed. I’m an adrenaline junkie from the get-go. Something passed on to the “resuscitate dead people” and “walk into burning buildings” which took root in my son. When he isn’t feeding his adrenaline addiction by jumping out of airplanes.
Unfortunately, however, the problem of auto speed limits, vehicle costs, safety, fuel consumption, and carbon emissions, in our longer view of humans is very complex and one of those “can’t have your cake and eat it, too…” affairs.
But it gets us back to our simple way of living. Sailing. Working a garden in a serious way this week. Relying on power tools in the solar-powered shop.
Because if you don’t understand part of the “cost of a future” will be resource stripping and a change of lifestyle and degradation of speed expectations, you haven’t been paying attention.
A few more thoughts of this because we too love speed. If that’s all you got out of the column (Ure’s a fuddy-duddy) my drive to brevity buried the meaningful point.
A check of wars and charts and then the Time of Terrible Choices. Which we’re only at the very beginning of right now.
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